COUNTY News:
Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities (DPU) officials encourage Los Alamos citizens to go the County’s online open forum at https:////www.peakdemocracy.com/3331 and provide feedback on future electrical energy resources for Los Alamos County.
The Board of Public Utilities (BPU) will review and discuss what the county’s energy generation portfolio mix should look like in 2040 based on recommendations in the July 7, 2015 Future Electrical Energy Report. This discussion is scheduled for the Jan. 20, 2016 board meeting held at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, 1000 Central Ave. in Los Alamos.
Currently, Los Alamos County’s owned electrical generation resources total 75 MW. When these resources are combined with the Department of Energy resources, they meet 80 percent of the electrical needs for the County and Los Alamos National Laboratory. The County’s 75 MW energy portfolio mix is 62 percent coal, and 38 percent renewable energy (37 percent is hydroelectric power and one percent is photovoltaic power).
Considering changes to the electrical industry, remaining life on contracts and agreements, as well as a long-term goal to be a carbon neutral electric provider by 2040, the BPU will discuss what strategic direction DPU should take when considering future energy generation resources.
To assist in this and other considerations, last February the BPU formed the Future Energy Resources Committee (FER Committee) with a charge to recommend:
- A definition for carbon neutrality;
- Future energy resources for Los Alamos County; and
- Policies as they relate to distributed generation customers.
The seven-member committee comprising county citizens, the business community, the Los Alamos schools, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory submitted to the BPU a 33-page document – the July 7, 2015 Future Energy Resources Report – with recommendations on all three tasks.
At the upcoming January meeting, the BPU will also complete their consideration on the carbon neutrality definition carried over from the December 16 board meeting. Policies as they relate to customers with distributed generation (the third task) will be discussed at the February board meeting.
DPU staff will utilize the online Open Forum platform as a way to solicit public input on the recommendations scheduled to be considered and discussed at each Board meeting.
Links to the full Future Electrical Energy Resources Report, and information on the FER Committee can be found on the Open Forum page at https:////www.peakdemocracy.com/3331 or on the DPU webpage at www.losalamosnm.us/utilities.
Input will be collected until Monday evening Jan. 18, just before midnight. All public comments and input received will be provided to BPU members prior to the Jan. 20 board meeting.