Power On Peninsula
Energy Resilience
Bay Area Community Energy Agencies to Provide Local Energy Resilience
Local Bay Area energy agencies are joining forces to stabilize California’s grid by providing residents and businesses with economical and emissions-free battery backup systems. East Bay Community Energy (EBCE), Peninsula Clean Energy, Silicon Valley Power (SVP), and Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) have issued a joint solicitation for the installation of over 30 megawatts of battery storage for their customers.
The program will provide resilient solar power combined with battery storage to approximately 6,000 homes and hundreds of businesses in Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties, including those hit by recent PG&E power shutoffs. This innovative program also enables the use of local resources to fulfill state “Resource Adequacy” requirements. Resource adequacy refers to energy generating capacity that local agencies and utilities must contract to ensure the safe and reliable operation of California’s electrical grid in real time. This requirement has historically been filled through purchasing resource adequacy from distant power plants. This new program shifts the purchase of resource adequacy to new local solar power and battery storage systems that provide the benefits of backup power directly to local homes and businesses as well as bill savings.
Peninsula Clean Energy Board of Directors Commits up to $10 Million for Energy Resilience
The Peninsula Clean Energy Board of Directors voted to commit up to $10 million over three years to fund clean backup power for San Mateo County’s medically vulnerable residents and essential community services during PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). These new emergency power backup programs will begin rolling out in 2020. PSPS events occur when PG&E decides it is necessary to turn off electricity in certain areas due to dry conditions, gusty winds, and a heightened fire risk. Power outages can put lives at risk, cause significant economic impacts, and generally disrupt operations. They can also increase greenhouse gas emissions and worsen local air quality when diesel generators are used for backup power. Nearly 60,000 Peninsula Clean Energy accounts were affected by PG&E power shutoffs in October 2019 alone. This includes medically vulnerable residents who rely on electricity to power lifesaving devices such as ventilators. Our energy resiliency programs will help our customers withstand and recover from these electric service disruptions. Our strategy focuses on three areas:
- Backup generation for medically fragile residential customers
- Community-scale emergency response centers outfitted with energy resilience
- Critical facilities including fire, police, hospitals