Community Corner

Voters Allow Sale of Utility That Powers Pinole Wastewater Plant

Hercules is expected to rid itself of power source for shared plant.

The city-owned utility that has been providing power to the wastewater treatment plant shared by Pinole and Hercules is likely to have a new owner.

Hercules voters on Tuesday passed , allowing that city to sell the Hercules Municipal Utility. The measure passed with 76.93 percent of the vote, surpassing the required two-thirds majority. The utility had been envisioned as an affordable, reliable source of energy for new development in Hercules, but new construction has all been come to a halt.

The sale of the utility, most likely to PG&E, would come at a time of fiscal distress in Hercules. The transition to a new power provider would take an estimated six months, Pinole Public Works Director Dean Allison said in a 2011 .

Find out what's happening in Pinole-Herculeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Equipment owned by the HMU would have to be purchased by the new provider and voltage adjustments on power delivery could be required.

"You can't just flip a switch," Allison said at the time.

Find out what's happening in Pinole-Herculeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The wastewater plant is funded by ratepayers, not the two cities' respective general fund budgets. The two cities have been working on a needed expansion of the plant and on renewal of its operating permit by water quality regulatory regulating agencies.


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