Board of Public Utilities Chair Robert Gibson presents an update on the County's utilities activities to the Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos at its Oct. 7 meeting. Courtesy/Kiwanis
By BROOKE DAVIS
Kiwanis Club
Los Alamos County Board of Public Utilities Chair Robert Gibson presented an update on the County's utilities activities to the Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos at its Oct. 7 meeting at Trinity on the Hill. He outlined the structure of the Department of Public Utilities and provided information on its accomplishments and future plans.
Los Alamos County owns and operates all four of its utilities: wastewater, potable water, natural gas, and electricity, which he said was an unusual responsibility at the county or city level.
The Department employs more than 100 people and operates on a $100 million+ budget. It is semi-autonomous, overseen by the citizen-run Board of Public Utilities. Its primary mission is to "keep the lights on and the fluids flowing".
The County has completed the White Rock Wastewater Recovery Facility. Ten percent of the wastewater is recycled and used to water the golf course and North Mesa ballparks. There is a potential for also providing cooling water for LANL. Good quality potable water is provided from deep wells into the aquifer. While water usage in the townsite is slightly decreasing, there is a growing demand from LANL for cooling purposes. The Department is starting to consider a new well, possibly tapping into the Rio Grande.
The Los Alamos natural gas system is in very good shape, he said, but unfortunately, natural gas is a major contributor to climate change. The county has a goal to phase out natural gas by 2070. This will take a concerted effort, working together to replace existing heating systems and appliances with electrical equivalents as they wear out. Electrifying buildings or vehicles won't help the environment if its source is coal or gas.
Los Alamos currently gets about 80 percent of its electricity from fossil power and 20 percent from hydroelectric, Gibson said, adding that this will change soon as construction should start next month on a very large solar field and battery bank. It will be located north of Farmington to take advantage of the existing transmission grid. Power is expected in late 2026 or early 2027.
Gibson explained that solar power is cheap, but stored energy today is not. Electric rates will change next summer to reflect that difference. Time-of-use rates will make daytime and late-night power cheaper for customers, but more expensive 5-11 p.m. when batteries are supplying.
The DPU is committed to the renewal and upgrade of its systems in order to keep serving the community and its needs, he said.