What Turlock Irrigation District does

Turlock Irrigation District (TID) is a public municipal utility agency organized under the California Water Code, operating in California's Central Valley since 1887. It provides two interrelated regulated services: electricity distribution to residential, commercial, and industrial customers within an exclusive service territory centered on Turlock, and irrigation water delivery to agricultural growers. TID employs approximately 450 staff and operates a diversified power generation portfolio that includes the Don Pedro Powerhouse (hydroelectric), Tuolumne Wind Project, Rosamond Solar Farm, biomass, and geothermal facilities. Water-side infrastructure includes Don Pedro Reservoir, La Grange Dam, Turlock Lake, and the Lateral 8 Regulating Reservoir.

TID's revenue model is rate-based and recurring. Electricity is billed monthly to residential and non-residential customers with a Power Supply Adjustment (PSA) component that fluctuates with wholesale power costs; the PSA shifts from a $0.003/kWh charge to a $0.005/kWh credit effective June 1, 2026. Irrigation water is billed seasonally to growers under published Irrigation Rates and Rules (Amended January 2025). Customer acquisition is structurally captive — users inside the service territory receive service by default — with self-service account management via online portals for both electricity and water ordering. Customer programs include Go Solar rebates, demand response, automated/budget billing, CARES income-eligible assistance, and self-generation rates.

TID's flagship innovation is Project Nexus, a pilot in which photovoltaic panels are installed over active irrigation canals, generating approximately 1.6–1.7 MW of renewable electricity while reducing canal water evaporation by up to 70% and algae growth by 85%. The project is developed with UC Merced, Solar AquaGrid, and the California Department of Water Resources, supported by $20 million in state funding, and was recognized with the 2025 Excellence in Innovation Award from the Association of California Water Agencies. ESS Tech iron flow battery storage systems were commissioned at the site in May 2026. The district holds 2024 Smart Energy Provider (SEP) and Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) certifications from the American Public Power Association and is scheduled to join the California Independent System Operator's Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM) in 2027.

Name

Turlock Irrigation District

Legal name

Turlock Irrigation District

Website

https://tid.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Turlock Irrigation District is a public, not-for-profit California utility providing electricity and irrigation water to residential, commercial, and agricultural customers in the Central Valley. Since 1887, it has operated a diversified renewable generation portfolio and pilots solar-over-canal technology through Project Nexus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric and Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Hydroelectric Power Generation (221111)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Drip & Micro-Irrigation Systems (Dripline, Tape, Micro-sprays) (AFAAACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sprinkler & Center-Pivot/Lateral-Move Systems (AFAAACAB), Monitoring, Metering & Flow Measurement (Meters, Pressure/Flow Gauges, Telemetry) (AFAAACAK)

Keywords

• Electric utility services
• Irrigation water services
• Renewable power generation
• Hydroelectric power facilities
• Public utility district

Headquarters

HQ city

Turlock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Electricity Sales: TID provides electricity to residential and non-residential customers within its service territory, billing based on usage (kWh). Revenue is generated through electric customer bills with a Power Supply Adjustment component that fluctuates.
2. Irrigation Water Services: TID provides irrigation water to agricultural growers in the district. Growers log in to manage their irrigation accounts and pay water fees based on usage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Turlock Irrigation District provides regulated electricity distribution and irrigation water delivery services to residential, commercial, and agricultural customers within its exclusive California Central Valley service territory. The district operates a diversified power generation portfolio including hydroelectric, wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal facilities, and delivers irrigation water through its canal network supported by Don Pedro Reservoir and La Grange Dam.

Product overview

Turlock Irrigation District (TID) operates as a public utility district providing water irrigation services and electric power to customers in California's Central Valley. The district offers a unified portfolio of irrigation management services (water delivery, reservoir operations, water rights) alongside a diverse power generation mix including hydroelectric, wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal facilities. TID's flagship innovation is Project Nexus, a solar-over-canal system that generates renewable energy while reducing water evaporation from irrigation canals, paired with iron flow battery storage for long-duration energy storage. The district provides standard utility services including billing, outage management, demand response programs, and customer rebates for solar adoption.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Irrigation Water Services Water delivery and irrigation management services for agricultural growers in the Turlock Irrigation District service territory, including reservoir and river condition monitoring, water rights administration, irrigation facility operations, and online water ordering through the grower portal.
• Residential Electricity Service Regulated electricity supply for individual households within the TID service territory, billed monthly based on usage with a Power Supply Adjustment component. Includes automated bill pay, budget billing, payment assistance programs, residential rebates, and start/stop/transfer service.
• Non-Residential Electricity Service Regulated electricity supply for commercial, industrial, and business customers within the TID service territory, billed monthly based on usage. Includes demand response programs, commercial rebates, and self-generation rate options.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% evaporation reduction from solar-over-canal installations
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• UC MercedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUC Merced researchers collaborated with TID on Project Nexus, a pilot program testing solar panels over irrigation canals. The university conducted a 2021 study projecting that covering California's canals with solar could generate 13 GW of power and save 63 billion gallons of water annually.
• Solar AquaGridcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolar AquaGrid is the developer partner for Project Nexus, working with TID and UC Merced to install solar panels over irrigation canals. The project received $20 million in state funding.
• California Department of Water ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe California Department of Water Resources partnered with TID on Project Nexus as part of the collaborative effort including UC Merced and Solar AquaGrid to demonstrate solar-over-canal technology.
• ESS Tech, Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationESS Tech successfully commissioned two iron flow battery systems at TID's solar-over-canal project, pairing long-duration energy storage with solar panels above active irrigation canals. The project demonstrates iron flow battery technology supporting critical infrastructure while addressing energy generation and water conservation.
• California Independent System Operator (CAISO)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAISO launched the Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM) for the Western grid. Turlock Irrigation District is scheduled to join this market in 2027, participating in the coordinated 24-hour look-ahead system that allows utilities to lock in electricity deliveries and reduce spot market volatility.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Merced Irrigation District: Adjacent Central Valley irrigation district offering comparable water delivery and power services. Similar customer profile but a smaller geographic footprint than TID.

Broad incumbents

• Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E): California's largest investor-owned electric utility with overlapping service geography. Comparable in generation and T&D scope but organized as a regulated IOU rather than a public district.
• Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD): Large publicly-owned electric utility serving the Sacramento region. Comparable in regulated municipal-utility model and renewable generation focus, but does not operate an irrigation water business.
• San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E): Major California investor-owned electric utility with comparable clean-energy procurement and demand-response programs. Geographic peer but distinct service territory.
• Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP): Largest municipal water and power utility in the US. Shares TID's dual water+electric mandate and public-power governance, but operates at vastly greater scale.

Others

• East Bay Municipal Utility District: Northern California municipal water and wastewater utility. Shares the public-utility operating model and regulatory governance, but does not provide electric service.
• California Water Service: Investor-owned water utility operating across California. Comparable in agricultural and residential water delivery but is a for-profit publicly traded company without electric service.

Emerging players

• Solar AquaGrid: Developer partner on TID's Project Nexus solar-over-canal pilot. Closely tied emerging player with overlapping dual water-energy technology thesis, but at earlier commercial stage and much smaller scale.

Direct peers

• Imperial Irrigation District: California irrigation district operating one of the largest contiguous US agricultural water delivery networks and a regulated electric utility. Closest analog in scale and dual water+power mandate.
• Modesto Irrigation District: Neighboring California irrigation district that also provides electric service in the Central Valley. Highly comparable dual water-power utility model, similar agricultural customer base, and identical regulatory framework under California Water Code.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/TurlockID
• YouTubeyoutube.com/tidwaterpower
• Facebookfacebook.com/TurlockID
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/turlockid
• Instagraminstagram.com/turlockid

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Turlock Irrigation District