Gonzales Electric Authority enters agreement to deliver wholesale electric power through a microgrid

GONZALES, Calif. (KION) Gonzales Electric Authority and Concentric Power, Inc. have entered into an agreement to deliver wholesale electric power through a community-scale microgrid in and around the Gonzalez Agricultural Industrial Business Oark.

They say the microgrid will have a capacity of 35MW and will provide locally-generated and sustainable power to the park. It will be made up of a mix of solar energy, battery energy storage and flexible thermal generation.

The agency and company say the goal is to allow facilities at the park to have reliable power 24 hours per day, even when facing planned or unplanned grid outages. The microgrid will also have a privately-owned substation that will allow energy and capacity services to be sold to the California electricity grid.

The city said it created the GEA to bring in and retain a strong agricultural and industrial base and protect companies from outages and poor quality. The city believes the project will support economic development and job creation in Gonzales.

“The companies who do business here need to know that they will have the power they need, when they need it, from a variety of green and low-carbon sources,” said Maria Orozco, mayor of the City of Gonzales. “This is exactly the kind of project that benefits everyone involved: dependable, independent power that helps us reach our sustainability goals. This agreement will help deliver that.” 

The project will mainly be funded by Concentric Power, but additional funding will be provided by GEA and the Gonzales Municipal Electric Utility.