FPUD votes to replace generator

The Fallbrook Public Utility District board voted to replace FPUD’s generator. The 5-0 board vote Dec. 10 approves the purchase of a Doosan mobile generator with a 323 kilowatt generation capacity for $117,527 including sales tax and shipping costs. FPUD will make the purchase through the County of Los Angeles in order to receive a volume discount.

“We’re probably saving, I would say, in the 25 thousand dollar range,” said FPUD general manager Brian Brady.

FPUD’s current Cummins generator no longer meets California Air Resources Board diesel regulations and is not eligible for a permit renewal. “We cannot under any circumstances run this thing under the California ARB, so we had to get this and having the ability to get this discount we were able to get a generator which is over three times the capacity of the old one,” Brady said.

The Cummins generator has a 90 kilowatt capacity. The new generator not only meets 2020 CARB requirements, but it can power the entire FPUD office and the construction house. “We’re pretty excited about it because it is several times bigger than the old one, it meets all the requirements,” Brady said. “This is going to be an important piece of equipment for a long time.”

The price slightly exceeds FPUD’s 2012-13 budgeted amount of $110,000 for a new generator, although FPUD may receive some money from the disposal of its Cummins generator. “We’re investigating any possibilities to derive some reasonable salvage for it,” Brady said.

If the Doosan generator is operating at capacity, the noise level at 23 feet (7 meters) is 71 decibels.