Half Moon Bay to apply for downtown microgrid funding

The program is designed to support critical facility resilience in vulnerable communities and, while the city fits that description, its existing energy grid, coastal proximity and lack of space for new solar facilities poses unique challenges for implementing a microgrid in reality.

Ultimately, downtown — which includes two schools, a medical clinic, community center and sheriff’s substation — was selected as the best option by councilmembers. It would require a relatively minimal 3 acres of land and $2.5 million for solar implementation.

“Less land, more space for our community,” Councilmember Patric Bo Jonsson said. “That’s how I’m looking at this.”

If the project, which is being developed by community-led electricity provider Peninsula Clean Energy, is selected by PG&E, it would take three to five years to come online. In a power outage, it could provide, at minimum, an extra day of power from energy resources like solar and batteries and would be disconnected from the larger grid.

Selecting downtown excludes other integral areas of Half Moon Bay, however, including the Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside wastewater treatment facility. Because the SAM plant is in a tsunami inundation zone, microgrid implementation in the area would be challenging if not impossible, PCE Programs Manager Ross Fisher said.

Still, councilmembers expressed disappointment that SAM could not be included, due to the integral nature of services provided for the entire coastside.

“If SAM goes down in a real disaster … that affects the whole coastside, not just one part of town, not just one emergency thing. That just affects everything,” Mayor Robert Brownstone said.

Another area that was considered but eventually decided against included the area south of Half Moon Bay’s downtown, which has services like the fire station and library, regularly serves the most customers and sees the most power outages.

Even shrinking the microgrid area only from the fire station to Sea Crest School would require double the land and $1 million more for solar implementation, Fisher said, making it a less viable option.

Including the high school was also considered, but ultimately scrapped because it operates on a separate utility feeder than downtown. Creating a microgrid with two separate utility feeders would be far more complex, challenging and costly, Fisher said.

PCE will now apply for the PG&E grant for Half Moon Bay by Dec. 17 and hear back within two to three months.