Valley Fire Affects Alameda's Power Supply

Alameda Municipal Power reported Monday that geothermal and solar power facilities near Middletown may have been damaged in the 62,000-acre Valley Fire, currently burning through Lake, Napa, and Sonoma counties.

These facilities don’t power Alameda directly but they are a part of AMP’s power supply, according to AMP officials, and the extent of any damage is not yet clear. Despite the potential damage to those facilities, however, service to customers remains uninterrupted, AMP officials said. AMP’s power supplier, the Northern California Power Agency, has a variety of power sources and keeps combustion turbines at Alameda Point on standby in case other power plants should fail, according to AMP.

“This diverse mix of generation places AMP in a far less vulnerable position when disasters like this occur,” AMP general manager Glenn Steiger said in a statement. “This event underscores the value of diversification but also the importance of planning for our energy future.” AMP representatives declined further comment regarding the specific damages to the facilities.

Full fire coverage on Patch:

• Evacuated Fire Victims Settling into Tent City
• Photo of the Week: Smoky Sunset, Stark Reminder
• FEMA Grant to Cover Valley Firefighting Costs
• Earthquake Rattles Fried Nerves Near Valley Fire
• Wildfire Victim Was Disabled; Containment Doubles in One Day
• Highway Through Hell: Video Shows Driver’s Escape from Valley Fire Inferno
• One Dead as Valley Fire Explodes to 61,000 Acres, 5 Percent Containment
• Elderly, Disabled Woman Trapped in Home, Died in Valley Fire
• FEMA Grant to Cover Valley Firefighting Costs
• Evacuated Fire Victims Settling into Tent City
• One Person Killed in Valley Fire; 50,000 Acres Burned; Hundreds of Homes Lost
• Exhaustion, Desperation, Humor at Calistoga Evacuation Center
• “Huge Destruction. Homes Destroyed Will Be in Hundreds”
• Valley Fire Roars Through 40,000 Acres in 12 Hours

By Bay City News

Photo via Shutterstock