LAKE ELSINORE, CA, Sept. 2, 2005 (U.S. Newswire) -- Nevada Hydro Company Inc. yesterday announced it had selected Siemens Power, Transmission and Distribution as the engineer, procure and construction contractor for the Lake Elsinore Advanced Pump Storage Project (LEAPS) and the Talega-Escondido/Valley-Serrano (TE/VS) 500 kV Interconnection Projects. The announcement is welcome news to project supporters, including the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, and comes on the heels of Congress and the President agreeing to the creation of a comprehensive national energy policy that encourages projects that can store a region's renewable energy resources.
The selection of Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution was based on advanced Siemens technology that makes the project more efficient while at the same time protecting the environment. "We are delighted to be chosen as a principle supplier for the LEAPS and TE/VS Projects", said Dave Pacyna, President & CEO of Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution, Inc. "Reliable, low cost energy supply is a top priority in California these days. We feel that this project represents a great opportunity to employ our proven technology to help the citizens of Southern California meet their energy needs", he said.
When completed, LEAPS and TE/VS will be able to generate 500 Megawatts of electricity that can be carried over a high voltage connection between Southern California Edison's (SCE) transmission grid to the North and San Diego Gas & Electric's (SDG&E) to the South. LEAPS will be a hydroelectric generation facility that creates power by recycling water between Lake Elsinore and an upper reservoir located in the Cleveland National Forest. Water will flow into Lake Elsinore during high demand periods and is then pumped back into the upper reservoir during times when demand for power is low. The generation and transmission of the additional power will help alleviate power shortages by utilizing a sophisticated control technology regulating the flow of water in and out of Lake Elsinore.
Nevada Hydro Vice President Rex Wait expressed his enthusiasm over the environmental aspects of the pump storage operation and the use of modern technology to minimize the impact on the environment. "Some renewable energy sources like wind or solar are limited - when no wind exists or the sun isn't shining, there's no power generation. This project may eventually serve over 1 million homes and would complement new renewable energy resources with its ability to store energy in periods of low demand and high generation. The hydro plant offers a fast peaking capability during periods of high demand or during system disturbances," said Wait.
Among other environmental improvements, the construction of a reservoir in the Cleveland National Forest to create a source of hydroelectric power will assist in the stabilization of Lake Elsinore's lake level - something local officials have struggled with for several decades.
Pending agency approvals and certified compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act, the LEAPS project will ensure a reliable clean supply of power for Southern California as well as stabilizing the level and oxygenating the water of Lake Elsinore.
Siemens PT&D is a United States subsidiary of Siemens AG, a German-based multinational company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "SI". The PT&D Division is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina employing over 1,000 people across the United States. In addition, other Siemens business subsidiaries employ approximately 5,000 people in California. The selection of Siemens PT&D as the EPC Contractor followed the earlier selections of Voith-Siemens as the supplier of the LEAPS Project's power generation equipment. Siemens PT&D has been supplying major turnkey high voltage projects in California for more than 20 years.
Nevada Hydro Company Inc. (www.leapsforward.org) is based in Vista, Calif.
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