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The City of Penticton is proposing an electrical microgrid to enhance power resiliency for critical infrastructure, set to be presented at the February 3 council meeting. The microgrid will include a battery storage system, solar panels for an estimated 691 kW output, and microclosers for electricity flow management, with an annual generation of 700 MWh and a 10 MWh battery capacity.

Penticton faces a peak demand of approximately 80 MW in extreme weather and an annual usage of over 346,000 MWh projected for 2024. The project, dependent on $5.6 million in external funding, aims to provide power to the Penticton Regional Hospital and wastewater treatment plant during outages.

Similar projects, such as Summerland’s solar initiative, have informed Penticton's plans. The proposal could lead to cost savings offsetting installation expenses within 11 years.