Power costs up to 24% less than PG&E
MANTECA BULLETIN - January 5, 2008
BY Dennis Wyatt Managing Editor
LATHROP - River Islands at Lathrop is taking steps to make sure its future residents enjoy electrical rates 20 to 24 percent lower than what PG&E charges.
Cambay Group is preparing to write a check for $500,000 to PG&E in the coming weeks to secure an inter-tie near Tracy to serve the project that ultimately will have 11,000 homes plus retail and a major employment center.
Cambay Group several years ago formed the Lathrop Irrigation District to provide water and electricity to River Islands.
The LID board called upon South San Joaquin Irrigation District's 53 years plus expertise in the power business to work as a consultant to establish retail power service for River Islands.
"It will be a huge benefit for our future residents," noted River Islands Project Manager Susan Dell'Osso.
It is a way that Cambay Group is trying to make housing as affordable as possible for those opting to live on River Islands. A typical 2,400-square-foot home with a family of four has an electrical bill hovering around $200 a month in Manteca and Lathrop. The LID service effectively would knock $50 a month off such a bill to save a household $600 a year.
It also will provide River Islands with another card to play in its bid to land office type operations for the planned employment center. It means it will have power rates lower than nearby cities unless, of course, SSJID is successful in taking over the PG&E system serving Manteca, Escalon and Ripon to deliver retail power.
The SSJID has steadfastly emphasized it expects the minimum savings for users in the three cities would be a 15 percent reduction over current PG&E rates as well as a major upgrade of the system.
SSJID leaders have privately indicated exhaustive studies have shown the savings to Manteca, Ripon, and Escalon customers would likely be higher than 15 percent but that the lower number has been used to make sure they can deliver on their promise in case hitches develop.
Dell'Osso noted LID will employ the services of a power broker to secure long-
term electrical contracts.
Cambay Group is also pushing solar panels for homes and other structures to further reduce power costs.
Dell'Osso noted anything that can go solar will on River Islands' public projects whether it is a flashing light atop a "stop ahead sign" or installing systems on public buildings.
LID will also institute programs such as SSJID plans to pursue when it enters the retail power business. Included is access to real-time readings of electrical meters by going on-line to monitor power consumption. The high tech meters will also use wireless technology to allow remote reading of the meters for monthly bills.
Cambay Group expects to have the first homes built in River Islands nestled along Interstate 5 and the San Joaquin River at the Mossdale Crossing in Lathrop by early 2009.
The River Islands at Lathrop project is the largest of its kind in Northern California in terms of being a self-contained community with homes, business park, schools and a town center. Its most unique feature, though, is the universal access to the river as well as internal lakes and canals being incorporated in the overall design of the community.
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