:: Power Links
:: Riverside Energy Resource Center

The Riverside Energy Resource Center (RERC) is located on a 16- acre site adjacent to the city’s Water Quality Control Plant at 5950 Acorn Street in a light industrial/manufacturing area within the City of Riverside, CA.

A 96-megawatt (MW) power plant consisting of two 48-MW simple-cycle combustion turbines and generators. The state-of-the-art, clean burning natural gas-fired turbines will run no more than 1,200 hours a year and only during times of peak demand when additional energy is needed.

A 1.75 mile, 69-kilovolt (kV) transmission line is also part of the project. The line will connect the plant to the city’s Mt. View Substation. The RERC will serve only the Riverside Public Utilities customers and will not be connected to the state grid.

Purpose/Benefits:

  • The RERC will provide RPU a less costly source of “peak” power to help keep rates low.
  • The RERC will diversify the city’s power sources.
  • The RERC will postpone costly upgrades to the Vista substation owned by Edison.
  • In conjunction with RPU’s Springs 40-MW Power Station, the RERC allows RPU to fully meet the city’s most critical emergency power needs in the event of a major disaster.
  • The RERC will improve RPU’s future energy security status in terms of price and supply fluctuations.

Construction Cost: $79 million to be financed by issuing revenue bonds to be paid back over 20 to 30 years.

Completed: June 26, 2006

Contact: Bob Gill, Project Manager, (951) 710-5011
Steve Badgett, Assistant Director/Energy, Office: (951) 826-5504

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