Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians build microgrid for energy independence, resilience

Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians builds microgrid for energy independence, resilience CORNING, Calif. — The Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians is nearing the reality of a decade-long push for energy independence through a partnership with Open Access Technology International (OATI). The tribe is building a two-part solar and battery storage microgrid on tribal land in Tehama County that will allow community facilities and businesses to operate independently of the local utility grid. “OATI has valued the opportunity to support Paskenta’s continued pursuit of energy independence through our work with the community’s microgrid system,” said David Heim, Chief Strategy Officer at OATI. “Helping to increase adoption of tribal-led microgrids is a continuous effort our team is focused on to increase economic and resource self-sufficiency for Tribal communities.” KRCR visited the project site and spoke with Damon Safranek, CEO for the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians, who explained that the autonomy is important to achieve energy independence, support energy loads, and create resiliency against wildfire emergencies. The tribe is a government, so it has the responsibilities to the community that any government would. It is important for the tribe and our local community to have control over those energy generation assets so that we can manage risks better so that we're able to serve the community, whether it's with health care, with public safety, [or] providing our elders or providing our housing with energy when they need it most. The microgrid includes 4.5 megawatts of solar generation and 21 megawatt-hours of battery storage, all managed by OATI's GridMind platform, which automates how power is generated, stored and distributed across the tribe's two sites. "Once this microgrid is energized, we'll be net zero, which is a huge accomplishment and it's a huge step forward to energy independence. It also creates the base infrastructure of distribution and control systems necessary to scale as the economy and the needs of the broader community grow in the near future. Safranek noted that the immense scale of the project required a significant team, as the $54 million endeavor is one of the largest state-funded microgrid and energy storage projects in California history, combining California Energy Commission and FEMA funding plus tribal dollars. Leaders broke ground in 2024 and expect the grid to be energized by early 2027. "This is really about taking Paskenta and our surrounding community from just a customer of energy to one that authors our own energy future," Safranek said. The site is located off of I-5, near Rolling Hills Casino & Resort in Corning. --