Port of San Diego to Install a Solar-Powered Microgrid with $5 Million Grant from California Energy Commission

The Port of San Diego has secured a nearly $5 million grant for the installation of a renewable, solar-powered microgrid at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, one of the Port’s two marine cargo terminals. The Board of Port Commissioners authorized a grant funding agreement for the microgrid project with the California Energy Commission (CEC).

The grant agreement includes $4,985,272 from the CEC, $4,427,973 in matching funds from the Port, and an additional $201,963 in matching funds from the University of California San Diego, a partner with the Port on this project. The total cost of the project is anticipated to be approximately $9,600,000.

Solar photovoltaic panels will power the microgrid, which will also include battery energy storage, efficiency improvements, electrical infrastructure improvements, and a centralized microgrid controller. The microgrid will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, save the Port an estimated $168,000, or 60 percent, per year over current utility rates, and enable the operation of critical terminal infrastructure for approximately 12-hours without being connected to the larger electrical grid.

“This is an all-around great project for the community, for the businesses that operate on the terminal, and for the Port,” said Chairman Rafael Castellanos, Board of Port Commissioners. “It means cleaner air for our neighbors, will provide a reliable, safe and resilient power source for terminal and Port operations, and provides significant cost savings.”