County review of microgrid study finds utility limits; board favors smaller, phased projects

SiteLogic presented a preliminary feasibility study to the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors on the county's proposed community microgrid, but the county's primary electric provider told engineers it cannot yet support a full community‑scale grid‑forming microgrid.

"Pac Power determined that they did not have capacity, resources, personnel, or infrastructure, unfortunately, to support a community microgrid," Christy Coughlin of SiteLogic said during the presentation. SiteLogic and county engineers had examined boundaries around the Washington substation in northern Crescent City and estimated a full northern microgrid would need roughly 4 megawatts of PV, 4 megawatts of battery storage (about two hours), and 16–20 acres of land — with an estimated capital cost in the $25–30 million range.

PacifiCorp (referred to in the meeting as Pac Power) outlined an alternative long‑term solution: a transmission project to connect Del Norte County to the Bonneville/Coos‑Curry system. SiteLogic reported PacifiCorp’s preliminary estimate for that Coos‑Curry line concept at about $250 million total investment, with roughly $70.5 million on PacifiCorp’s side and additional investment needed from Bonneville; PacifiCorp estimated a 7–10 year timeline for planning and construction. "They're forecasting a 7 to year 7 to 10 year timeline to completion," a SiteLogic presenter said.

Given the utility constraints and the lengthy timeline for transmission upgrades, SiteLogic recommended a near‑term, phased approach focused on county facilities. The consultants proposed two initial, fundable projects: a roughly 219‑kilowatt solar carport system to serve the sheriff’s office and a rooftop system of about 81 kilowatts at the Flynn Administrative Center, with combined first‑phase costs estimated around $2.1 million. SiteLogic noted federal tax credits and recent grant opportunities could cover a substantial portion of those costs if the county moves quickly.

Supervisor Joyce Howard and other board members pressed staff and SiteLogic on durability, battery plans and operational maintenance; SiteLogic said batteries would likely be phased in later because of current costs and that the near‑term project would leverage generators already at critical sites for immediate backup. Greg Burns of Thorn Run Partners said federal comment periods and funding windows make it practical to prepare draft grant or comment language in advance.

After discussion the board directed staff to continue pursuing alternatives and suggested placing follow‑up work with the county technical advisory committee or a 2‑by‑2 committee to refine siting, funding and operations plans. Board members emphasized the county’s vulnerability to outages and disasters and expressed interest in pursuing feasible, phased projects while monitoring PacifiCorp’s longer‑term transmission planning.

Next steps include follow‑up committee work, further coordination with PacifiCorp and grant‑funding outreach by staff and SiteLogic; the board did not adopt a formal funding commitment at the meeting.