Climate Change and Conservation: A Time to Talk and Investigate Not a Time for a Weak Heart

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Climate Change and ConservationA Time to Talk
and InvestigateNot a Time for a Weak Heart

• B. Kent Turner
• President
• California American Water

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American Water

• Founded in 1886
• Largest investor-owned water and wastewater
  utility in the United States
• Serves approximately 16.2 million people
• Operations in 32 states and Ontario, Canada
• Approximately 6,900 employees

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What are the Impacts of GHGs?

• Changing weather patterns
• Higher surface air temperatures
• Melting of polar ice caps
• Longer, more frequent droughts
• Shorter, higher intensity rainy seasons
• Variation in water quality, pathogen loading
• Rise in ocean levels causing salt water
  intrusion, habitat destruction, and displacement
  of significant human and animal populations

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California American Water Had Several
Pre-Existing Programs

• Some conservation programs in all districts
• Low Income proposals made in a number of cases
• Consolidated tariffs in some service areas
• Active intense conservation program in Monterey
• Inclining block rate structure in Monterey -
  based on individual customer needs
• Active low income program in Monterey

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Current GRC Proposals

• Variation from current CPUC tariff
• Place more fixed cost recovery in quantity rate
• Tiered rates for customers
• Approve a Water Revenue Adjustment Mechanism to
  track lost revenues and implement revenue/sales
  decoupling
• Approve only with other requests in the case are
  approved
• Full integration of rate tariffs in Los Angeles
• Remove current rate differential between service
  areas due to purchased water and power rates

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Current GRC Proposals

• Implement a Low Income Rate Assistance Tariff
• Implement Full-Cost Purchased Water and Power
  Balancing Accounts
• In conjunction with proposed rate design,
  conservation programs
• Keeps customers and company whole
• Implement Conservation Program, Memorandum
  Account
• Provide incentives to promote conservation
• Allocate funding to comply with Best Management
  Practices
• Memorandum account facilitates recovery of
  prudently incurred expenditures

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Strategies to Reduce Energy and GHGe Intensity

• Decreasing Non-Revenue Water (NRW) decreases
  water pumped lower electrical use
• Increase Pumping Efficiency
• Conduct pump tests and optimize efficiency by
  trimming or replacing impellers
• Install VFDs to maximize pump efficiency at each
  pump demand
• Install new high efficiency pumps and motors
• Upgrade lighting to latest generation florescent
  lighting
• Optimize HVAC systems to provide only that level
  of cooling or dehumidification that is needed

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Procurement

• Green Energy Production
• Solar Generation
• Tax Incentives
• Green Energy Procurement
• Wind Power

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Open Forum The Debate The Discussion?