A Commitment to Energy and the Environment

EBMUD has long been committed to developing new energy sources and protecting the environment.

For more than 25 years, EBMUD has strived for energy efficiency at its wastewater treatment plant at the base of the Bay Bridge in Oakland. Here, food and other wastes are transformed into renewable energy to meet much of the power needs of the plant. By summer 2011, a new turbine will add more energy production to existing power generation capabilities and EBMUD will begin to sell renewable energy back to the grid after meeting power demands at the plant.

Ninety miles from Oakland in the Sierra Mountains, EBMUD operates two reservoirs on the Mokelumne River as an integrated system to provide water supply and meet numerous needs downstream. Each site has a hydroelectric plant that generates clean hydropower - enough in a typical year to power nearly 20,000 homes. On average, these two plants produce 185,000 megawatt-hours of electricity annually.

EBMUD continues to find ways to use less energy. Solar installations and microturbines at the District's main Oakland office, a satellite office, and an El Sobrante water treatment plant are part of the District's plan to get more of its energy from renewable sources. The car fleet has been entirely converted to hybrids; biodiesel for heavy-duty trucks has been tested; and as facilities are built or renovated, construction emphasizes recycled materials, energy efficiency, and water-efficient landscaping embodied in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Several existing office buildings, shops and water treatment plants are certified as Green Businesses.