| Chronological List of District Heating Systems in the United States |
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| 1915 Steam System Map | 2006 Steam System Map |
Nathan
Walter Spaulding, Peter Tracy Dickinson and David
Mckay received a franchise to distribute steam, hot water, or other
fluids for a period of twenty-five years in December 1886.
Dickinson, Spaulding,
James A Waymire, Abner Doble and Charles Montgomery incorporated the San
Francisco Steam Company in December 1887.
The company evaluated several options, including buying and distributing exhaust steam from the numerous steam engines in the district bounded by Drumm, Kearny, Commercial and Folsom streets. The company contracted with the American District Steam Company to build a system in 1893 and a mortgage for $500,000 was secured from the California Safe Deposit and Trust Company. The proposed system then disappears, likely due to in ability to sell the bonds during the Panic of 1893, which hit the west coast very hard.
The Consumers' Light and Power Co., Equitable Light and Power Co. and Southside Light and Power Co. were "basement" electric companies that began selling exhaust steam in 1910. They were bought that year by the United Light and Power Company of California, which also controlled the exclusive use of the American District Steam Heating Co.'s complete steam-heating and distributing system operating in the center business district of San Francisco, which is utilizing and distributing exhaust steam of the generating plants to the extent of about 4,000 h. p.
The City Electric Company also began supplying exhaust steam around 1910 as a subsidiary of the Great Western Power Company, which acquired the three other companies in 1915.
The San Francisco Gas and Electric Company began selling exhaust steam in 1911, the same year it was acquired by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
The Great Western Power Company and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) merged in a stock transfer in 1930. PG&E sold the steam system to San Francisco Thermal, L.P. in 1993, which was later acquired by NRG Thermal, a subsidiary of NRG Energy. NRG Energy spun off NRG Thermal and other assets to Clearway in 2013. Clearway changed their name to Cordia in 2022.
The system is currently owned and operated by Cordia.
References
1886 "For
Distributing Steam," The San Francisco Examiner, May 14,
1886, Page 3.
A petition was filed with the Board of Supervisors yesterday by P. T.
Dickinson, David McKay and N. W. Spaulding, asking to be allowed to
maintain and operate a system of pipes throughout the city tor tho
conveyance of steam, hot water or other fluids for heating buildings,
domestic uses and running engines: and also to maintain in convenient
localities batteries for steam boilers..
1886 "The
Supervisors," Daily Evening Bulletin, May 19, 1886, Page 1.
A petition was received from P.T. Dickinson, David McKay and N.W.
Spaulding, asking for the privilege of laying down and operating for fifty
years through the streets, avenue and parks of the city, a system of pipes
and conduits for the conveyance of steam or hot water for heating
buildings and domestic purposes, for running engines, and machinery and
for all purposes for which power and heat are required and to maintain
steam boilers therewith.
1886 "Street
Committee," The San Francisco Examiner, May 21, 1886, Page
4.
P. T. Dickinson explained to the committee his system of heating houses by
the Holly system, the right to lay down pipes for which through the public
streets had been asked for. He said that a house of ten rooms could be
heated at no greater expense than keeping up two coal fires. As the matter
was of such great importance, the committee concluded to submit it to the
Board at its next meeting.
1886 "A
Steam Company," Daily Evening Bulletin, May 27, 1886, Page
1.
The Supervisors Asked for a Franchise of Lay an Underground Steam System
1886 "The
Supervisors," Daily Evening Bulletin, June 7, 1886, Page 2.
Discussion of reasons to delay approval of steam franchise
1886 "City
Affairs," The San Francisco Examiner, June 8, 1886, Page 3.
The Board of Supervisors met yesterday morning as a committee of the whole
to consider the application of P. T. Dickinson, N. W. Spaulding and others
for a franchise to lay down an underground system of steam pipes for
heating and cooking purposes. A motion to report a proposed order for
passage was lost and after considerable debate the matter was postponed
until June 21st
1886 "Street
Committee," The San Francisco Examiner, November 12, 1886,
Page 3.
The petition of Mr. Dickinson to lay pipes and conduits through the
streets for the purpose of conveying steam to be used in motive and
heating purposes, was presented. The committee reported in favor of the
petition, reserving the right to have the city do the paving over the
pipes at the expense of the company.
1886 "Street
Committee," Daily Alta California, November 12, 1886, Page
7.
Franchises for Electric Lights and Steam Pipes Recommended. The Street
Committee of the Supervisors met yesterday afternoon. The following
petitions were read and reported upon favorably : Of property-owners on
Twenty-ninth street for the reduction in width of sidewalks from 15 to 12
feet. Of P. T. Dickinson, David McKay and N. W. Spaulding for the right to
lay down, maintain and operate for 25 years, in the streets of this city,
pipes end conduits , for the purpose of carrying steam and hot water for
heating buildings, and distributing heat and power, also of maintaining
steam boilers in central portions of the city.
1886 "The
Supervisors," The San Francisco Examiner, November 16, 1886,
Page 3.
An order was passed to print granting P. T. Dickinson, David McKay and N.
W. Spaulding the right to lay down and operate a system of pipes or
conduits for the conveyance of steam, hot water or other fluids, but not
gas and electricity, for all purposes of heating and power.
1886 "The
Supervisors," The San Francisco Examiner, December 7, 1886,
Page 2.
Subterranean-pipe Veto. A communication was received from Mayor
Bartlett vetoing the order passed granting a franchise to P. T. Dickinson,
David McKay and N. W. Spauldlug to construct and lay underground pipes and
conduit in the public streets for the conveyance ot steam for heating and
power purposes The Mayor doubted ff the Consolidation Act would permit of
the granting of the franchise and also objected to the absence of
stipulations dedicating the pipe to public use, fixing uniform rates of
charges and their regulation by the municipal government. The veto was
ordered printed.
1886 "The
Supervisors," The San Francisco Chronicle, December 14,
1886, Page 2.
The Mayor's veto of the franchise granting to P. T. Dickinson, David McKay
and N. W. Spalding the right to lay down a system of conduits through the
streets for the transmission ot steam and to erect the necessary engines
and boilers was taken up and passed over the veto by a vote of ten ayes to
two noes, supervisors Pond and Heyer alone voting to sustain the veto.
1887 "New
Incorporations," Daily Evening Bulletin, December 22, 1887, Page 3.
San Francisco Steam Company capital stock $5,000,000 divided into 50,000
shares. P.T. Dickinson, N.W. Spaulding, James A Waymire, Abner Doble and
Charles Montgomery
1889 "The Uses of Steam," Daily
Evening Bulletin Monday, April 1, 1889, Page 1.
1889 "Steam
Distribution," Daily Evening Bulletin, December 5, 1889,
Page 2
Details of a System Practiced East for Supplying Steam Like Gas or Water.
1891 "District
Steam Systems," by Charles E. Emery, Transactions of the
American Society of Civil Engineers 24:188-222 (March 1891)
Page 205: It would be entirely practicable in some cities to carry
out a plan proposed for San Francisco, to wit, to use high steam pressure
in the manufacturing and office neighborhoods, discharge the exhaust steam
into other steam mains, and conduct the same to dwelling neighborhoods in
the vicinity, for heating purposes, from which the return water would
either be discharged into the sewers at a low temperature under proper
supervision, or if water was high priced, be returned to the station.
1891 "A
Big Enterprise," San Francisco Chronicle, December 22 1891,
Page 12
Mains to be laid for steam-power purposes. About $400,000 to be
expended within the next eight months.Steam district bounded by Drumm,
Kearny, Commercial and Folsom streets. The company consists of James
A. Waymire, N.W. Spaulding, Abner Doble, John H. Dickinson, and several
others.
1891 "Universal
Steam," The San Francisco Examiner, December 23, 1891, Page
3.
The Extensive Plans of a Power and Heating Company
1893 "Big
Trust Deed," San Francisco Chronicle, October 11, 1893, Page
7.
The San Francisco Steam Company has executed to the California Safe
Deposit and Trust Company a trust deed to secure the payment of 500 bonds
of $1000 each. The deed covers a franchise granted by the
Supervisors in February, 1888, to P. T. Dickinson, David McKay and N.W.
Spaulding, certain letters patent and other property of uncertain
character. The bonds secured by the deed of trust are to run for nineteen
years and bear interest at 6 per cent.
1893 "Will Begin on Bonds," The San Francisco Examiner, October 11, 1893, Page 6.
1893 "Annual
Meeting," The Morning Call, December 15, 1893, Page 5.
The Regular Annual meeting of the stockholders of the San Francisco Steam
Company will be held on Saturday, the 16th day of December 1893..
1893 "Pipes
for Conveying Steam," The Morning Call, December 23, 1891,
Page 3.
The American District Steam Company of Lockport, N.Y., through the San
Francisco Steam Company, will soon begin the erection of a boiler-house
and laying mains in the district bounded by Drumm, Kearny, Commercial and
Folsom streets, for the transmission of steam for power and heating
purposes. Six miles of pipe will be laid.
This is the last mention of the steam company in local newspapers.
1908 April 18 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire
1908 "Hunt,
Mirk & Co., Inc. Engineers," The Journal of Electricity,
Power and Gas 20(22):348 (May 30, 1908)
The Consumer's Light & Power Company have just closed a contract with
this company for a complete plat to be located in the Whitney Building on
Geary Street. The plan will consist of three 300-kilowatt generators
direct connected to American-Ball angle compound engines, one 125-kilowatt
generator direct connected to an American-Ball duplex compound engine,
together with water-tube boilers and auxiliary apparatus necessary for a
complete station. The Consumer's Light & Power Company will also
go quite extensively into the district steam heating business, which is a
new departure in San Francisco.
1910 "Tevis in Plan for Merger of Power Plants," The San Francisco Call and Post, May 23, 1910, Page 1.
1910 "City
Franchise Needed for Steam Heat Pipes," The San Francisco Call
and Post, November 26, 1910, Page 5.
The board of works was asked yesterday to. stop the Equitable light arid
power company putting in the streets any more pipes for conveying steam
heat to patrons until it secures a court judgment confirming its rights to
open streets for the purpose. The supervisors' street committee in making
the request held that under the city attorney's ruling the company would
have to get a franchise. This the company's representatives denied,
holding the hot water and steam were ''delivered" to the patrons as the
pipes entered the houses. The supervisors took the ground that only the
heat was delivered and that that was not a commodity provided for in the
state law.
1910 "Equitable Concern Seeks Injunction," The San Francisco Chronicle, November 19, 1910, Page 12.
1910 "Battle
Begins on Equitable's Street Work," The San Francisco Examiner,
November 29, 1910, Page 10.
Light and Power Co. gets a temporary order restraining interference.
Steam heat pipes
1910 "Deny
Steam Heat Permit to the Second Applicant," The San Francisco
Chronicle, December 4, 1910, Page 53.
Deasey says Southside Light and Power Company is the Equitable under a
Disguise.
1911 "New
Units for Great Combine," The San Francisco Call, January 1,
1911, Page 36.
Basement electric companies
1911 "Steam
Supply to be Object of Competition," San Francisco Call,
March 11, 1911, Page.
San Francisco Gas and Electric will lay pipe.
1911 "Personals,"
The Journal of Electricity, Power and Gas 26(12):284 (March 25,
1911)
F.H. Varney, engineer of operation and maintenance of the Pacific Gas
& Electric Company's steam engineering department, returned to San
Francisco last Tuesday after making an extensive Eastern tour. He
visited the principal electrical power plants and factories in the East
with a vew to the installation of the new steam turbine and a steam
heating system at San Francisco.
1911 Chapter
445. An act authorizing any city and county or municipality within
this state, power to grant franchises, to lay steam heating pipes in the
streets, roads, avenues, alleys and public highways, for the purpose of
carrying steam to be used for heating purposes. Approved April
12, 1911.
The people of the State of California, represented in senate and assembly,
do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. Power is hereby given to all cities and counties and
municipalities within this state to grant franchises for the purpose of
laying pipes in the streets, roads, avenues, alleys and public highways
therein, for the purpose of carrying steam heat under high pressure; to be
used, distributed and sold to the inhabitants thereof, for heating
purposes.
The granting of such franchises shall be subject to the provisions of the
act entitled "An act providing for the sale of street railroad and other
franchises in counties and municipalities, and providing conditions for
the granting of such franchises by legislative or other governing bodies,
and repealing conflicting acts," and any act or acts amendatory thereof.
1911 Pacific
Gas and Electric Magazine 3(4):143 (September 1911)
The general offices in 445 Sutter Street have now been connected in with
the steam heating system being operated by the San Francisco Gas and
Electric Company, which generating plants in the basement of the Emporium
on Market Street and the Bohemian Club, Pine and Taylor Streets.
This will do away with the old oil burning steam heating plant in the
basement of 445 Sutter Street.
1912 "Hot
Fight is on for Steam Heat Business," The San Francisco Call and
Post, January 26, 1912, Page 1.
Three big companies want to supply hotels and downtown apartments.
Great Western now a rival of Equitable and Pacific Corporations.
1912 "Fuel Oil," by F.H. Varney, Minutes of Meeting of the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies 28:342-357 (September 1912)
1913 Poor's
Manual of Public Utilities Volume 1 (April 1913)
Page 1487: UNITED LIGHT AND POWER CO. OF CALIFORNIA.—Incorporated
May 2, 1910, in California, to generate steam and electricity for electric
lighting, heating and power purposes in San Francisco, Cal., Oakland, Cal.
and other cities. The properties owned have a generating capacity as
follows: Plant of Consumers' Light and Power Co., San Francisco, Cal.,
1,200 h. p.; Equitable Light and Power Co., San Francisco, Cal., 2,500 h.
p.; Southside Light and Power Co., San Francisco, Cal., 1,300 h. p. and
Central Oakland Light and Power Co., 2,600 h.p.
Also controls the exclusive use of the American District Steam Heating
Co.'s complete steam-heating and distributing system operating in the
center business district of San Francisco, which is utilizing and
distributing exhaust steam of the generating plants to the extent of about
4,000 h. p.
Page 1495: Great Western Power Co.
Page 1574: Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
Page 1582: San Francisco Gas and Electric Company
1913 "Big
Properties to be Handled by Financiers," The San Francisco Call
and Post, May 8, 1913, Page 19.
The steam heat and electrical systems of San Francisco and Oakland brought
into the great holding company were to be supplemented by new and still
larger projects.
1914 "Supervisors
May Fix Rates for Steam Heat," San Francisco Chronicle, June
11, 1914, Page 18.
This Adjunct of Light and Power Has Never Been Regulated.
1915 The
Bulletin of the National District Heating Association 1(1):20
(October 20, 1915)
The plans were completed for the taking over of The United Light &
Power Company of San Francisco by The Great Western Power Company. The
United Light & Power Company is the original steam heating company in
San Francisco. This will put the Great Western Company in the heating
business. System is exhaust steam using American District Steam Company
construction. Its competitor The Pacific Gas & Electric Company is
using high pressure steam and the two companies will cover the entire
office building and hotel district of San Francisco. Mr. Chas. Murphy will
be retained as general manager by The Great Western Power Company.
1915 District
Heating: A Brief Exposition of the Development of District Heating and
Its Position Among Public Utilities, by S. Morgan Bushnell
Page 284: Map of steam-heating system of the Pacific Gas and
Electric Co., in San Francisco
1930 June 12 Pacific Gas & Electric acquires Great Western Power in an all-stock transaction.
1952 P.G.
and E. of California; the centennial story of Pacific Gas and Electric
Company, 1852-1952, by Charles M. Coleman
Page 275: Great Western. Customers in San Francisco were
increasing at such a rate that in 1916 a new steam generating station was
built at 530 Bush Street to provide additional power supply and live steam
for use in downtown office buildings. The Bush Street plant,
converted to serve as Substation R, still is in operation as part of the
PG&E system.
1974 Renovation
opportunities for steam district heating systems: A decision process
in San Francisco
Station S: 2 @ 65,000 lbs./hr. [1 Meacham Place 1913]
Station T: 5 @ 50-100,000 lbs./hr. [460 Jessie St; 465 Stevenson Street
1924]
1991 "DHC has strong holds in northern California," District Heating and Cooling 76(3):4-9 (First Quarter 1991)
1992 Energy
Management Services, LLC
San Francisco, CA - Station T Steam Plant
Natural Gas & Oil Fueled Steam Plant
Owner - Pacific Gas & Electric Company
From 1990 to 1992 EMS managers operated the Station T Steam Plant. The
five boilers totaled 360,000 lb/hr of steam to downtown San Francisco.
1993 San Francisco Thermal, L.P. bought the steam system from PG&E in 1993.
1994 "Thermal Ventures pursues growth plans in San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Youngstown," District Energy 80(2):10-13 (Fourth Quarter 1994)
1995 NRG Energy purchased 48.9% of San Francisco Thermal, L.P. and purchased the remaining in 1999.
1998 Board
of Supervisors, a review of San Francisco Thermal, L.P.'s franchise
fee payments
On April 29, 1993, the Board of Supervisors approved the transfer of the
steam franchise ordinance from Pacific Gas and Electric Company to San
Francisco Thermal, L.P. (SF Thermal) effective July 2, 1993.
2000 New
Century Energies, Inc. and Northern States Power Company SEC filing,
August 16, 2000
b. North American Thermal Systems LLC, in which NRG owns a
100% interest, is the 1% general partner of Pittsburgh Thermal LP
and of San Francisco Thermal LP, which own the Pittsburgh and
San Francisco heating and cooling systems, respectively.
NRG's wholly-owned subsidiary, NRG Pittsburgh Thermal Inc., is the 99%
limited partner of Pittsburgh Thermal LP and NRG's wholly-owned
subsidiary, NRG San Francisco Thermal Inc., is the 50.1%
limited partner of San Francisco Thermal L.P. NRG is a
48.9% limited partner of San Francisco
Thermal L.P. Pending public utility commission approval,
it is expected that the Pittsburgh and San Francisco heating and
cooling systems will be transferred to NRG Energy Center
Pittsburgh LLC and NRG Energy Center San Francisco LLC,
respectively, which will be wholly-owned by NRG Thermal Corporation.
2001 Steam tariff , June 15, 2001
2006 NRG Thermal, San Francisco System Profile | Steam System Map |
2013 NRG Energy spun off NRG Thermal and other assets to Clearway
2018 Steam System Tariff, December 20, 2018
2021 Clearway Energy Thermal Announces Rebrand to Clearway Community Energy, January 19, 2021
2021 Energy Center San Francisco LLC Title V Permits
2022 Cordia
Launches as New Energy Solutions Provider Dedicated to Sustainability,
October 26, 2022
© 2024 Morris A. Pierce