AUBURN -- Wider use of solar energy may be part of the future for the Placer County Water Agency.

 The PCWA Board of Directors on Thursday (Jan. 21) authorized staff to study the potential for the addition of solar energy production at several PCWA locations, including water treatment plants and tank sites.

 “We’re paying from $800,000 to $1 million a year in energy costs,” said PCWA Director of Technical Services Brian Martin.  “We think there is potential here for some nice savings.”

 PCWA incorporated solar energy use into its Business Center on Ferguson Road in Auburn in 2002 and has benefitted through reduced energy costs, Martin said.  The agency also uses various small solar applications, including remote solar-powered flow monitoring devices on canal systems.

 Martin said several PCWA sites have solar potential, including the Foothill and Sunset water treatment plants, the Sierra Center parking lot at the PCWA Business Center campus, and PCWA sites in Foresthill and on Ophir Road.

 Directors authorized staff to seek an independent review and proposals from professionals in the solar field on how PCWA might be able to better use its solar potential.

 In other business, directors:
 • heard a presentation from John Woodling, executive director of the Regional Water Authority (RWA), which represents 21 water providers and 1.7 million people in the greater Sacramento region.  Woodling said that over the past year RWA has made good progress in the areas of leadership, strategic planning, water use efficiency and governmental affairs.
 • received reports from department heads on accomplishments of the past year and issues anticipated this year.  Reporting were Director of Administrative Services Valerie Lord, Director of Financial Services Joseph Parker and Director of Strategic Affairs Einar Maisch.  Additional reports are expected in weeks to come.
 • heard an update from Resource Planning Administrator Andy Fecko on agency preparations for the planned watershed stewardship conference on Apr. 29 in Auburn.  Several public and private resource managers are scheduled to take part.  The event is open to the public and begins at 6:30 p.m. at The Ridge Golf Club in Auburn.
 •  adjourned the meeting in memory of Steve Hall, former longtime executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) who died Jan. 19 after a lengthy battle against amyotrophic lateral disease (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.  He was 58.

 The next regular meeting of the PCWA Board of Directors will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4, at the PCWA Business Center, 144 Ferguson Road, in Auburn.  PCWA board meetings are open to the public.

 Information on PCWA board meetings may be obtained through the Clerk to the Board at (530) 823-4850 or (800) 464-0030.