". . . carefully designed using modern battery technology, national safety standards, and coordination with local emergency responders to ensure the system can safely deliver reliable backup power for the community."

San Miguel Power Association (SMPA) provided Rico Ore Cart the executive summary section of detailed information to submitted to the Rico Fire Protection District (RFPD). SMPA will review the full report at a future meeting with RFPD.

SMPA consultant Power Systems Engineering prepared the executive summary and full report.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

San Miguel Power Association is proposing the Rico Community microgrid to improve electric service reliability and community resilience for the town of Rico. The town is currently served by a single distribution feeder vulnerable to prolonged outages which can temporarily isolate the community. To address this risk, SMPA plans to install a 1 megaWatt/4 megaWatt-hour battery energy storage system, allowing Rico to operate as a temporary microgrid during outages and maintain power for the community while utility crews respond and restore the primary feeder.

For firefighters and community stakeholders seeking a high-level overview, the proposed project can be summarized as follows:

Community resilience The Rico microgrid will provide more than four hours of backup electricity for the town during major outages, allowing critical services and daily activities to continue while line crews restore power.

Industry-leading safety technology The project uses a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Tesla Megapack, a battery chemistry widely recognized for its strong safety record and stability. The system includes multiple integrated safety systems such as battery monitoring, thermal management, gas detection, overpressure venting, and automatic shutdown protections.

Compliance with national safety standards The system is UL9540 certified and tested under UL9540A thermal runaway propogation testing, and the project will comply with applicable codes including NFPA 855 and the International Fire Code, and National Electrical Code. These standards require measures such as fire detection, spacing, emergency response planning, and containment of potential fire events.

Local planning and permitting compliance The installation will be built in accordance with Town of Rico planning and permitting requirements, including the conditions established under the approved Special Use Permit.

Partnership with the Rico Fire Protection District SMPA is committed to implementing the project in close coordination with the Rico Fire Protection District RFPD. This includes providing project documentation, emergency response planning, and hands-on training for first responders prior to commissioning, along with periodic refresher training to ensure responders remain familiar with the system operation and safety procedures.

The remainder of this report provides additional details on battery technology, system safety features, relevant codes and standards, environmental considerations and operational procedures, While these sections provide deeper technical information, the key takeaway is that the Rico Community microgrid has been carefully designed using modern battery technology, national safety standards, and coordination with local emergency responders to ensure the system can safely deliver reliable backup power for the community.

"Power Hour" evening public presentation April 1

SMPA, EcoAction Partners, and community stakeholders will discuss the battery microgrid backup project and how this project could support the Rico community by improving energy resilience during outages.

Date and location
April 1, 2026 - Wednesday
6:00 - 7:30 PM at Fireweed

Topics

• microgrid explained
• community benefits
• project details - system hardware, location, and current planning status.

Free food and drinks will be provided.

. . .

more Info
At the top of this page, below title and adjacent to date, select "Microgrid" to open a list of reports that include this topic.

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