TotalEnergys Completes 4.6 MW Solar Project for California Water Agency

East Bay Municipal District

TotalEnergys and the East Bay Municipal District (EBMUD) have dedicated the Orinda Photovoltaic Solar Project (Orinda PV), EBMUD’s largest solar facility. Designed, built, owned and operated by TotalEnergys, the 4.6 MW project will provide the nonprofit water agency with approximately 10 million kWh of clean solar energy annually under a long-term PPA, significantly offsetting EBMUD’s greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating the utility’s progress toward towards the goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.

“The Orinda PV project represents a step forward in EBMUD’s clean energy production and supports our mission to provide safe and affordable drinking water while protecting the environment,” said EBMUD CEO Clifford Chan. “We believe that investing in a sustainable future is the right solution for our customers and our planet, not only today, but also for generations to come.”

East Bay Municipal District

Orinda PV contains over 12,000 high-efficiency panels mounted on single-axis trackers that maximize energy production across the 12-acre site. The landscaping of the site includes vegetative screening that minimizes visibility of the photovoltaic system from nearby nature trails and the Briones Reservoir, a popular recreational area.

The Orinda PV project is expected to offset 10% of EBMUD’s current energy costs. The solar PV system will be connected to the local power grid through PG&E’s Renewable Energy Self-Generation Bill Credit Transfer (RES-BCT) program, which allows electricity generated by the project to offset energy consumed from up to 50 EBMUD electric accounts with PG&E. Locating the project next to PG&E’s Sobrante station reduces the costs and impacts of connecting to the power grid.

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