Santa Rosa Case Study – Water, Electric and Gas Utility Collaboration

The City of Santa Rosa's Laguna Subregional Water Reclamation Facility is a fascinating case study for water, electric and gas utility collaboration. Three projects are presented as examples of integrated planning and the water/energy nexus. At a time when wastewater treatment facilities are aiming for a net-zero energy footprint, Santa Rosa's effluent is enabling the production of 100 megawatts of power with the Geysers Recharge Project. It is a unique example of integrated planning and highlights the “other” side of the water/energy nexus: the water demand for power generation. Within the Water Reclamation Facility, a recent integrated energy audit provides mutual benefit for the electric utility and the City. Finally, where most studies only address the best on-site use of biogas, the Combined Heat and Power Project asks the bigger question: “Who – the facility or the utility – can better use biogas and natural gas?”