$88M in federal funds announced to fix power outages in Karuk, Hoopa and Yurok communities

The Department of Energy on Tuesday announced $88 million would go toward a project that aims to beef up electrical reliability for Hoopa, Yurok and Karuk communities, plus the Blue Lake Rancheria. The Tribal Energy Resilience and Sovereignty project (TERAS) will install three microgrids along the outage-plagued 142-mile long “Hoopa 1101” distribution circuit, and expand microgrids at the Blue Lake Rancheria as a demonstration site.

The microgrids are backups to restore power during outages, a constant for people along the above-ground circuit.

“More often than not, the disadvantaged community of Panamnik (Orleans) is faced with power grid blackouts and shortage of resources due to its remote location. Microgrid energy will not only empower our tribal sovereignty, but provide the safeguards needed to survive along the river,” said Chairman Russell “Buster” Attebery of the Karuk Tribe in a prepared statement, noting people lose food and medical supplies during outages.

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By:  Sage Alexander
Source: Times Standard

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