Sacramento Municipal Utility District
| Company type | Public utility district |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electric utility |
| Founded | July 2, 1923 |
| Headquarters | Sacramento , United States |
Area served | Sacramento County and parts of Placer County, California |
Key people | Rosanna Herber (President, Board of Directors) |
| Products | Electricity generation and distribution |
| Website | www |
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is a community-owned electric provider serving Sacramento County and sections of Placer County, California. It stands among the top ten largest publicly owned utilities nationwide, with its electricity primarily generated from natural gas (35.2% in 2020) and large-scale hydroelectric facilities (29.1% in 2020). In 2020, renewable energy sources contributed 33.8% of SMUD's total power generation.
SMUD previously operated the Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station, which was closed following a ratepayer referendum in the late 1980s. The distinctive cooling towers of the retired plant remain on location, now accompanied by solar panels and the 500-megawatt Cosumnes gas-fired power station.
Located on the eastern edge of Sacramento's East Sacramento neighborhood, SMUD's headquarters—constructed in the late 1950s—features a prominent mural by local artist Wayne Thiebaud that encircles the building’s ground level and is open for public viewing. This artwork represents one of Thiebaud’s earliest significant public commissions and remains among his largest murals.
History
Formed by a vote of Sacramento County residents on July 2, 1923, under the Municipal Utility District Act, SMUD encountered nearly 25 years of legal opposition from the investor-owned Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) before a judicial decision permitted SMUD to initiate power delivery in 1946. As a public agency within California, SMUD operates independently of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission oversight.
SMUD’s growth has frequently been challenged by PG&E. In the 1980s, despite PG&E’s legal resistance, voters in Folsom chose to join SMUD. Conversely, in 2006, PG&E successfully prevented an annexation effort that sought to extend SMUD’s services into parts of Yolo County, including West Sacramento, Davis, and Woodland.
In February 2020, SMUD was among 75 project participants awarded permanent federal water contracts associated with the Central Valley Project, securing vital long-term resource access essential for regional operations.
Governance
The district is managed by a seven-member Board of Directors, each elected by constituents within their respective wards for four-year terms. As of January 2024, the board members were:
- Brandon Rose, Ward 1
- Nancy Bui-Thompson, Ward 2
- Gregg Fishman, Ward 3, Vice President
- Rosanna Herber, Ward 4, President
- Rob Kerth, Ward 5
- David Tamayo, Ward 6
- Heidi Sanborn, Ward 7
Facilities
SMUD’s primary electricity generation capacity is derived from the South Fork watershed of the American River, known as the "Upper American River Project (UARP)." This comprehensive infrastructure encompasses numerous dams, reservoirs, canals, tunnels, and hydroelectric plants operated mainly during periods of high demand while also providing flood management.
Significant UARP components include:
- Rubicon Dam and Reservoir
- Buck Island Dam and Reservoir
- Loon Lake Dam and Reservoir, completed in 1963
- Gerle Creek Dam and Reservoir
- Robbs Peak Reservoir
- Ice House Dam and Reservoir
- Union Valley Dam and Reservoir, completed in 1963
- Junction Dam and Reservoir
- Camino Dam and Reservoir
- Brush Creek Dam and Reservoir
- Slab Creek Dam and Reservoir
In addition to hydroelectric resources, SMUD owns the Cosumnes Power Plant—a natural gas facility commissioned in 2006 near the former Rancho Seco nuclear site—alongside wind and solar generation assets. The utility also operates small natural gas peaker plants to accommodate peak electricity demand during Sacramento’s summer months.
SMUD actively participates in the Advisory Council of the PHEV Research Center, contributing to research on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.