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Arson attacks paralyze French high-speed rail network hours before start of Olympics, the Obamas endorse Harris for President; A NY county creates facial recognition, privacy protections; Art breathes new life into pollution-ravaged MI community; 34 Years of the ADA.

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Harris meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu and calls for a ceasefire. MI Rep. Rashida Tlaib faces backlash for a protest during Netanyahu's speech. And VA Sen. Mark Warner advocates for student debt relief.

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There's a gap between how rural and urban folks feel about the economy, Colorado's 'Rural is Rad' aims to connect outdoor businesses, more than a dozen of Maine's infrastructure sites face repeated flooding, and chocolate chip cookies rock August.

Medical center installs microgrid to safeguard clinic power supply

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Thursday, May 23, 2024   

Alliance Medical Center in Healdsburg just switched on new solar panels and battery backup as part of a plan to make the clinic more resilient to power outages in a region prone to deadly blazes.

The $495,000 system comes thanks to a grant from the nonprofit Direct Relief.

Sue Labbe, CEO of Alliance Medical Center in Healdsburg, said it will keep the lights on if the local power company cuts electricity when high winds raise the risk of wildfire.

"We have to come to a screeching halt, try and figure out alternative plans to transfer patients to other locations, or postpone care to another day," Labbe explained. "Which really is difficult when we serve a population of patients that are very vulnerable and don't always have their own transportation."

The clinic in Sonoma County has had to evacuate twice in the past several years due to wildfire. Direct Relief has completed five similar microgrids at clinics in Laguna Beach, Los Molinos, Magalia, Mendocino and Ventura, and 16 other sites around the nation. More are underway.

The system can power the Healdsburg clinic's first floor for 15 hours. Labbe pointed out it means the pharmacy will not have to close during an outage.

"When we lose power, we can't distribute medications," Labbe noted. "For some of our patients that are uninsured, that's the only place they can get medication. It also allows us to maintain the integrity of our medication stored on-site, as well as our vaccines. In the 2017 Tubbs fire, we lost over $30,000 worth of vaccines."

The system also cycles on solar and battery backup power during peak hours, which she said saves on energy costs and reduces the building's carbon footprint.

Disclosure: Direct Relief contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Environment, and Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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