Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians – 2022 Project

NOTE: Project pages are being updated regularly to reflect changes, if any; however, some of the information may be dated.

Project Description

Background

The Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians (Tribe) faces major energy disruptions and high costs due to being located in the heart of one of California’s most drought and fire affected areas. The Tribe has had to rely on backup generators to maintain critical loads during climate-related emergencies and utility-planned power shutoffs, often making the Coyote Valley Reservation the only location within the larger area with electricity during these events. The local community relies heavily on Tribal facilities as shelters during emergencies and power outages, and it is anticipated that these outages will persist as drought and fires in the area worsen.

In response to regional and local energy-related challenges, the Tribe embarked several years ago on its multi-year Reservation-wide Master Plan, which includes solar energy integration to reduce energy costs, increase energy resiliency, and decrease dependency on utility companies to power the Tribal Community. The facilities selected for this project consume the most energy at the highest cost out of all properties on the Reservation, collectively representing over 86% of total Tribal energy consumption. This project will move the Tribe closer to achieving their long-term energy goals.

Project Objectives

Goals of the Coyote Valley Community Solar Project include increasing community-wide energy resiliency and security, reducing and stabilizing energy costs, and aiding in the transition of high-energy-use facilities to clean energy. To achieve these goals, the Tribe will install a combined total of approximately 2.25 MW-DC of solar PV systems to offset grid-supplied electricity use at approximately eight metered facilities. This project will offset an estimated 96% of the combined annual power consumed by these facilities, translating to a projected year-one savings of over $406,000 and an estimated lifetime savings of more than $23,000,000.

Project Scope

The project consists of both roof-mounted PV arrays and steel carport canopy arrays. The rooftop arrays will be installed on the casino as well as the gymnasium, while the carport structures will be installed throughout the parking lots of the Reservation. Using an approved utility method of aggregation, there will be three interconnection points of the solar PV systems: the casino, hotel, and gymnasium.

All PV modules will be mounted and engineered for 125 miles per hour wind tolerance, 40 pounds snow load, and wet-stamped by an engineer. In addition, the Tribe will complete independent third-party inspections to verify installation.

Project Location

The Tribe’s Reservation is 120 miles north of San Francisco and 7 miles north of the town of Ukiah. The rural community of Redwood Valley is in the heart of California’s wine country, nestled among rolling hills of oak trees. The Mendocino Coast is a fifty-mile drive west, and the famous “Avenue of the Giants” Redwood National Forest is a two-hour drive north on Highway 101. Lake Mendocino is a five-mile drive south of the casino, and Clear Lake is a twenty-five-mile drive southeast of the casino on Highway 20.