RCEA Awarded $3 Million to Assist Rural Fire Stations with Energy Resilience

EUREKA, CA. – January 9, 2024 The Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) has been selected to receive a $3,000,000 award under the California Office of Planning & Research (OPR) Regional Resilience Grant Program (RRPG). The RCEA “Energy-Resilient Fire Services in High-Threat Communities” project will use the RRGP funds to construct resilient energy systems (solar panels + batteries) at fire stations that serve high-fire risk areas in Humboldt County. The goal of this work is to provide onsite electricity during emergencies and power outages so that critical services provided by fire stations remain available.

RCEA will work with project partners to design, permit, and install solar energy + battery storage systems at 16 fire stations. Installation of this equipment will allow local fire agencies to provide power to charge medical equipment and cellular phones and support other life-sustaining services such as cooling during extreme heat events and air filtration during fire season. Additionally, installation of onsite renewable energy systems will reduce power bills during normal operations and replace the need for generators using fossil-fuels during power outages. The grant funds will also support ongoing prescribed burn training provided by the University of California Cooperative Extension in partnership with the Humboldt County Prescribed Burn Association.

RCEA is thankful for the collaboration and input of our project partners. Project partners include: Yurok Tribe Volunteer Fire Department, Hoopa Tribe Volunteer Fire Department, Karuk Department of Natural Resources, Blue Lake Volunteer Fire Department, Telegraph Ridge Volunteer Fire Company, Honeydew Volunteer Fire Department, Fruitland Ridge Volunteer Fire Company, Orick Volunteer Fire Department, Orleans Volunteer Fire Department, Petrolia Volunteer Fire Department, Salmon Creek Volunteer Fire Company, Bridgeville Fire Protection District, Briceland Volunteer Fire Department, Whitethorn Fire Protection District, Willow Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Westhaven Volunteer Fire Department, Schatz Energy Research Center, and the University of California Office of Extension. For more information see the California Office of Planning and Research grant award announcement: Press Release: California Awards $21.7 Million to Bolster Regional-Scale Climate Resilience Across the State – Office of Planning and Research

About RCEA

Established in 2003, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority is a local government joint powers agency whose members include the County of Humboldt, the seven cities within the county, the Yurok Tribe and the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District. The Energy Authority’s purpose is to develop and implement sustainable energy initiatives that reduce energy demand, increase energy efficiency, and advance the use of clean, efficient, and renewable resources available in the region. For more info, visit redwoodenergy.org.

RCEA’s Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid Wins Statewide Reliability and Resiliency Awards

Energy innovators recognize the 100% renewable energy microgrid for cutting edge community contribution

EUREKA, CA. May 31, 2023 — The Redwood Coast Energy Authority received two distinguished awards last week for the collaborative Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid (RCAM) project. The California Community Choice Association (CalCCA) recognized RCEA with a first place Impact Award in the Reliability category at their annual conference in San Diego. RCEA also won the “California Microgrid” award during Microgrid Knowledge’s 2023 Greater Good Award ceremony in Anaheim.

RCEA staff were among 600 attendees at the CalCCA Conference in San Diego from May 16 to 19. Staff both led and participated in panel discussions and attended workshops with other Community Choice Aggregators.

“Community choice energy providers across California are developing and implementing exciting projects and programs and CalCCA is central in sharing success stories so effective strategies can be replicated up and down the state,” said RCEA Executive Director Matthew Marshall. “It is an honor to receive this recognition and we look forward to building on what we’ve learned through this project to deploy future microgrids in our region.”

RCEA’s Infrastructure Planning and Operations Director Dana Boudreau attended the Microgrid Knowledge Conference in Anaheim with David Carter from Schatz Energy Research Center, a key project partner. “RCEA is honored to accept this award on behalf of the Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid project team. We’re grateful for the opportunity to bring new knowledge, technology, and skills into the industry and to accelerate the transition toward clean, resilient and sustainable energy for communities around the world,” said Boudreau. The award-winning project team continues to seek and develop innovative new technologies to maintain and improve the RCAM system and identify opportunities for additional microgrids.

Since its launch in June 2022, RCAM’s solar powered battery storage system repeatedly and seamlessly provided backup power to the U.S. Coast Guard Humboldt Bay Air Station, the California Redwood Coast – Humboldt County Airport, and the neighboring community during a long winter of power outages caused by severe weather and earthquakes.

Projects tackling adverse challenges are essential in rural areas like Humboldt County and community choice energy programs that keep energy dollars local are key to getting them built. The State of California, through the California Energy Commission, saw RCAM as a model project to be replicated across the state and joined community choice energy provider RCEA as a major project funder.

The RCAM microgrid project was made possible by a collaborative partnership with the Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt, the County of Humboldt, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Tesla, The Energy Authority, TRC, and Schweitzer Engineering Labs.

About CalCCA

The California Community Choice Association supports community choice electricity providers, such as RCEA, in the legislature and at state regulatory agencies, including the California Public Utilities Commission, California Energy Commission and California Air Resources Board. CalCCA is comprised of 24 of the 25 Community Choice Aggregators currently operating in the state. Its mission focuses on advocating for its Community Choice Aggregators by supporting legislative and regulatory objectives, and aiding long-term goals of education, sustainability, and technical guidance.

About Microgrid Knowledge

Microgrid Knowledge is the self-proclaimed “world’s largest news site dedicated to all things microgrid.” Their 2023 Anaheim conference explored the markets, technologies, policies, and customer benefits emerging as the world decentralizes its energy supply and electrifies buildings and transportation. The conference was an opportunity for businesses, communities, institutions, and government to learn what is available now and what lies ahead to improve microgrids and distributed energy operations.

About Microgrids

Microgrids can function and support communities during threats and outages to the traditional electricity grid, allowing communities to be resilient against unexpected forces such as earthquakes and severe weather. Microgrids can disconnect or “island” from the main grid and produce electricity independently during outages. During the major 6.4 magnitude earthquake in December 2022, the microgrid remained autonomously energized for nearly 15 hours.

About RCEA

Established in 2003, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority is a local government joint powers agency whose members include the County of Humboldt, the seven cities within the county, the Yurok Tribe and the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District. The Energy Authority’s purpose is to develop and implement sustainable energy initiatives that reduce energy demand, increase energy efficiency, and advance the use of clean, efficient, and renewable resources available in the region. For more info, visit redwoodenergy.org.

principle power offshore wind turbine

California Community Power Initiates Request For Information Regarding Developing Wind Energy Off California Coast

CC Power’s nine members will gain information and may explore offshore wind procurement following the RFI

Sacramento, Calif. – California Community Power (CC Power) has posted its Request for Information (RFI) on offshore wind, seeking information for projects targeted to be developed in the Humboldt and Morro Bay Wind Energy Areas, along with other possible offshore wind developments. This offshore wind RFI will inform Board recommendations regarding procurement, readiness, barriers, or other CC Power and Community Choice Aggregator (CCA) member actions for offshore wind.

The Humboldt and Morro Bay wind areas can provide high-quality wind energy that supports California’s grid reliability. CC Power could contract for such resources on behalf of its nine members, pending CC Power Board direction and related clean energy and economic analysis.

“Offshore wind energy can provide steady, valuable, and renewable energy to meet California’s clean energy needs, including during heat storms when the grid is taxed. This RFI fits with the goals of CC Power and RCEA,” said Matthew Marshall, Redwood Coast Energy Authority Executive Director and CC Power Board Member. “Gathering information and signaling interest in offshore wind is a prudent step for CC Power to gear up in exploring contracting for new offshore wind resources.”

CC Power represents nine CCAs, each governed by local and regional boards, overseeing the CCAs’ pursuit of clean energy resources, programs, and cost-competitive electrical service for local communities. The pursuit of 100% clean energy based on California law will require a portfolio of clean energy resources, including those that deliver clean energy at night and during extreme weather events. If contracted for development by CC Power, such resources will be included in each CCA’s resource plan, and CC Power will administer contracts to drive timely development and operations of new resources.

“This joint-action RFI will focus on California’s opportunity for floating offshore wind turbines, a technology gradually being deployed around the world,” said Alex J. Morris, General Manager of CC Power. “CC Power and its member CCAs have a track record of contracting for valuable renewable energy. This RFI helps us build formal recommendations on procurement for our Board and will inform strategies to address needs for port infrastructure and expanded electrical grid transmission, known barriers for offshore wind development in California.”

The ongoing RFI process, as well as member participation, have been discussed during noticed, public meetings of the CC Power board. Information is available at https://cacommunitypower.org/solicitations/.

About California Community Power

California Community Power is a Joint Powers Agency comprised of nine California Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs). The agency allows its member CCAs to combine their buying power to procure new, cost-effective clean energy and reliability resources to continue advancing local and state climate goals. California Community Power members represent 2.7 million customers across 112 municipalities spanning from Humboldt County to Santa Barbara County. Learn more at cacommunitypower.org.

Yurok Vice Chair Frankie Myers

Yurok Tribe Joins Redwood Coast Energy Authority

Yurok Tribe, RCEA Aim to Increase Access to Clean, Renewable Energy

The Yurok Tribe is the first sovereign tribal government to become a member of the Redwood Coast Energy Authority.

“We joined RCEA because its mission to implement initiatives that increase access to affordable, clean energy aligns with our core values,” said Yurok Vice Chairman Frankie Myers “As an RCEA member, the Tribe will be able to participate at the government to government level in the planning and development of long term renewable energy projects. We strongly believe the transition to sustainable energy sources is essential to the long-term health and prosperity of our community.”

“It is exciting to have the Yurok Tribe joining RCEA,” said RCEA Executive Director Matthew Marshall. “Over RCEA’s 20 years of se rv ing Humboldt County we’ve worked with the Tribe on many projects, and we are very much looking forward to building on that relationship and having Tribal representation on our governing board.” RCEA’s Board of Directors and the Yurok Tribal Council passed separate resolutions approving a joint powers agreement which made the Tribe an agency member. “The Yurok Tribe wishes to provide input on the development of secure, sustainable, clean, and affordable energy resources, and participate as a stakeholder,” according to the Yurok resolution.

The Redwood Coast Energy Authority is a local government Joint Powers Agency. The agency was established to develop and implement sustainable energy initiatives that reduce energy demand, increase energy efficiency, and advance the use of clean, efficient, and renewable resources available in the region. RCEA members include: the County of Humboldt; the Cities of Arcata, Blue Lake, Eureka, Ferndale, Fortuna, Rio Dell, and Trinidad; and the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District and the Yurok Tribe.

Yurok Vice Chairman Frankie Myers will represent the Tribe on the RCEA’s Board of Directors. Vice Chairman Myers has decades of experience in natural resources management, community development and cultural preservation. In addition to serving on the Yurok Tribal Council, he is the president of the Prey-go-neesh Construction Corporation, which performs infrastructure-building projects all over the United States. He is also leading the Tribe’s effort to equitably engage in the prospective floating offshore wind energy projects along California’s North Coast.

Last December, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) auctioned the development rights to 130,000 acres off the Humboldt coast for offshore wind energy production. Earlier this month, the Yurok Tribe, Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods announced plans to prepare a local workforce to take advantage of future jobs in the new industry. This unique collaboration provides potential floating offshore wind developers an opportunity to support local workforce training.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE
Infrastructure Training Program

Humboldt County electricians can get reimbursed for their EVITP certification.

Redwood Coast Energy Authority is offering scholarships for up to ten certified electricians to become certified to install EV charging stations.
If you are a state licensed or certified electrician, you may be interested in getting EVITP certified to bid on:

  • RCEA’s upcoming North Coast Phase 2 EVSE EV charging station projects
  • Public works projects across the state of California
  • EV charging stations at homes and businesses

Interested certified electricians can sign-up for the EVITP certification training and exam on-line, which takes approximately 20 hours to complete (plus the exam time). Once completed, up to 10 electricians can apply for a scholarship by:

Funding for the North Coast Phase 2 EVSE EV charging stations is provided by RCEA and a Headwaters Fund Mini Grant.

For more information on EVITP training: https://evitp.org/training/
At RCEA contact Marianne Bithell (707) 382-2014.  MBithell@redwoodenergy.org

flyer for RCEA's heat pump workshop on Saturday, Jan. 21

Heat Pump Workshop
for Space and Water Heating

Join RCEA for two separate expert presentations on heat pump space and water heating on Saturday, January 21 at the Wharfinger Building in Eureka. There will be plenty of time for Q&A and a chance to talk with local heat pump contractors. This workshop is for the public and there is NO COST to attend. Attendees will learn about generous federal, state, and local rebates and incentives.

 

Complete details are on our EVENTS PAGE.

California’s Offshore Wind Lease Auction is Underway

EUREKA, CA. December 6, 2022

At 7am this morning the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) initiated the auction of five California offshore wind energy area leases, two in the Humboldt Wind Energy Area and three in the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area.

Seven bidders are participating in the auction, with live results posted by BOEM at: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/california

For a detailed accounting of the auction’s progress, try this: https://renews.biz/82293/boem-to-auction-california-offshore-wind-sites-today/

Federal offshore wind auctions can last multiple days, and BOEM will announce the names of the winning developers shortly after the auction closes.

Since 2016, Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) has been actively planning and coordinating with private developers and stakeholders including local, state, and federal government leaders, local Tribes and commercial fishermen to prepare for responsible offshore wind development that provides community benefits and minimizes impacts, in addition to making a meaningful contribution to local and state renewable energy objectives. RCEA’s RePower Humboldt strategic plan establishes the goal of generating 100% of the county’s electricity needs from local renewable sources by 2030, and offshore wind could play a central role in achieving that goal.

“After many years of planning, this is an exciting milestone in the process,” said Matthew Marshall, RCEA’s Executive Director. “RCEA’s primary interest is to see good projects move forward, and we are committed to working with the developers that secure leases to ensure  transparent and meaningful community engagement that puts our local interests and concerns front and center in the development process. The community benefits agreements and lease stipulations that BOEM will require of developers are a good starting point.”

The two Humboldt lease areas together encompass over 205 square miles and are 20-30 miles off the coast of Humboldt Bay. Combined with Morro Bay, the five California Wind Energy Area leases amount to approximately 528 square miles, which could potentially generate over 4.6 GW of offshore wind energy; enough to power more than 1.5 million homes. Due to our region’s grid transmission constraints, RCEA anticipates that the first phase of Humboldt development will be limited to around 150 MW and will primarily be for local consumption. New and upgraded transmission infrastructure is required to scale up to the full capacity that the Humboldt Wind Energy Area can accommodate and to export power to the state’s grid.

NOTE: While RCEA was listed on the list of eligible auction bidders, RCEA is not participating in the auction in any way.  RCEA’s inclusion on the list is a legacy of submitting an “unsolicited lease request” to BOEM in 2018, which required RCEA to qualify as an eligible entity.  BOEM subsequently absorbed RCEA’s proposed lease area into what is now the Humboldt Wind Energy Area.

News

Grand opening invitation for RCEA's Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid

Visit RCEA’s microgrid page for Grand Opening Celebration details and request a site TOUR: RedwoodEnergy.org/rcam/

Local leaders standing in front of a solar array at the Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid
Local leaders visit the Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid
RCEA's photo of the microgrid with the batteries and airport in the backgroun

Collaborating for a Clean Energy Future: California’s First 100% Renewable Multi-Customer Microgrid is Now Operational

Redwood Coast Airport’s new solar microgrid serves as a blueprint for energy resilience

Tuesday, June 7 2022

ARCATA, Calif.— California’s first 100% renewable energy, front-of-the-meter, multi-customer microgrid is now fully operational. Located in Humboldt County, California, the microgrid provides energy resilience for the regional airport and US Coast Guard Air Station.

This microgrid was developed through a first-of-its-kind partnership between the Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority, Pacific Gas & Electric, the County of Humboldt, TRC, The Energy Authority, Tesla, Inc., and Schweitzer Engineering Labs.

Research and development was supported through a $5 million grant from California’s Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) – a statewide program which invests in scientific and technological research to accelerate the transformation of the electricity sector to meet the state’s energy and climate goals – and by $6 million from the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA), a joint powers agency that provides clean and renewable power to Humboldt County.

A model for resilient, clean energy

“The Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid has ushered in a new and exciting era for the electric grid in California,” says Peter Lehman, Founding Director of the Schatz Center and project lead. “With its successful deployment and the development of new microgrid agreements and tariffs, RCAM has become a role model and beacon to communities across the state who are striving to green their energy supply and bolster their resilience in the face of climate change.”

The Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid (RCAM) features a 2.2-megawatt solar photovoltaic array that is DC-coupled to a 2 megawatt (9 megawatt-hour) battery energy storage system, comprised of three Tesla Megapacks.

During standard blue-sky operations, RCAM generates clean and renewable energy for the North Coast, and participates in the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) wholesale energy markets, including the day-ahead, realtime, and ancillary services markets. By storing solar energy during the day and releasing it onto the grid as needed in the evening and during heavy demand periods, RCAM enables greater utilization of solar, supports grid reliability, and creates an economic model for future microgrids.

When a power outage occurs, the microgrid islands from the main grid and energizes the circuit that encompasses the airport, the adjacent Coast Guard Air Station, and several neighboring facilities. RCAM will provide seamless, ongoing electricity for all customers in the microgrid circuit during any local outages.

As the first microgrid in the CAISO market and the first renewable, front-of-the-meter microgrid system in the state, RCAM is building a replicable business model for renewable microgrid deployment.

Meeting critical resilience goals

The regional California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport (ACV) is located in McKinleyville, California, and serves the greater North Coast community with over 50,000 flights per year, including commercial airline, private, and emergency medical flights. Adjacent to the airport, the US Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay provides search and rescue for 250 miles of rural coastline, from the Mendocino-Sonoma county line to the California-Oregon border.

Roads into Humboldt County are frequently closed by fires and mudslides, making air services a critical factor in regional emergency response.

Cody Roggatz, Humboldt County’s Director of Aviation says that “The California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport (ACV) is a lifeline to our community every day by keeping Humboldt County connected to the world alongside our partners at United Airlines, Avelo Airlines, American Airlines, REACH/Cal-Ore Life Flights, US Coast Guard-Sector Humboldt Bay, and many others. RCAM ensures that we can continue to keep that lifeline open through energy resilience, no matter what happens to the power grid.”

Community microgrids: partnering for resilience

Deploying multi-customer, front-of-the-meter community microgrids requires close coordination between the microgrid design team, the electric utility, and an electricity generation partner who can energize the microgrid when needed. Because these microgrids utilize circuitry that is owned and maintained by the utility, their control systems must be responsive to utility commands and safety needs, while maintaining a clear delineation between utility-owned and generation partner-owned equipment. Furthermore, participating in the wholesale market requires that the system also be responsive to market signals.

  • Design and development of the RCAM project was led by Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt. The Schatz Center’s microgrid research and development focuses on resilient renewable energy solutions for the California North Coast and beyond.
  • The Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) is the Community Choice Aggregator for Humboldt County, serving 63,000 electric account customers and supporting energy efficiency alongside local, clean and renewable energy solutions. RCEA is responsible for the majority of the Humboldt Bay area’s energy resource procurement, and owns and operates the electricity generation equipment for the microgrid.
  • PG&E maintains the regional electricity grid, which serves over 16 million people in Northern and Central California, and owns and operates the microgrid circuit.

“An important success of RCAM was how we were able to work through the complex financial, technical, regulatory, business, and operational hurdles facing this project,” says Dana Boudreau, RCEA’s director of Operations and Infrastructure. “This experience will serve us well as we continue to engage our community in building offshore wind energy, supporting more solar and storage capacity, and developing new community microgrids.”

Part of a growing trend

The unique collaboration between RCAM project partners has resulted in both technical and policy innovations. RCAM is the model for PG&E’s Community Microgrid Enablement Program – which provides technical assistance and cost offsets for community microgrid deployment. Additionally, PG&E’s Microgrid Incentive Program, expected to launch later this year, will leverage a $200 million statewide fund dedicated to deploying clean energy microgrids, to support the critical needs of vulnerable populations and disadvantaged communities.

“The Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid represents the culmination of many years of research, innovation, and collaboration by the world’s leading microgrid experts. Thanks to their hard work, microgrids now play a key role in PG&E’s ongoing efforts to harden our electrical system and enhance local grid resilience throughout Northern and Central California,” says Jason Glickman, Executive Vice President, Engineering, Planning and Strategy, PG&E. “We know how much our customers and communities need reliable energy, and this system not only increases local reliability, but it serves as the foundation for a replicable and scalable model for widely deploying multi-customer microgrids across PG&E’s service area, giving communities a new tool to take a more active role in securing their resilience and clean energy goals.”

Next steps for the North Coast

“RCEA’s goal is to provide our customers with 100% carbon-free electricity by 2025, and 100% local carbon-free electricity by 2030. This project is a major milestone for our clean energy and resilience efforts,” says Matthew Marshall, Executive Director of RCEA. RCEA works closely with schools, fire departments, Native American Tribes, and other local agencies to support community resilience across the North Coast.

Renewable energy microgrids are uniquely suited to help rural Tribes and other communities adapt to climate change and simultaneously mitigate future climate impacts. The Schatz Center is partnering with a number of Tribes in Northern California to support their clean energy, resilience, and climate response efforts.

Cal Poly Humboldt also recently began design of a renewable energy microgrid to support campus resilience through clean generation. This microgrid will be part of the university’s sustainability framework, and will enable students in engineering, environmental sciences, and other programs to gain hands-on experience with innovative climate-friendly technologies.

More information

Visit RCEA’s microgrid page and request a site TOUR: RedwoodEnergy.org/rcam/

News

Who's knockin gon my door scam alert graphic

SCAM ALERT from the Redwood Coast Energy Authority

Monday, May 23, 2022

The Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) and local law enforcement are receiving reports that individuals claiming to represent RCEA and/or Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) are going through neighborhoods asking to come into homes to discuss energy contracts and potential bill savings. Please be aware that this is not RCEA; RCEA does not go door-to-door to discuss bills or services. Included in the reports are promises of less expensive natural gas contracts, which RCEA does not handle. RCEA only sells electricity.

RCEA encourages the community to approach these solicitations with caution, read through all the details, don’t share your personal information or sign anything until you are confident that it will benefit you and that it is a legitimate offer.  Some customers who have signed up with similar non-local gas solicitors in the past have reported that they were locked into long-term contracts and that the cost was significantly higher than what they were previously paying with PG&E.

Additional scams reported this year include callers asking for bill payment over the phone. Remember to only pay your current and past due bills via your usual secure payment options. If someone calls for your credit card information to keep your account active, hang up and call PG&E’s customer service if you have questions.

To discuss your bill in detail, call RCEA at (707) 269-1700 or PG&E at (800) 743-5000. RCEA’s website has information about all of RCEA’s trusted services, including rebates, financial assistance, energy efficiency, electric vehicle incentives, local renewable energy projects, events, and notifications about current scams. www. RedwoodEnergy.org.

News

Graphic explaining how Community Choice Energy works

Community Choice Energy Celebrates Five Years in Humboldt County

The Redwood Coast Energy Authority’s Community Choice Energy Program is celebrating its five-year anniversary this May. We have been meeting the electricity demands of about 63,000 Humboldt County customers to the tune of roughly 700,000 MWh per year since 2017, and providing that power at discounted prices.

“Five years ago, RCEA switched on the Community Choice Energy program on behalf of Humboldt County residents and business owners,” said RCEA Board Chair Stephen Avis. “As a joint powers public agency, City and County elected officials voted to participate in a program designed to retain control of our energy dollars by reinvesting them in local and sustainable energy projects instead of sending them to out of area shareholders. The decision-making process of our RCEA board of directors has helped us replace fossil fuel with renewable and sustainable sources of energy. This shift has put our county on the leading edge of combating the causes of climate change, and I am very proud to be a part of that.”

RCEA’s CCE program aims to provide local energy customers with a mix of 100% renewable and carbon-free electricity by 2025, and 100% local renewable power by 2030. “RCEA is pursuing and signing contracts for local renewable energy and utility-scale energy storage to make good on the ambitious clean energy goals advocated by our community and adopted by our Board,” said RCEA’s Power Resources Director Richard Engel.

Solar panels at the Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid

“The Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid in McKinleyville is an example of RCEA building local resilience and clean energy resources for our Community Choice Energy portfolio. It’s built, operational and feeding renewable power to the grid now,” said RCEA Board member and former Chair Sheri Woo. “Join us for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the airport.” Details for the Wednesday, June 22 celebration will be forthcoming. RCEA, the Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt, PG&E, and the County of Humboldt, constructed this first-of-its-kind, multi-customer microgrid during the pandemic. The 2.3 MW solar array and battery energy storage system was funded by RCEA and the California Energy Commission and provides electricity for RCEA’s customers during normal operations. During power outages, the electricity will support the Coast Guard, air transport activities, and regional emergency responses.

Local leaders standing in front of a solar array at the Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid
Local leaders visit the Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid

RCEA is also working to make offshore wind part of its Community Choice Energy local power mix. “In 2016 when our CCE program was being designed, local offshore wind energy was a distant concept,” said RCEA Executive Director Matthew Marshall. “This fall, the federal government will auction off leases to developers who wish to explore the feasibility of wind energy projects 20 or so miles off Humboldt Bay, which could be operational by 2030. Offshore wind will be a critical tool in combating climate change while creating skilled jobs and driving economic development up and down the California coast. RCEA will continue to work with our community, the local fishing industry, Tribes, local labor organizations, and other stakeholders to maximize offshore wind’s benefits for our community.”

image showing how the port for offshore wind services might look on the Samoa Peninsula

Revenues from the CCE’s power sales are directed back into the community in the form of RCEA’s customer programs. “In addition to cleaner, more affordable energy, Community Choice Energy in Humboldt County allows us greater flexibility to provide energy efficiency services to residents, businesses, and public agencies by keeping energy dollars local,” said Stephen Kullmann, who leads RCEA’s Customer Energy Solutions. “We recently launched a new series of rebates, this time for a wide variety of equipment like washers, dryers, heat pumps, and other efficient appliances. We’ll continue with our assessment and installation services–with even more energy-saving programs planned.”

Visit our Rebates page for details on all our rebates and incentives, including EVS and EV charging equipment.

THANK YOU to all our customers and partners for joining us and exercising your power to choose.

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