City of Arvin, California Powers Wastewater Treatment Plant With Solar, Saves $30M

Utility workers walk through a solar installation

The Challenge

The City of Arvin, California had an energy intensive wastewater treatment plant whose energy bills accounted for 30% of the WWT’s operating expenses. The city needed to reduce costs and greenhouse gas emissions and make the treatment plant more reliable. 

The city is classified as a “disadvantaged community” and was therefore eligable for additional funding through the federal Inflation Reduction Act.

The Solution

The city, in partnership with Veolia, embarked on a groundbreaking solar energy project that would power the entire treatment plant and all but eliminuate GHG production. The project was financed through a combination of low-interest municipal financing and the Federal Inflation Reduction Act.

The Outcome

The installation is projected to generate one megawatt of electricity, sufficient to power around 750 homes. When factoring expected energy inflation costs, the project will save the city 30M in energy costs over the next 30 years.

Project Metrics

$230,000

in energy savings during year one

$30,000,000

in energy savings over the life of the equipment

1,000

metric tons of CO2 eliminated

Up to 40%

of project costs are expected to be covered by Inflation Reduction Act