Bay Area homes getting new jolt of clean energy with largest geothermal power generator in US

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Some Bay Area customers are getting a new jolt of green energy.

That's thanks to a nonprofit power company, and the largest geothermal power generator in the country.

As a facilities manager in a downtown San Francisco office building, Donell Dominique knows a thing or two about commercial heating and power systems.

But recently, he was able to give himself an upgrade at home, from an efficient water heater to new insulation, to solar panels -- all thanks, in part, to an expanding clean energy program, covering parts of Marin, Napa, Contra Costa and Solano Counties.

"I mean, I'm in a business where we're all about saving energy for the company, you know? So why not do it at my home?" he said.

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Dominique qualified for the subsidy program from clean energy provider MCE. Like many customers, he sees their service included as part of his monthly PG&E statement. He says since the upgrades, his bills have gone down.

"My bill was $500 a month and now it is down to 30 something. The last bill I paid was $98," Dominique said.

Beyond the home improvements, Dominique believes his power source is getting an upgrade as well, including sources like solar and biogas -- and, as of this summer, an expanding supply of geothermal energy, produced at a field known as the Geysers. It's a massive complex of geothermal plants stretching across Sonoma and several other counties.

Owner-operator Calpine recently completed a 25-megawatt expansion of its system. It taps the naturally heated steam and turns it into turbine-powered electricity.

Recycled water from the City of Santa Rosa and regional partners is also delivered to the Geysers where Calpine injects it to replenish the geothermal reservoir. MCE's Dawn Weisz says the utility is one of the first clean energy providers to receive electricity from Calpine's new expansion.

"The great thing about geothermal energy is that it produces renewables around the clock 24/7. A lot of renewable energy that we have in our portfolio, like solar and wind, only produces part of the time. So having this geothermal energy is a great way to enhance reliability for our customers," Weisz said.

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Launched more than a decade ago, MCE was California's first Community Choice Aggregator. It's a public nonprofit that buy clean energy and deliver it as an alternative through existing utilities. Weisz says nearly 40 communities across its coverage area now chose MCE as their preferred provider.

"Often folks choose MCE because we are the public option with more stable rates. We also supply more renewable energy and greenhouse gas energy, greenhouse gas free energy to our customers. And that's what folks are interested in, both residential customers and business customers are looking for the cleaner energy alternative," Weisz said.

She said the additional geothermal power is enough to cover 15,000 Bay Area residents and businesses. MCE is also busy adding other new sources of clean energy as well, including a recently completed solar installation in Richmond. The agency also gets power from dozens of other sources around the state, including wind, biogas and hydropower.

For clean energy customer Dominique, it comes down to choice and convenience.

"I just know I've been doing a lot of researching and reading about what's being offered and what's available, what I can use, how can I use it, when can I use it," he said.