Powering Bear River: A Tribally Owned Microgrid for Emergency Shelter Resilience and Year-Round Community Use at the Recreation Center - Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria’s project goal is to build an owned hybrid microgrid for the Recreation Center to support emergency shelter resilience and year-round community use. BRB will install its 750 kW Cummins generator, about 1,028 kWh battery storage, about 137 kW array capacity, microgrid controls, switchgear, and related equipment. In Year 1, BRB will install the generator, procure equipment, secure a contractor, and begin array installation. In Year 2, BRB will energize the array, install and commission battery and control systems, and complete a witnessed island test. In Year 3, BRB will operate the system through a full annual cycle, train Office of Energy Sovereignty, Emergency Services, and Maintenance staff, adopt operations and shelter plans, collect 12 months of performance and playground use data, and develop a phase-two plan. Expected outputs include an operating microgrid, completed commissioning, staff training, adopted plans, performance data, and a future phase plan. Expected outcomes include energy service continuity during grid loss, a functioning emergency shelter, lower energy costs, more usable outdoor play days, protection of BRB jobs, and stronger BRB operational capacity.
