California\u2019s annual fire season represents a risk of power outages for residents throughout the state. MCE is working to alleviate the strain of these outages by offering energy resilience solutions to those most impacted in Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, and Solano Counties. In 2020, MCE made a first-time-ever offer: portable batteries to 100 customers who depend on electricity for their medical and transportation devices. The batteries, manufactured by Goal Zero, hold 3 kilowatt-hours of reserve power. MCE is providing portable batteries again this year to 100 more low-income customers in high-outage areas for backup power during future outages.<\/p>\n
The battery recipients require electric life-support medical equipment, such as refrigeration for storing medications, ventilators for respiratory support, and mobility aids like electric scooters or wheelchairs. When power outages occur, they are typically asked to relocate to a community resiliency center for shorter outages or to a hotel if the outage is expected to last multiple days. The cost of lodging and the difficulty of traveling is burdensome. Moreover, the increased risk of COVID-19, especially for those with medical needs, creates additional concerns.<\/p>\n
Affected customers may seek solutions to keep their electricity on, including the traditional backup power options of gas- or diesel-powered generators. However, fossil-fuel generators increase air pollution, can be extremely noisy, require customers to store liquid fuel in their homes, and may be difficult to access, start, or transport during an outage.<\/p>\n
The portable batteries help address some of these issues by allowing customers to keep their medical devices powered with a clean, quiet, pollution-free technology, so that they can remain at home during shorter outages.<\/p>\n