Geysers Connection Project
Energy operations at the Geysers steamfields
In approximately July 2010, the Town of Windsor will begin construction on a pipeline and pump station that will send an average of 0.5 million gallons per day (MGD) of its recycled water, some of which is currently discharged into Mark West Creek, to the Geysers steamfields where it will be used to generate electricity.
In November 2008, the Town signed an agreement with the City of Santa Rosa to allow delivery of recycled water to the Geysers pipeline and approved a project to construct the facilities necessary to convey recycled water from the Town’s Water Reclamation Treatment Plant to the Geysers pipeline.
The project includes construction of a pump station and approximately 1,700 feet of 12-inch diameter pipeline connecting the WRTP to the Geysers pipeline. These facilities were evaluated in the 2001 EIR. An Addendum to the EIR was prepared in 2008 to ensure that no new or greater environmental impacts would occur that were not previously disclosed in the 2001 EIR. Construction is anticipated to begin by approximately summer 2010 and be completed by summer 2011.
Project Benefits
- The Town of Windsor’s Geysers Connection Project comes with many benefits, including:
- Ensuring the Town’s current and future compliance with environmental regulations.
- Providing a weather-independent, environmentally responsible method for recycled water reuse.
- Producing a negative net carbon footprint. The amount of green energy produced at the geothermal plant using the Town’s recycled water will outweigh the energy consumed by the project.
- Fiscal responsibility and cost-effectiveness. The Town is committed to minimizing impacts on ratepayers.