Redwood City, CA, Aug. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, WestLight Energy announced receipt of the final funding piece to build one of California's largest community microgrids that will provide a lasting solution to frequent power outages in Northern California's Pescadero community. While most microgrids are designed to keep a handful of critical facilities such as hospitals powered during outages, this is one of the first times a microgrid is being adapted to provide energy resilience for nearly an entire town.
"When a community faces a challenge that doesn't have an obvious solution, local public agencies like WestLight Energy have an opportunity to bring partners together," said Shawn Marshall, CEO of WestLight Energy. "That's exactly what happened here. This project shows what's possible when community organizations, local government, utilities and clean energy partners work toward a common goal."
The final funding needed to move the project forward will come from Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) Microgrid Incentive Program (MIP), a California Public Utility Commission (CPUC)-directed program that all three California investor-owned utilities administer. The Pescadero Project will receive a MIP grant of $3.5 in addition to PG&E providing up to $4 million to pay for interconnection and microgrid studies and required PG&E grid upgrades to enable the microgrid to safely island. These grant funds will be combined with contributions of $10 million from WestLight Energy and $3 million from the County of San Mateo. The project is a collaborative effort led by WestLight and supported by Irma Rodriguez Mitton of Arriba South Coast as the community liaison, the Sustainability Department and Office of Emergency Services from the County of San Mateo, and the Clean Coalition as a technical partner.
Pescadero has long faced recurring power outages that can be especially disruptive for a rural community, affecting residents, businesses, schools, and essential community services. Mitton, founder and Executive Director of the community-based nonprofit Arriba Southcoast, partnered with community members to search for a solution to the town's frequent outages. While Mitton had identified the MIP as a potential solution, she needed a partner that could provide the technical expertise. She found this partnership with WestLight Energy, which brought together the additional partners, funding, and technical expertise required to develop a project that could provide energy resiliency to the 700-person rural farming community.
"Frequent outages affect every part of daily life for families, businesses, and community services," said Mitton. "Things like disrupting school learning days and store operations, spoiled food, and closure of community health and social services offices place a huge burden on our residents. We knew we could solve the problem, but we needed really strong, community-minded technical partners to help us. We are extremely grateful that WestLight Energy, the County of San Mateo Sustainability Department, and other partners believed in our vision and came together with us to make this project a reality.”
As other California communities experience growing demand on the electric grid along with more frequent extreme weather, communities across the state are looking for creative ways to improve local energy resilience.
"We are hopeful that elected officials and CCAs across California will take note of a model other communities can learn from," said San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller. "I was proud to help champion and secure funding for this project, thanks to the enormous benefits it will bring to Pescadero residents. We look forward to seeing if other projects, such as this one, are taken on around the state."
Today, WestLight Energy is one of only a few CCAs working on community microgrid projects. "Our vision is to create a replicable model for developing community microgrids across the state, where CCAs are the 'bridge' between the community and the utility," said Marshall.
Construction is anticipated to begin in mid-2029, with service expected to begin in mid-2031.
About WestLight Energy
WestLight Energy is a public agency and the official electricity provider for the communities of San Mateo County and Los Banos. Founded in 2016 with a mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the agency serves 314,000 households and businesses by providing 50 percent renewable and 100 percent clean energy at a lower cost than PG&E. WestLight Energy makes significant investments in its communities to expand access to sustainable and affordable energy solutions. Over the last decade, WestLight has saved customers $226M, provided $30M in electric vehicles and electric appliance rebates and no-interest loans, reinvested more than $100M into the community, and advocated for state-wide green energy policies. In 2026, WestLight Energy marked its tenth anniversary and launched its next decade working toward a fossil-free future where everyone thrives through clean energy that’s accessible and affordable to all. Learn more at WestLightEnergy.org.
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Contact Info
Gwen Rose
grose@westlightenergy.org
