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Congressman Huffman Meets With Local Tribes and Agencies to Discuss Microgrid Clean Energy
Congressman Jared Huffman met with Northern California tribes and agencies in Eureka to discuss clean energy microgrids, highlighting ongoing tribal efforts like TERAS to achieve energy resilience and sovereignty through solar projects across Karuk, Yurok, Hoopa, and Blue Lake communities.
Congressman Huffman Meets With Local Tribes and Agencies to Discuss Microgrid Clean Energy
Congressman Jared Huffman met with Northern California tribes and agencies in Eureka to discuss clean energy microgrids, highlighting ongoing tribal efforts like TERAS to achieve energy resilience and sovereignty through solar projects across Karuk, Yurok, Hoopa, and Blue Lake communities.
Eureka, CA [06-21-24]: In a string of Northern California Tribal visits, Congressman Jared Huffman was able to meet with several tribes at the Redwood Coast Energy Authority, which is a local non-profit governmental agency that procures electricity to Humboldt County. This meeting took place in Eureka, CA; a small coastal city where clean energy is sought after and favored. Local Tribes, energy companies and the Congressman met to discuss Solar Microgrids as a source of clean energy.
Schatz Energy Research Center, from Cal Poly Humboldt, designed a solar microgrid that provides clean energy to one of the tribes at the meeting, Blue Lake Rancheria, who has already been placed on Microgrid energy as their 100 acres of trust land is frequently subjected to power outages due to their remote location and heavy rainstorms. The microgrid consists of a solar array, battery storage and a control system that saves the Rancheria Campus around $150,000 annually in electricity.
Tribal Energy Resilience And Sovereignty (TERAS) is a joint effort of the Karuk Tribe, Yurok Tribe, Hoopa Valley Tribe and Blue Lake Rancheria that has been working aggressively for the last year and a half to become completely energy resilient in an effort for tribal sovereignty. If awarded the Department of Energy Grant proposal, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority would be the recipient and all the tribes would be sub-awardees. The Karuk Tribe would then begin a three-phased project benefiting all three of their communities.
- Phase One: Orleans – microgrid installation.
- Phase Two: Happy Camp – microgrid installation if Phase One is successful.
- Phase Three: Yreka – installation of a solar array at the new medical compound that is yet to be constructed.
Rain Rock Casino in Yreka is currently utilizing a 1 megawatt solar array that offsets 95% of their power consumption.
Congressman Huffman heard the concerns of the tribes and will talk to the California Public Utilities Commission on behalf of the tribes as well as be their voice in Congress, further establishing the relationship between the Congressman and tribal governments. The outlook is promising.
