Jamestown BPU webinar on proposed microgrid grant application (March 23, 2023)
The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities has the go ahead from the U.S. Department of Energy to begin work on a microgrid in the greater Jamestown area.
The DOE awarded and signed a contract with the BPU to finalize an agreement for $17,377,034 in grant funding to create a microgrid and install associated resiliency upgrades in Jamestown with a start date of October 1, 2024.
The DOE selected the project for possible funding in late 2023 and has now completed, contract negotiations.
The funds will advance the “Jamestown Community Microgrid Project,” with the BPU providing a $5,792,648 match. Within five years, the project will deploy a microgrid with electric vehicle charging, energy storage and underground cabling replacement.
BPU General Manager David Leathers said that the BPU microgrid system will utilize existing generation equipment to power a strong network of underground electrical distribution circuitry, ensuring a high plane of utility service reliability and resiliency in the core of Downtown Jamestown, independent of the regional system.
If an emergency occurs outside BPU territory to cut power to the utility’s service area, the microgrid system, utilizing the utility’s existing gas turbine, its network of underground circuits, the District Heating system and the addition of a black start battery storage system, will enable the core area of Downtown Jamestown to remain up and running with both electric and thermal service.
The second possibility would be that the area experiences only a brief outage in a disruptive event if the microgrid is in place.
The microgrid will enable most of the community’s first responders and critical services to operate more efficiently in case of a significant service interruption during a disastrous event.
These organizations will include the Jamestown Police Department, the Jamestown Fire Department, the Jamestown Department of Public Works, the BPU Electric and Water Resources Divisions, Alstar EMS Ambulance Service, UPMC Chautauqua Hospital, the Urgent Care Medical Facility and several large community buildings that could host shelters in case of a prolonged emergency event.
At the time of the selection announcement, DOE Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said that extreme weather events fueled by climate change will continue to strain the nation’s aging transmission systems. She stated that the grant announcement represents the largest-ever direct investment in critical grid infrastructure, supporting projects that will harden systems and improve energy reliability and affordability, all while generating union jobs for highly skilled workers.
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