Alternate: Roadmap for Achieving Energy Neutrality: Planning and Funding Energy Resiliency Projects Without Compromising Water Quality

Alternate: Roadmap for Achieving Energy Neutrality: Planning and Funding Energy Resiliency Projects Without Compromising Water QualityAbstractWater utilities are increasingly required to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while also complying with more stringent water quality regulations and escalating construction costs. Water and wastewater facilities face competing regulatory requirements in this regard because stricter water quality regulations often require more energy intensive treatment processes. While construction costs are escalating and market conditions are changing, the good news is that a once-in-a-generation level of grants and funding incentives are available for water and wastewater projects, especially those incorporating energy efficiency, energy recovery, and renewable energy. This presentation will share a case study of an Energy Management Master Plan (EMMP) developed by South Platte Renew (SPR), the third largest water resource recovery facility in Colorado. SPR treats approximately 18 million gallons per day of residential and industrial wastewater from 300, 000 residents in nearby communities. Typically, the facility uses about 20, 000, 000 kWh a year and spends over 1. 5 million per year on energy bills. Regulatory challenges in the upcoming years will require SPR to operate new, energy intensive processes for phosphorus and nitrogen reduction and effluent temperature limits. As part of the EMMP, SPR is developing an Energy Management Program to minimize energy use while implementing a large Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) to address the regulatory challenges as well as aging infrastructure. This presentation will share best practices and lessons learned on developing an Energy Management Program that attendees can apply at their facilities. The EMMP included a Power BI tool for energy usage analysis, an Excel tool for prioritizing energy projects in coordination with SPR's CIP, a framework for the Energy Management Program, funding incentives and potential partnerships, and a long-term roadmap for continually improving energy performance. SPR had already made advances towards reducing energy usage and improving the overall efficiency of the WRRF, including a renewable natural gas (RNG) project, which treats biogas from the facility's anaerobic digesters to inject into the nearby natural gas pipeline. This presentation will include the most updated status of the RNG project, RNG market, grants and funding incentives for anaerobic digesters and RNG, and public private partnerships that attendees can use to further evaluate RNG for their facilities. This presentation will review the scope of work, methodology and findings of the EMMP developed as a highly collaborative effort between SPR and Hazen and aligned with SPR's overall goal and vision of 'Renewing water for Colorado's future'. The following steps were taken to develop the EMMP: Established an energy usage baseline using power metering data and RNG production data Developed an interactive tool for prioritizing energy reduction and production projects Drafted a template of SPR's Energy Management Program using best practices from ISO 50001 Organized the recommendations and next steps into a roadmap for energy neutrality These steps are applicable, transferable, and useful for all sizes of utilities striving to improve energy management of their facilities. This paper was presented at the WEF/AWWA Utility Management Conference, February 13-16, 2024. SpeakerKeddy, ElizabethPresentation time10: 30: 0012: 00: 00Session time10: 30: 0012: 00: 00SessionUtility Planning: Essential to SuccessSession number19Session locationOregon Convention Center, Portland, OregonTopicStrategic Planning and ImplementationTopicStrategic Planning and ImplementationAuthor (s) Keddy, ElizabethAuthor (s) E. Keddy1, B. Schmerber2Author affiliation (s) Hazen and Sawyer 1; South Platte Renew 2;SourceProceedings of the Water Environment FederationDocument typeConference PaperPublisherWater Environment FederationPrint publication date Feb 2024DOI10. 2175/193864718825159313Volume / Issue Content sourceUtility Management ConferenceWord count17