East Bay Municipal Utility District reported 10,264 metric tons of CO2e for its carbon neutrality indicator in FY 2026, down from 15,583 in FY 2025. Its updated indicator sets the "Exceeded" threshold below 9,229 MT CO2e for FY 2027 and below 6,153 MT CO2e for FY 2028, about 40% below the FY 2026 figure.
A long decline, then a steep one
Emissions were 45,479 MT CO2e in 2000 and 20,884 MT CO2e in 2017, 54% below that baseline. In 2022 they were 23,968 MT CO2e, just under a goal of 24,611 MT CO2e. The 2024 Climate Action Plan Update set carbon neutrality by 2030 for both the water and wastewater systems, excluding wastewater process emissions, and the stated approach applies credits to residual emissions.
Power at both ends of the system
EBMUD's 2026 bond disclosure puts average hydropower at about 125,000 MWh a year and biogas power at about 40,000 MWh a year; its 2021 Climate Action Plan gave about 150,000 MWh and 50,000 MWh. The wastewater plant's energy recovery ratio exceeded 100 in nine of the ten years from FY 2016 to FY 2025, but fell to 91 in FY 2024.
Drought raises the power bill
Purchased energy averaged about 100,000 MWh a year over ten years, but reached nearly 130,000 MWh in 2022 because supplemental water had to be pumped. The federal license for the Pardee and Camanche hydropower plants expires in March 2031, and relicensing began on October 21, 2025.
How much of the 2030 goal will rest on credits, how the District's pipe renewal, metering and nutrient programs compete for the same capital, and what the FY 2028–FY 2029 rate case will need to fund are examined in the report. The full report, Water Utility of the Future: East Bay Municipal Utility District, is available for USD 499. For a free overview, read the East Bay Municipal Utility District Utility Snapshot.