Projects fully funded with $150,000 from MCE and Marin Community Foundation
SAN RAFAEL y CONCORD, Calif. — Two critical community facilities in Marin County have taken major steps to safeguard residents during power outages, reduce costs, and ease strain on the electric grid.
El Dance Palace Community and Cultural Center in Point Reyes Station and the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin County in San Rafael have each installed new battery storage systems that provide clean backup power, lower energy costs, and support a healthier, more reliable grid. Both projects were completed with zero out-of-pocket costs from the organizations through $150,000 in funding from MCE’s Energy Storage Program and the Marin Community Foundation.
"I'm excited to see these two projects realized to further our community resilience and lessen dependence on the grid. MCE has reinvested more than $12 million into Marin County initiatives that support community members most impacted by climate change.”
MCE has supported the installation of behind-the-meter batteries across 90 commercial and residential projects. Funding for the projects includes a $750,000 grant from the Marin Community Foundation, more than $1 million in MCE program incentives to reduce customer out-of-pocket costs, and over $1 million in incentives from the California Public Utilities Commission’s Self-Generation Incentive Program.
“Adding battery storage offers our community a new level of safety. During outages, people turn to us for information, connection, and support. Thanks to our partnership with MCE and the Marin Community Foundation, we’ll be able to keep our doors open when our community needs us most.”
“It’s remarkable what we can do as local partners when we come together with a shared vision of strengthening our communities.”
The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin County in San Rafael will now be able to maintain operations and support the thousands of people it serves each year even during power outages with its new 27 kilowatt-hour battery storage system. The project was also fully funded with more than $55,000 in MCE and Marin Community Foundation funding and was installed by local nonprofit GRID Alternatives, which supports a just energy transition by providing job-training to the local workforce. MCF provided additional support with a bridge loan to Alternativas GRID so the project can access reimbursable federal incentives.
“This isn’t just an ordinary facility upgrade, it’s a commitment to reinforcing our community’s ability to prepare, respond, and recover. This is particularly true for the children, adults, and seniors we serve who are most impacted by disruptions and emergencies.”
These projects bring benefits beyond emergency preparedness. Each day, the batteries charge using onsite solar energy. In the evening, when electricity is most expensive and the grid is most strained, the facilities draw from their batteries. With battery storage, these facilities can reduce electricity usage from the grid during peak energy hours, reducing costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Other projects co-funded by MCE and Marin Community Foundation include the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank’s San Rafael facility, Marin Community Clinics’ Novato campus, Bolinas Community Center, Sage Lane Affordable Senior Housing, Stinson Beach Firehouse Protection District, and Stinson Beach Community Center. These installations build on a growing network of resilience projects across MCE’s four-county service area that have added battery storage to support essential services.
