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Sustainability and Resilience

Blue Lake Rancheria Tribal Seal

Sustainability & Resilience

DEPARTMENT

Heidi Moore-Guynup

Director Tribal and Government Affairs

Matthew Marshall

Director of Energy Resilience and Business Development

Madison Hunt

Clean Energy Fellow, DOE

Ysabelle Yrad

Offshore Wind Fellow, West Coast Ocean Alliance

Decorative pattern

Since 2002 the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe has accelerated transition to a zero-carbon community, for its economic, environmental, health, and overall resilience benefits. The Tribe takes a “lifeline sector” approach to achieving zero-carbon sustainability and resilience. Lifeline sectors include: energy, water, food, communication/IT, and transportation. Through local, regional, state, national, and public/private partnerships – and sound planning and policy that pairs climate mitigation and adaptation in decision-making – the Tribe is exceeding its goals.

Microgrid
Congressional Tour

Sustainability and Resilience Goals

  • Reduce and levelize operational costs (lifeline sector operations and infrastructure).
  • Create economic opportunity, including new jobs in the “decarbonized marketplace.”
  • Achieve zero net carbon emissions by 2030.

Resilience Spotlight – Energy Development Timeline

2006

Play Station 777 fuel station and convenience store built “solar ready"

2009

Blue Lake Hotel opens, achieves >17% reduction in energy use, a model of hotel energy efficiency

2011-2012

Community-wide energy efficiency upgrades completed

2013
  • The Tribal Utility Authority, BLR Department of Energy and Technologies, is formed
  • The Tribe begins developing distributed energy resources onsite
  • Tribal government fleet adds electric vehicles
2014
  • Electric vehicle charging infrastructure installed
  • Biodiesel manufacturing plant constructed
2015
  • Biodiesel manufacturing begins (using waste oil from Tribe’s kitchens to fuel public transit buses)
  • Low-carbon, community microgrid project launched
    • 0.5MW solar PV; 1MWh battery storage
    • Powers 6-building campus – government offices, economic enterprises, lifeline sector infrastructure
    • Provides emergency power to certified American Red Cross shelter
    • Achieves significant cost savings and greenhouse gas reductions
2017
  • Low-carbon, community microgrid is complete
  • The Tribe achieves ~$200,000 annual energy savings
  • The Tribe increases employment by 10% with new clean energy and technology jobs
2018
  • Tribe’s goal of 40% carbon emission reductions is achieved
  • A second low-carbon, facility microgrid at the Play Station 777 fuel station and convenience store is launched
    • Uses the “solar ready” canopy and other infrastructure (from 2006)
    • 60kW solar PV, 169kWh battery storage, advanced building controls; islanding controls
    • Replicable “resilience package” for small commercial buildings
2019
  • Add 1MWh battery storage to community microgrid
  • Commission fuel station and convenience store “resilience package” microgrid
  • Continue ongoing energy efficiency upgrades
  • Add solar power to community microgrid
2020-2021

Continue zero carbon resilience and economic
projects

2022

BLR supports thousands during wide scale power outage caused by a 6.4 earthquake

2023
2024
  • Break Ground on Ta'm Resilience Campus
  • Commission installation of new Tesla Megapack battery system
  • BLR and other Tribal partners are awarded $88 million from the Dept. of Energy to support the Tribal Energy Resiliency and Sovereignty (TERAS) Project
2025-2030

Continue efficiency and energy lifeline sector resilience work

2030

The Tribe achieves net zero carbon emissions

Congressional Tour

Sustainability and Resilience Partnerships

The Tribe’s sustainability and resilience projects would not be possible without partners.

Here is an illustrative list of entities who have contributed and collaborated with the Tribe across a range of sustainability and resilience projects, programs, and innovations.

The Tribe is grateful for these partnerships, and the accomplishments achieved together.

Illustrative Partners

Congressional Tour

Select Recognition for Sustainability and Resilience

2023
“The Gold Award” California Emergency Services Association

2018
“Project of the Year for DER Integration” POWERGRID International and DistribuTECH

2017
“Whole Community Preparedness Award” FEMA

2015-2016
“Climate Action Champion” White House and U.S. Department of Energy