TO: Napa County Climate Action Committee
FROM: Brian D. Bordona, Director of Napa County Planning, Building & Environmental Services
REPORT BY: Jesse Guti?rrez, Principal Planner, Sustainability
SUBJECT: Presentation: Introduction to the Calistoga Resiliency Center by Craig Horne Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Advance Energy Solutions, Energy Vault
RECOMMENDATION
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PRESENTATION: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CALISTOGA RESILIENCY CENTER
STAFF REQUEST: Receive a presentation from Craig Horne PhD from Energy Vault on the Calistoga Resiliency Center, a first-of-a-kind hybrid energy storage system.
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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California
Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The Calistoga Resiliency Center is a first-of-a-kind hybrid energy storage system coupling lithium-ion batteries with hydrogen fuel cells. The system will provide 48 hours of continuous power to PG&E customers in downtown Calistoga and the surrounding area during Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS).
Severe weather, such as high winds, can cause trees or debris to damage equipment. If there is dry vegetation, this could lead to wildfire. As a result, PG&E may need to turn off power temporarily during severe weather to help prevent wildfires. These events are called Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS).
Beginning in the summer/fall of 2018 Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) initiated a Wildfire Mitigation plan which included Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) as a primary consideration to make when wildfire conditions are present. During a PSPS event, PG&E switches off transmission power in High Fire Hazard areas. The power shutoffs are an attempt to prevent wildfires from being started by electrical equipment during strong and dry winds. The City of Calistoga has been subject of several PSPS events, which have lasted a few hours to several days ...
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