Depending on the situation, as many as 67,000 customers who might have lost power when areas outside Humboldt County face extreme weather conditions, can remain energized, due to PG&E’s changing of the plant’s set-up. Areas that can be re-energised that way by the Humboldt Bay Generating Station include over 20 cities and towns such as Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville and Fortuna as well as some tribal communities.
Operating since 2010, the 163 MW Humboldt Bay Generating Station (HGBS) power plant uses 10 reciprocating Wärtsilä engines that run on natural gas, with diesel fuel as a backup. The technical re-configuration, also known as ‘islanding’, allows PG&E to use large parts of the installed capacity at HGBS specifically for certain areas to prevent blackouts in the event of unforeseen downtime of another power plant or an important power transmission line.
Tests completed, fine-tuning ongoing
Works to upgrade and commission the HGBS were carried out by a team of 70 specialists at PG&E over a six month period. Tests of the system’s capabilities were successfully completed on May 9, the operator said, stressing it will “continue to fine-tune the system and make additional transmission upgrades to improve functionality in the coming months.”
“Our residents and businesses endured hardships during safety shutoffs even when there wasn’t a wildfire threat in Humboldt County. PG&E leadership answered our calls to make sure they did everything they can to reduce impacts next time,” said Rex Bohn, First District Supervisor for Humboldt County.
Andy Vesey, PG&E Utility CEO and President explained that “as soon as the last PSPS event of 2019 ended, we set a goal to complete direct local powering capabilities before this next wildfire season. The team worked on air permitting, design changes, and testing activities to reach this goal,” he said, noting “safety was at the forefront of everyone’s minds, especially during the pandemic.”
The HBGS employs 17 full-time workers in Humboldt County and contributes more than $4 million a year in property taxes and local sales taxes.