PG&E Testing Islanding Capability at Humboldt Bay Generating Station this Weekend

Eureka, Ca. (KIEM) — PG&E is one step closer to being able to provide power to many county residents directly from the Humboldt Bay Generating Station.

We’re talking about what’s known as islanding, which would allow portions of the county to be separated from the larger grid and be powered exclusively by the HBGS. The first round of testing is taking place this Saturday. It will begin around 7 a-m and last until 3 p-m.

The utility company does not foresee any disruption in customer service, but it’s possible a short outage could occur in areas from eureka south to scotia. Protocols are in place to ensure if that does happen, power will be restored within an hour.

Once completed, islanding will be a big step for the North Coast and would keep power on in Humboldt County during PSPS events and winter storms. PG&E says that if no issues arise during the test, they are on track to confirm islanding capability for the county by the end of the month.