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Court adopts Mid-Columbia energy resilience plan, R2026-07
Summary
The county adopted resolution R2026-07 endorsing a regional energy resilience plan developed with Mid-Columbia EDD under Oregon HB 3630; the resolution passed by unanimous voice vote and opens grant opportunities for local resilience projects.
On July 1 the Gilliam County Court adopted resolution R2026-07, formally approving the Mid-Columbia regional energy resilience plan prepared with technical assistance from Mid-Columbia Economic Development District. Lindsay McClure, energy and project manager for MCEDD, presented the plan's scope, outreach findings and case studies highlighting solar-plus-storage microgrids and mobile battery units.
McClure explained that House Bill 3630 directed the Oregon Department of Energy to fund county energy resilience planning and that the Mid-Columbia cohort followed the ODOE framework. Outreach found residents prioritize shelter-in-place strategies, municipal and school shelters for outages, and concerns centering on wildfire and winter storm risks. Case studies cited in the plan include a multi-agency social services facility with solar and battery backup and a school microgrid project that can use electric-bus batteries to power a gym during outages.
After presentation, a commissioner moved to adopt resolution R2026-07; the motion was seconded and the court approved the resolution by voice vote. The plan positions the county to pursue state and federal grants and identifies recommended actions including improving outage data transparency, monitoring state energy-market developments, supporting distributed energy resources and building capacity for resilience projects.
The court emphasized interest in portable solar and resilience investments that could be eligible for future grant funding; staff noted next steps will include grant-seeking and coordination through MCEDD.
