The Calistoga Resiliency Center (CRC), a hybrid microgrid energy storage facility in Northern California that is designed to address power resiliency amid wildfire risk, has begun commercial operations, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Energy Vault Holdings said in a September 25 announcement.
The facility (see photo below) integrates hydrogen fuel cells with lithium-ion batteries and is designed to provide up to 293 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity, delivering at least 48 hours of continuous supply with a peak power output of 8.5 MW. Most battery energy storage systems (BESS) offer backup power for 1-4 hours. During a public safety power shutoff (PSPS) event, such as a wildfire, the CRC operates in “island mode,” during which it disconnects from the broader power grid and independently supplies power. The system serves about 1,600 PG&E customers in and around downtown Calistoga in California’s Napa Valley north of San Francisco. As we noted in Freeze Frame, the state has been increasingly susceptible to droughts and wildfires over the last few years, driving up consumer demand for power and causing reliability issues with the power grid. Droughts reduce the availability of hydroelectric power and wildfires threaten electricity infrastructure.
