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                      NEWS RELEASE FROM THE

                  CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                 FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
April 7, 1995                         Rob Schlichting 916-654-5159



            TRUCKEE DONNER PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT 
                HONORED FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY


The Truckee Donner Public Utility District has been named an 
Energy Efficiency Showcase by the California Energy Commission, 
which praised the district's resourcefulness in saving energy.

The district is one of only 10 water suppliers to be selected 
for the Commission's Energy Showcase project.  Sixteen 
wastewater districts were also selected from the more than 
4,000 water and sewer agencies in California.

"The Showcase program was designed to reward and spotlight 
energy efficient water suppliers like this one," explained 
Commissioner Jananne Sharpless of the Energy Commission.  
"With their dedicated approach to energy use, the operators 
of the Truckee Donner Public Utility District serve as models 
for other water professionals around the state."

Operating nine wells and 25 storage reservoirs, the district 
furnishes water to 6,400 customers and electricity to 8,700 
customers in the Truckee area.  To help cut its utility costs 
and save energy, the district recently installed sophisticated 
computerized operating controls on its water system.  The new 
control system allows Truckee Donner to shift most of its 
pumping to off-peak hours when electrical costs are cheaper, 
and allows it to carefully track its energy use.   

Reducing water use also saves significant energy, since less 
water needs to be pumped and treated.  To help its customers 
conserve, the district recently developed a Business and 
Energy Efficiency Partnership with the Truckee Donner Chamber 
of Commerce and its members.  The partnership operates 
educational conservation programs for school children, 
homeowners and businesses, and has recently installed a 
variety of energy and water efficiency displays at the new 
Chamber of Commerce headquarters.   

As a participant in the Energy Showcase project, the Truckee 
Donner Public Utility District will serve as a demonstration 
site, allowing other water suppliers to learn from its 
accomplishments.  

"The Energy Commission is encouraging every water supplier and 
every wastewater agency in the state to become as energy 
efficient as possible," said Sharpless.  "It makes good 
business sense.  Californians spend over half a billion dollars 
a year to pump and treat their water and sewage.  If every agency 
could cut its energy bill by 10 percent, the savings statewide 
would result in an additional $50 million a year that could be 
used to replace old pipes and aging infrastructure, improve water 
quality, and increase the amount of water recycling."


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For more information, contact:

Scott Terrell, Director of Planning, 
Truckee Donner Public Utility District, (916) 582-3931

Rob Schlichting, California Energy Commission, (916) 654-5159


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File Name:95-04-07_Truckee_Donner_PUD_Honore