SMUD Reaches Half-Way Mark on New Facility

Construction of SMUD's East Campus-Operations Center recently reached the halfway mark, in what officials state will be the most energy efficient corporate yard of any U.S. electric utility.

Slated for completion in 2013, the facility at Bradshaw Road and Kiefer Boulevard is expected to earn the U.S. Green Building Council's top honors – the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification, according to a news release.

The center will include offices, equipment repair shops, maintenance and warehouse buildings, storage space and parking for fleet vehicles and employees. Nearly 700 employees will work from the facility, the release stated.

The campus is expected to be a net-zero energy site, which means it will produce as much power as it consumes over the course of a year, by incorporating a variety of energy-efficient features to reduce consumption and a large solar array to generate electricity, the release stated.

SMUD General Manager and CEO John DiStasio indicated that all new commercial buildings will be required to be net-zero by 2013, making the facility 17 years ahead of the curve, according to the release.

The project brought 300 new jobs to the area, with construction lead by Turner construction. Additional environmental perks include a potential savings of 3.7 million kilowatt hours in electricity – enough to power 413 homes – and a potential reduction of 3.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide, according to SMUD.