Tesla batteries installed at PWD water booster sites

PALMDALE – Palmdale Water District now has two of its water boosters equipped with Tesla batteries so that water customers will not be affected during public safety power shutoffs, the agency announced Tuesday.

The battery project is supported by grants totaling $1.5 million from the California Public Utilities Commission’s Self Generation Incentive Program.

“These batteries provide backup power at no cost to us,” said PWD Board President Gloria Dizmang. “It offsets some of our capital costs and, in turn, saves our ratepayers money. It is important that we continue to actively participate in renewable energy so that we can run more efficiently.”

The batteries are at the underground booster at El Camino Drive and Lakeview Drive and at Well 5’s booster at Barrel Springs Road. Costs were $628,000 and 884,000, respectively. The grants were awarded based on Palmdale being prone to fires and its classification as a
disadvantaged community.

“We are very pleased that the Tesla batteries are in place,” said PWD Assistant General Manager Adam Ly. “This will alleviate some of the concerns customers may have about power outages affecting their ability to get water. We are always looking for new technology to prepare
for these power outages that are becoming more common.”

For the underground booster, the battery pack provides 696 kilowatt-hour (kWh) while the Well 5 booster is equipped with batteries providing 928 kWh. The batteries operate on a 200 milli-second timeframe, kicking on when Southern California Edison turns off power to the area. They recharge when power returns.

Tesla is scheduled to manage the batteries for five years, Ly said. Within months, another set of Tesla batteries will be installed at PWD’s booster site on 45th Street East. This battery pack will provide 2965 kWh. For more information about the Palmdale Water District, visit www.palmdalewater.org.

[Information via news release from the Palmdale Water District.]