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Del Norte supervisors approve letter urging Pacific Power to engage on microgrid and grid resiliency
Summary
The board approved a letter asking Pacific Power to allocate staff and examine microgrid and transmission options to protect critical facilities after the 2023 Smith River Complex outages; feasibility work cited cost estimates of roughly $70 million to $179 million depending on scope.
Del Norte County supervisors voted to send a letter to Pacific Power urging the utility to engage with county leaders on electrical resiliency and the feasibility of microgrid solutions for critical facilities.
Supervisor Howard said consultant SiteLogic’s feasibility work and studies by Bonneville Power Administration and Pacific Power indicate two cost scales: about $70 million for one reconnection option, and up to about $179 million for a broader upgrade that would provide redundancy into neighboring Curry County if both sides were connected. The board emphasized the local need to protect hospitals, the airport, emergency services and evacuation centers after damage to lines during the Smith River Complex fire in 2023.
“We need a willing partner in Pacific Power to build the internal capacity to evaluate and help implement microgrid options,” Supervisor Howard told the board. Public speakers asked whether investments in forest management would provide a cheaper path to protecting the county’s primary source of electricity; board members said both forest management and grid redundancy are necessary and that funding will likely require state and federal partners.
The board approved the motion to send the letter on a unanimous vote.
