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By 05/19/2021
With a record-breaking drought in the works after three successive major wildfire seasons, we clearly need to be better prepared in 2021. Luckily, local institutions are stepping up to the plate. Although utilities such as PG&E have developed some temporary fixes like public safety power shutoffs, we need longer-term solutions. Relying upon traditional fossil fuel backup generators is a temporary stopgap that does not represent a viable solution for our future.
The better solution is microgrids, which can create small islands of power leveraging cleaner resources such as solar panels and batteries to keep power flowing for critical community assets when the larger grid goes down. I’ve studied the evolution of microgrids, which are now affordable and viable thanks to innovations from private sector financing, for over 10 years. New programs offered by MCE, formerly known as Marin Clean Energy, are having a major impact after a stumbling
Better way to keep the lights on in Napa County
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California needs to catch up with climate action from Biden administration
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An array of solar panel stands in the Solano Community College parking lot. (Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic)
Dodd bill would provide grants for solar development
“Power shutoffs during our ever-increasing fire seasons are imposing enormous costs on California, prompting a rush to
Sen. Bill Dodd
buy carbon-emitting backup generators to serve critical facilities,” Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, who authored Senate Bill 99, the Community Energy Resilience Act of 2021, said in a statement released by his office. “But ensuring continuous power should not come at the expense of our environment. With adequate planning, clean energy alternatives can power the grid, providing a more reliable and sustainable source of electricity for our state.”