Calif.'s Alameda County to be recognized for renewable energy collaborative

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy will recognize the efforts of Alameda County, California, in collaborating with other government agencies to bring renewable energy sources to their facilities on Wednesday.

Working with Joint Venture Silicon Valley and the Contra Costa Economic Partnership, Alameda County created a collaborative that has made it economically viable and resourceful for public agencies to acquire renewable energy systems throughout their area as well Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. The partnerships consists of 19 agencies and encompasses 186 facilities, which translates to 31 megawatts of solar power.

The ceremony will be held at the West Winton Landfill in Hayward, California, which is a key part of the collaborative. The landfill will have 19,000 photovoltaic solar panels installed in the near future, which will generate more than 6 megawatts of power and be one of the largest solar power systems in California.

McCarthy, who is one of the most public faces of the federal government’s efforts at fighting climate change, will be joined by several prominent figures from local government and the solar industry, including President and CEO of SunEdison Ahmad Chatila, President and CEO of Joint Venture Silicon Valley Russell Hancock, and District 2 Supervisor for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors Richard Valle.