The M-S-R Public Power Agency was created on April 29, 1980, through a Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement among Modesto Irrigation District, the City of Santa Clara (doing business as Silicon Valley Power) and the City of Redding for the purposes of acquiring, constructing, operating, and maintaining, any Project for the purpose of providing electrical energy or other Project benefits for public or private uses. Unless otherwise noted, the participation in M-S-R PPA project is Modesto 50%, Silicon Valley Power 35%, and Redding 15%.

Generation

Big Horn I

M-S-R Public Power Agency currently contracts for the entire capacity of the Big Horn I Wind Energy Project located near Bickleton, Washington, which is north of the Columbia River Gorge. This project is owned and maintained by Big Horn I, LLC an affiliate of Iberdrola Renewables Inc. (IBR). Big Horn I is situated in area known for its exceptional wind resources and interconnects with existing Bonneville Power Administration transmission lines.

This project consists of 133 General Electric 1.5 MW variable-speed, constant frequency design with aerodynamic airfoils on a 77-meter rotor. Big Horn I is rated at 199.5 MW. Typically a 200 MW wind farm can provide clean, renewable electricity to more than 60,000 homes, according to the American Wind Energy Association calculations. Delivery of this energy to M-S-R PPA membership is through a shaping and firming agreement with IBR where in M-S-R PPA delivers energy to IBR at the Big Horn bus and IBI delivers an equivalent amount of energy to M-S-R PPA at the California-Oregon Border.

Big Horn II

M-S-R Public Power Agency currently contracts for the entire 50 megawatt output of the Big Horn II Wind Energy Project located adjacent to the Big Horn I Wind Energy Project. Energy deliveries commenced in November of 2010. With this transaction M-S-R PPA increased the total percentage of eligible renewable electrical energy deliveries to its membership from 35 percent to 40 percent. Delivery of this energy to M-S-R PPA membership is through a redelivery agreement with Big Horn II Wind Project, LLC an affiliate of Iberdrola Renewables Inc. (IBR).

San Juan Generation Station

San Juan Generation Station is located 15 miles west of Farmington, New Mexico. Coming on line in 1973, its four units have the combined capacity of approximately 1,800 megawatts, making it the seventh largest coal-fired plant it the west. PNM is the plant operator and co-owner along with M-S-R Public Power Agency, Tucson Electric Power Company, Tri Sate Generation and Transmission Association, Southern California Public Power Authority, City of Farmington, NM, City and County of Los Alamos, NM, City of Anaheim, CA and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems. M-S-R PPA has 28.8 percent ownership of San Juan Unit 4 for a total of 146 MW net.

In 2006, the generation station started a $320 million dollar upgrade project to reduce the plants impact on the environment. These upgrades were completed in 2010 involving the installation of several new technologies to reduce plant emission of mercury, nitrogen oxide, particulate matter and sulfur dioxide.