New Natural Gas Plant One of Cleanest and Most Efficient in U.S.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – August 10, 2012 – In an ongoing effort to sustain diversity in its power sources as well as maintain the lowest electric rates in California, Silicon Valley Power (SVP), the City of Santa Clara’s municipal electric utility, will supply power to customers from the new Lodi Energy Center starting this fall. The natural gas powered plant is one of the cleanest and most efficient gas-fired systems in the U.S., according to the Northern California Power Agency (NCPA), a partner with SVP in the Lodi Energy Center.

“Natural gas is the cleanest alternative short of wind, hydroelectric and geothermal sources of power, and the Lodi Energy Center combined cycle system is the gold medal standard for clean gas-fired power production,” said Larry Owens, SVP Manager of Customer Service.

SVP provides its 50,000 Santa Clara customers with a power mix that includes 25 to 30 percent electricity from renewable sources, well ahead of the 2014 California requirement of 20 percent for utilities. The diversified portfolio allows SVP to mix and match power prices to the needs and price expectations of SVP customers. SVP rates did not increase in 2012 and are the lowest in the state, according to a recent study conducted by the California Municipal Rates Group.

“Just like a car, natural gas plants emit most of their emissions during cold start-up,” said Owens. “The fast-start technology of the Lodi Energy Center dramatically reduces the time needed to get going, helping reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent compared to conventional combined-cycle plants.”

SVP will receive up to 25 percent of the 300-megawatt output of the Lodi plant.

About Silicon Valley Power
Silicon Valley Power is the trademark adopted for use by the not-for-profit electric municipal utility of Santa Clara, CA serving residents and businesses for over 100 years. SVP provides power to more than 50,000 customers, including Applied Materials, Intel, Owens Corning and Yahoo!, at rates 15 to 45 percent below neighboring communities. Visit siliconvalleypower.com for more information.

Lodi Energy Center Project Participants
The City of Azusa, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), the City of Biggs, California Department of Water Resources (CDWR), the City of Gridley, the City of Healdsburg, the City of Lodi, the City of Lompoc, Modesto Irrigation District (MID), Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative (PSREC), the Power and Water Resources Pooling Agency (PWRPA), Silicon Valley Power (The City of Santa Clara), and the City of Ukiah.

Contacts:
Larry Owens, Silicon Valley Power
Tel: 408.621.5873
Email: 4086215873@txt.att.net

Carol McCarthy, City of Santa Clara
Tel: 408.615.2213

Agency Contact:
Tom Mertens
Tel: 408.234.6881
Email: Tom@dystrick.com