Turlock Irrigation District. Image credit California Ag Today/Fresco County Farm Bureau

Microgrid developer Enchanted Rock is providing 148 MW of fast-response, dispatchable power through three gas-fired generators to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR).

The generators are positioned front of the meter and hosted by the Modesto Irrigation District, the city of Lodi and the Turlock Irrigation District. Texas-based Enchanted Rock will monitor and manage operations of the generator sets for the water infrastructure.

"We're proud to be a project partner and support DWR's commitment to diversifying and bolstering its power resources," Jimi Netniss, general manage of the Modesto Irrigation District, said.

Natural gas will be supplied by the northern California-based utility Pacific Gas & Electric. The emissions levels will meet San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District non-emergency operational standards, according to the release.

“These natural gas-powered gensets will not only provide emergency backup electricity for California during extreme weather. Because they operate cleanly, quietly and on-demand, they will do so while meeting strict air quality standards and without disturbing the surrounding area’s quality of life,” Allan Schurr, chief commercial officer for Enchanted Rock, said in a statement.

Enchanted Rock has provided microgrid and on-site power generation for numerous critical infrastructure sites around the nation. West Harris County Regional Water Authority and the city of Houston’s Northeast Water Purification Plant, both in Texas, contracted the company to deliver multi-MW microgrids to backup and support operations.

In California, Enchanted Rock also is working with tech giant Microsoft on developing a microgrid powered by renewable natural gas to support the latter’s data operations.

The gen-sets for Modesto, Lodi and Turlock customers can generate enough electricity to power approximately 100,000 homes during an extreme weather event, according to reports. California is prone to power shutoffs due to wildfire dangers and coastal storms.