Imperial Irrigation District will turn to cleaner and renewable energy sources. The IID currently uses coal to create energy, however on Tuesday, Aug. 1, they came to an agreement with CalEnergy to buy 50 megawatts from its geothermal plants near the Salton Sea. The 10-year agreement is set to begin in 2019 with an estimated cost of $231.8 million.

The same day, 1,397 IID customers in Coachella were left in the dark for two hours at 8:00 p.m. The power was restored for most customers by midnight. IID spokesperson said that the utility’s capacity levels have been lower since the severe storms last week in the Coachella Valley. With the new geothermal energy agreement, the IID is less likely to suffer from power outages.