Truckee Donner Public Utility District

What Truckee Donner Public Utility District does

Truckee Donner Public Utility District (TDPUD) is a not-for-profit public utility district founded in 1927 and governed by an elected board of directors. It provides electric and water services to the greater Truckee area in Nevada County, California, operating under a regulated monopoly franchise. The district serves a diversified base of residential, commercial, and industrial customers within its exclusive service territory, with no competing utility permitted to operate in parallel.

TDPUD's core physical infrastructure includes 14 wells, 25 pump stations, 35 storage tanks, and 240 miles of piping for water service, alongside 100+ miles of fiber and a SCADA telemetry system that provides real-time monitoring of grid and water operations. The customer-facing layer is anchored by SmartHub, a web and mobile portal for billing, usage tracking, and service requests. The district's energy portfolio achieved 60.3% renewable content in 2023, supported by the recent commissioning of the Red Mesa Tapaha Solar Farm and a 15-year Integrated Resource Plan. Water operations have driven an 8% reduction in demand through conservation programs, rebates, and active leak management.

The business model is a regulated cost-recovery model: TDPUD sets electric and water rates through public board processes, recoups operating and capital costs, and returns excess cost recoveries via mechanisms such as the Power Cost Adjustment credit. Revenue is recurring and subscription-like in nature, drawn from ratepayer bills across the customer base. The district complements rate revenue with conservation rebates, federal funding pursuits, and a Climate Transformation Alliance partnership (January 2024) that positions it for grant capture and decarbonization collaboration. Strategic workforce development, including the 2025 Future Workforce Scholarship Program, supports long-term operational capacity.

Name

Truckee Donner Public Utility District

Legal name

Truckee Donner Public Utility District

Website

https://tdpud.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Truckee Donner Public Utility District is a not-for-profit public utility founded in 1927 that provides regulated electric and water services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across the greater Truckee, California area under an exclusive service territory franchise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric and Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Utilities (22)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Raw Water Conveyance & Transmission (Aqueducts, Mains, Pumping Stations) (EUANAAAB)

Keywords

• Electric utility services
• Water utility services
• Groundwater management
• Public utility district
• Energy distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Truckee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Electric Service Revenue: Revenue from providing electric power distribution services to residential and commercial customers within the service territory. Includes base rates and Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) quarterly adjustments.
2. Water Service Revenue: Revenue from providing water distribution services to residential and commercial customers. Includes base rates and volume-based usage charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TDPUD provides regulated electric power distribution and water service to residential and commercial customers within its exclusive service territory in the greater Truckee area. All water is sourced 100% locally from groundwater at the Martis Valley Groundwater Basin and delivered through 14 wells, 25 pump stations, 35 tanks, and 240 miles of piping. Electric service includes outage management, wildfire hardening, and a quarterly Power Cost Adjustment pass-through program.

Product overview

Truckee Donner Public Utility District operates as a not-for-profit public utility created in 1927, providing water and electric services to the greater Truckee area. The organization offers two core utility products: Electric Service (power distribution with outage management and wildfire hardening programs) and Water Service (groundwater delivery through 14 wells, 25 pump stations, 35 tanks, and 240 miles of piping). Customer-facing digital services include the SmartHub Customer Portal for account management and bill payment. Supporting offerings encompass a Conservation and Rebates Program for efficiency upgrades, the SCADA System for infrastructure monitoring, an Integrated Resource Plan for energy planning, a Power Cost Adjustment Program for billing, and a Future Workforce Scholarship Program for community investment. The organization has deployed over 100 miles of fiber for SCADA connectivity and manages groundwater resources from the Martis Valley Groundwater Basin in collaboration with partner agencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Service Provides electric power distribution and service to residential and commercial customers in the greater Truckee area, including outage management, wildfire hardening, and Power Cost Adjustment programs.
• Water Service Delivers pure, locally-sourced groundwater from 14 deep wells through a network of 25 pump stations, 35 tanks, and 240 miles of piping to customers in the greater Truckee area.
• SmartHub Customer Portal Online account management platform enabling customers to view bills, make payments, set up real-time outage alerts via email and text, and access usage data.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero reportable water quality violations in 2023 per California State Water Resources Control Board
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Climate Transformation AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2024Public-private partnership governed by TDPUD, the Town of Truckee, and the Truckee-Tahoe Airport District. Seeks to facilitate innovative ideas, resources, and collaboration to reduce GHG production and achieve carbon neutrality in the Truckee region. TDPUD contributes approximately $30,000 annually for phase III operations.
• GEI ConsultantscoreTechnology or IntegrationEngineering firm contracted to complete the five-year update of the Martis Valley Groundwater Management Plan. Local sub-contractor Balanced Hydrologics provides specialized hydrology expertise.
• Plumas Sierra TelecomcoreTechnology or IntegrationTelecommunications partner using TDPUD's fiber infrastructure (deployed for SCADA) to offer high-speed, fiber-based broadband services in Truckee. Supports SCADA Reliability Improvement Project connecting electric and water facilities.
• Truckee Sanitary DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership among three local water agencies (TSD, TDPUD, T-TSA) for Water Professionals Appreciation Week. TDPUD also partners on Adopt-a-Hydrant program.
• Tahoe-Truckee Sanitation AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership among three local water agencies (TSD, TDPUD, T-TSA) for Water Professionals Appreciation Week. T-TSA operates regional wastewater treatment facility treating 1.484 billion gallons annually.
• Truckee Fire Protection DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Adopt-a-Hydrant outreach and education program encouraging community members to keep fire hydrants clear of snow. There are nearly 3,000 fire hydrants in the combined service territory.
• Tahoe Truckee Community FoundationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership to implement TDPUD's Future Workforce Scholarship Program. TTCF serves as the hub for local scholarship programs, administering programs for over 100 local agencies and organizations.
• Northstar Community Services District and Placer County Water AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative groundwater management partnership for the Martis Valley Groundwater Basin through the Martis Valley Groundwater Management Plan (adopted 2013, updated 2024). Agencies work together on annual reports and five-year GMP updates.
• Truckee River Watershed CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU partnership for formalizing and expanding existing watershed stewardship efforts. Part of collaborative group with Northstar CSD and Placer County Water Agency to better position agencies to seek outside funding for stewardship projects.
• Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-party lease option enabling updated location of new Truckee Library on TDPUD-owned parcel within Truckee River Regional Park. Also partner for Rocker Memorial Skate Park expansion.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Northstar Community Services District: California special district providing water and wastewater services to the Northstar community, co-signatory with TDPUD on the Martis Valley Groundwater Management Plan. Comparable as a small, geographically constrained mountain water utility with overlapping infrastructure and basin-management obligations.
• Truckee Sanitary District: Neighboring special district providing wastewater collection and treatment in the Truckee region, with 40 full-time staff and shared Adopt-a-Hydrant and water-professional programs with TDPUD. Highly comparable as a co-located California special district providing essential municipal services under an elected board.
• Placer County Water Agency: Public water agency that co-manages the Martis Valley Groundwater Basin with TDPUD and supplies wholesale and retail water across Placer County. Directly comparable as a wholesale/retail water utility with overlapping groundwater stewardship responsibilities and a similar public-agency governance model.

Broad incumbents

• Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD): Large publicly owned electric utility serving the Sacramento region with vertically integrated generation, transmission, and distribution. Comparable as another California community-owned electric utility pursuing aggressive RPS goals, though at vastly greater scale than TDPUD.
• Turlock Irrigation District: California irrigation district that also provides retail electric service, making it one of the few vertically integrated public power providers in the state. Comparable as a multi-service public utility (water + electric) governed by an elected board, though operating at much larger scale.
• Modesto Irrigation District:

Regional players

• Liberty Utilities (CalPeco): Investor-owned electric and natural gas utility serving the Truckee/North Tahoe area, directly adjacent to TDPUD's electric service territory. Highly comparable as another small-scale California utility operating in the same mountain geography with similar reliability and wildfire-mitigation obligations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tdpud
• Facebookfacebook.com/truckeedonnerpud

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Truckee Donner Public Utility District