NORTHERN CALIFORNIA POWER AGENCY

Bringing the Benefits of Joint Action to California for Over 50 Years

The Northern California Power Agency (NCPA), a California Joint Action Agency, was established in 1968 by a consortium of locally owned electric utilities to make joint investments in energy resources that would ensure an affordable, reliable, and clean supply of electricity for customers in its member communities. NCPA members include municipalities, a rural electric cooperative, and other publicly owned entities for which the public agency provides such services as the purchase, aggregation, scheduling, and management of electrical energy.

Most critically for its 16 members, NCPA over the past four decades has constructed and today operates and maintains a fleet of power plants that is among the cleanest in the nation, and that provides reliable and affordable electricity to more than 700,000 Californians. NCPA made a major investment in renewable energy in the early 1980s when it developed two geothermal power plants and financed and built a 250 MW hydroelectric facility. Thirty years later, these resources continue to generate reliable, emission-free electricity for its member communities.

NCPA’s  778 MW portfolio of power plants are approximately 57% greenhouse gas emission-free.  NCPA’s mix of geothermal, hydroelectric, and natural gas resources is well positioned to help its members achieve California’s policy of a 60% Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) by 2030. NCPA member utilities also have invested heavily in the most environmentally friendly form of electricity—the megawatts that you do not use. The agency’s members collectively have spent more than $250 million on energy efficiency since 2006, reducing demand for electricity by 735 gigawatt hours during that time.

NCPA’s commitment to the environment reflects its status as a public entity whose policies and values are set not by investors, but by locally elected or appointed officials who serve as the energy regulators in the cities, towns, and districts that are members of the Agency.

NCPA appointed officials live and work in their communities and remain directly accountable for the utility service to their customers (and neighbors), they provide a knowledgeable, responsive, and effective governing body. With that combination of industry knowledge and commitment to the environment, NCPA has scored some notable “firsts” in environmental stewardship:

The world’s first integrated wastewater geothermal system, which reversed years of declining steam production at the geothermal facility and prolonged the life of one of the state’s most important sources of renewable generation.

The first entity in the U.S. to install “fast start” combined-cycle natural gas turbines that not only are highly efficient but also are designed to facilitate the integration of new intermittent renewables, such as solar and wind, and help California meet its ambitious renewable portfolio standard targets.

The world’s first integrated wastewater geothermal system, which reversed years of declining steam production at the geothermal facility and prolonged the life of one of the state’s most important sources of renewable generation.

The first entity in the U.S. to install “fast start” combined-cycle natural gas turbines that not only are highly efficient but also are designed to facilitate the integration of new intermittent renewables, such as solar and wind, and help California meet its ambitious renewable portfolio standard targets.

APPA is partnering with @RT_NewOrleans and @TheGreenProject for the #PublicPower #DayofGiving on Friday, June 6. Volunteers from public power utilities from across the U.S. and members of APPA's staff will gather to help serve the New Orleans community. https://ow.ly/JVSf50W3NtG

NCPA recently issued two RFPs seeking consulting services for federal advocacy and external communications services. If your firm may have an interest in supporting our agency in these areas, more information can be found here: https://www.ncpa.com/bidding-opportunities-and-public-notifications/request-for-proposals/
Public power systems are an…

This week, Healdsburg City Council Member @DavidHagele welcomed public power leaders from across the Northwest to Sonoma County for the 2025 Northwest Public Power Association Annual Conference. Council Member Hagele serves as Chair of the NCPA Legislative & Regulatory Affairs…

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