Silicon Valley Power
Encyclopedia
Silicon Valley Power is a not-for-profit
municipal electric utility
owned and operated by the city of Santa Clara, California
, USA.
In 1980 SVP became an energy producing utility for the first time since 1903, when it launched its own six megawatt cogeneration
project, and in 1983 was the lead partner in a new 110-megawatt geothermal power
plant.
plant called the Donald Von Raesfeld Power Plant (DVR). The new plant produces 147 megawatts of electricity for the city, its businesses and its residents. As a result of this new plant and a diverse power source portfolio, the going rate for electricity in Santa Clara is considerably cheaper than that offered by Northern California's dominant utility, Pacific Gas and Electric
.
generated from wind
and solar
sources. SVP also offers rebates for customers who purchase Energy Star
appliances or install a whole house fan
.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
municipal electric utility
Public utility
A public utility is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service . Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and regulation ranging from local community-based groups to state-wide government monopolies...
owned and operated by the city of Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
, USA.
History
Originally founded in 1896 as Santa Clara's electric department, for many years SVP only purchased wholesale energy.In 1980 SVP became an energy producing utility for the first time since 1903, when it launched its own six megawatt cogeneration
Cogeneration
Cogeneration is the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneously generate both electricity and useful heat....
project, and in 1983 was the lead partner in a new 110-megawatt geothermal power
Geothermal power
Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. Thermal energy is the energy that determines the temperature of matter. Earth's geothermal energy originates from the original formation of the planet and from radioactive decay of minerals...
plant.
Power reliability
According to a 2005 nationwide reliability benchmarking survey, Santa Clara's Silicon Valley Power placed first in several categories and second overall power reliability in the nation.Pricing
Recently, SVP brought online a brand new combined cycle gas turbineCombined cycle
In electric power generation a combined cycle is an assembly of heat engines that work in tandem off the same source of heat, converting it into mechanical energy, which in turn usually drives electrical generators...
plant called the Donald Von Raesfeld Power Plant (DVR). The new plant produces 147 megawatts of electricity for the city, its businesses and its residents. As a result of this new plant and a diverse power source portfolio, the going rate for electricity in Santa Clara is considerably cheaper than that offered by Northern California's dominant utility, Pacific Gas and Electric
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company , commonly known as PG&E, is the utility that provides natural gas and electricity to most of the northern two-thirds of California, from Bakersfield almost to the Oregon border...
.
Environmental responsibility
SVP offers customers the option of selecting "Santa Clara Green Power", which is 100% renewable energyRenewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
generated from wind
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
and solar
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
sources. SVP also offers rebates for customers who purchase Energy Star
Energy Star
Energy Star is an international standard for energy efficient consumer products originated in the United States of America. It was first created as a United States government program during the early 1990s, but Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and the European Union have also adopted...
appliances or install a whole house fan
Whole house fan
A whole-house fan is a type of fan, or exhaust system commonly venting into a building's attic, designed to pull hot air out of the building. It is sometimes confused with an attic fan....
.