When there’s road construction in Fresno, Gary Mendrin and his team mark the area with paint to make sure underground electric cables don’t get damaged! �⚡️
Marking underground utilities helps construction crews avoid accidentally hitting them and knocking out traffic signal power.
FRESNO, CA – The City of Fresno’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU) conducted a groundbreaking ceremony today for the development of its on-site solar energy and battery storage portfolio.
The projects are currently taking shape at three energy-intensive sites – the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility, the Northeast Surface Water Treatment Facility, and the Southeast Surface Water Treatment Facility. DPU’s 27 megawatt-DC (MW-DC) “behind-the-meter” portfolio is being developed in partnership with ForeFront Power, a leading developer of solar energy and battery storage projects in the U.S. and Mexico, and the projects will be constructed by local union labor from the IBEW Local 100.
The DPU projects are part of the City of Fresno’s comprehensive plan to lower its energy costs, bolster environmental resiliency, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At a time of rising electricity costs, these DPU projects are expected to save the City over $100 million in taxpayer dollars by 2045.
“Today is a great day for the City of Fresno,” said Mayor Jerry Dyer. “DPU is harnessing cutting-edge renewable energy and battery storage technology to reduce its energy burden, and to safeguard our air and environment for future generations.”
“Additionally, these projects will save taxpayer money – more than $100 million over the next 20 years just from the DPU sites. I’m proud of Fresno for leading the way by advancing towards our energy goals, creating local jobs, and saving taxpayer funds in the process,” Mayor Dyer said.
“We’re pleased to have helped the City of Fresno with this momentous expansion of its renewable energy assets,” said Rachel McLaughlin, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at ForeFront Power. “It makes sense that with over 300 days of sunshine per year, the City is harnessing one of its most abundant resources to protect pocketbooks, the air, and the climate all at once.”
Under the terms of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the City, ForeFront Power develops, owns, and maintains the solar and storage portfolio. ForeFront Power charges the City a fixed, below-market rate for electricity, which is locked in for the 20-year duration of the agreement. ForeFront Power will continue to operate and maintain the system at no cost to the City.
Each DPU site will feature ground-mounted solar energy arrays and single-axis trackers, with a combined output of 47 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually. When completed, the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility site is expected to be one of the largest behind-the-meter solar energy and battery storage projects in California, with 17 MW-DC of solar and 2.3 MW-DC of battery storage. Moreover, the City of Fresno will host the largest multi-campus solar energy and battery storage portfolio in the world at 34 MW-DC.
The development of the City’s solar and storage portfolio has created 192 local jobs, with the three DPU sites contributing 120 of these local jobs. The DPU projects will complement the City’s completed behind-the-meter solar energy assets at the Fresno Convention Center, the Highway City Science Center, the Police Training Facility, and Fresno Yosemite International Airport.
For more information about ForeFront Power, please visit https://www.forefrontpower.com.
Location:
5897 E Belmont Ave, Fresno, CA 93727
When:
October 24, 2023
TIME:
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Services of an interpreter and additional accommodations such as assistive listening devices can be made available.
Requests for accommodations should be made more than five working days but no later than 48 hours prior to the scheduled program/event. Please contact (559) 621-PLAY.
COVID-19 Guidelines (subject to change): PARCS programs adhere to current federal, state, and local COVID-19 guidelines related to wearing masks, social distancing, capacity, etc.
This week on ‘We Work For You’, we’re highlighting Elizabeth Castillo! She’s a Program Manager for the PARCS Senior Program, which provides specialized activities for Fresno’s seniors at nine different locations around the city. Between free hot meals, senior dances, and exercise classes – there’s something for everyone, and Elizabeth makes sure those programs keep running. Thank you for all you do for our senior population, Elizabeth!
This week on ‘We Work For You’, we’re highlighting Jacob Avedian! He’s a Recreation Specialist with the PARCS Department and works at Highway City Community Science Center! If you haven’t been there, check it out – the center features over 50 hands-on exhibits, daily science projects, mobile science workshops and more. Jacob says it’s really rewarding to see the smiles on the kids’ faces as they engage and learn. Thank you everything you do for Fresno’s youth, Jacob!
This week on ‘We Work For You’, we’re highlighting Le’Shea Tarver! She’s worked in various departments – most recently in Personnel for the last 8 years, where she works as a Sr. Human Resources and Risk Analyst! She’s part of the recruiting team, which means she plays a vital role in getting the best candidates for all departments in the City. In fact, she just organized and executed a job fair at City Hall that attracted upwards of 700 people! Thank you for all you do for Fresno and for our departments, Le’Shea!
It can be confusing when you’re trying to figure out what goes into your gray, green, and blue bins – and that’s what Anthony Mastoras is here for! ♻️
He’s a compliance officer with Public Utilities who checks bins to make sure things are in the right spot. If they aren’t, he’ll leave a tag that tells the homeowner what was wrong and how to fix it. He says this work allows him to truly make a difference in the city he grew up in!
If you have questions about what goes where, give our hotline a call at 559-621-1111 and ask away!
This week on ‘We Work For You’, we’re highlighting Nancy Her! She’s an emergency services dispatcher with the Fresno Police Department, where she takes 911 calls and dispatches officers to emergencies. She’s been with the department for 17 years and, as a Fresno native, she says that she takes every call with the mindset that it could be a loved one on the other line. Thank you for all you do for Fresno residents, Nancy!
When schools around Fresno have back-to-school events and resource fairs, there’s a good chance you’ll see Dawnmarie Applegate there – she’s a community service officer with the Fresno Police Department who educates students about cannabis, vaping, and fentanyl.
Say hello if you see her!
This week on ‘We Work For You’, we’re highlighting Chris Quinonez! Chris is on the “thermo crew” with Public Works. He and his team use thermoplastic to paint crosswalks around Fresno. It gets heated up to 400 degrees before being applied and leads to a more reflective, longer-lasting crosswalk – something that’s super important as students around Fresno head back to school. Thank you for your work, Chris!
