Port of Oakland agreed to purchase approximately 11,000-megawatt hours of electricity annually from a newly expanded solar array at Antelope Valley Solar Ranch in Lancaster, California.
With this new solar project which will now deliver renewable energy to the Californian cargo hub, the Port of Oakland will own and operate its own utility which will sell electricity to tenants, including those at Oakland International Airport and the Oakland Seaport.
“This is a project that has been six years in the making,” pointed out Port of Oakland executive director Danny Wan, who added that “using renewable power sources to meet our energy needs is another important step towards zero-emissions and a greener port.”
In fact, 30% of the port of Oakland’s power comes from solar.
Moreover, in March 2017, the Port approved a US$8.9 million deal to buy power from one of the largest solar farms in California.
According to the port of Oakland, investing in energy from the sun on a large scale significantly decreases the cost of this renewable power.
In addition, the US port anticipates that the purchase of this renewable energy over the next 20 years will save money. “That’s because solar power is cheaper than energy from fossil fuels that the Port would need if not for this investment,” explained a port official.
“Energy resources are challenging to find right now, and energy prices are hitting highs we have not seen since 2001,” commented Jared Carpenter, Port of Oakland’s manager of Utility Administration.
