Sustainable Idaho is a collaboration between the Portneuf Resource Council and the ISU Sustainability Club.
On today’s episode we continue the discussion about the Nez Perce’s project to replace the generating capacity of the lower snake river dams called project 5311. As we learned last week, the replacement of the energy produced by the lower snake river dams will lead to many benefits which include improved salmon runs, improved ecosystems, and much more . In this second part of my interview with the executive director of the Nez Perce Tribe, Shannon Wheeler, and the interim executive director Jesse Leighton we discuss the main power source to replace the generating capacity of the lower snake river dams, virtual power plants, and more.
With solar panels being the main power source to replace the generating capacity of the lower snake river dams where will they be placed?
Our initial plan, step number one, is to just solarize all of our own facilities with rooftop systems. So we're a large government organization. So the consumption of energy that we take is large, but we're not using up any land for that. But we are looking at a couple of different locations for larger solar array.
Uh, we haven't nailed down anything specific.
It makes sense to place the solar panels on the rooftops because it doesn't require any additional land.
I understand that the Tesla Megapack is going to be powering the tribe's grid. What is it and how will it be used?
The megapack that we have at our wastewater treatment facility is being filled by solar power.
We also have a fossil fuel generator that's there, and so each of the facilities there, plus ground mounts, power the megapack. And so we have that resiliency to be able to continue to power our wastewater treatment facility as they are last in line for power. So it was a high important project, and that's where we needed to start with.
So the Nez Perce Tribe has a ground mounted solar array that charges several Tesla power mega packs. This in addition to a fossil fuel generator provide electricity to the waste water treatment facility.
We do have some other Tesla batteries located at our community center, which has another small microgrid there, but right now our two microgrid systems are sort of isolated, self contained systems. We're working with our local utility on some other projects, which we'll be adding storage to more of our solar projects that we put together.
According to Tesla a mega pack is a powerful battery that provides energy storage and support, helping to stabilize the grid and prevent outages this in turn helps create a cleaner grid that protects our communities and the environment.It sounds like the Tesla MegaPak is very convenient, and hopefully more Tesla MegaPaks can be placed in the future.
How will the development of the federal program Solar for All help Project 5311?
I think overall, any of the federal programs that are supportive of climate actions are beneficial. I mean, when you can get the federal agencies and federal regulation to assist, whether it's technical, financial, any type of assistance that you can get to move these projects along and to help tribes that are basically coming in at this time, because of the need for change, addressing climate change, and so I think the federal government has heard that message and understands that message at the traditional ecological knowledge and understanding that things are changing on the ground and tribes want to be a part of the solution.
Federal government, if they take actions and these federal agencies that want to be a part of that and assist and consult with the tribes and hear what the tribes need. Then those are partnerships that have been for hundreds of years now.
With the government wanting to hear what the Nez Perce tribe has to say is very important because the river systems and fish here in the northwest mean a lot to both the Nez Perce’s culture and history
In a recent article in High Country News, they state that the Washington State Legislature matched $600, 000 to study the best way to replace the services provided by the dams. How is this going to affect the project?
I think it'll assist in understanding the complexity of the grid and the complexity of the infrastructure. Marketing that happens with the power coming from the hydro system, it gives a better understanding that with new systems coming in with new technologies coming in and projections that the energy needs of the future, whether they're 2050 needs or the closer needs of the fish time.
So there's what we call a fish clock that has. a time frame on it that things need to change within the lower Snake River dams in order to efficiently meet the needs of those fish and those that are at this quasi extinction threshold
According to NOAA The current time frame for this clock is two fish generations, which is four to ten years.
But the 2050 needs for expansion of corporations, of data centers, of population, those are needs that I think technology can tackle after they initially tackle the needs of the fish, the environmental damages that have been done with the inception of the Lower Snake River dams and the Columbia River system of operations.
I think those needs Definitely, they're separate, and I think the analysis that the state of Washington is doing will help assist in knowing that we can do this in this amount of time, but we can also meet those needs for the 2050 larger picture for the Pacific Northwest.
When Shannon previously mentioned the needs for 2050 he is talking about the Pacific Northwests energy needs in 2050.
It sounds like the research that the state of Washington is doing is going to be very beneficial in understanding where things are currently and where things need to change.
With the Nez Perce Tribe's goal being to make 10 percent of the energy for Project 5311, what is the current progress on this goal?
Right now we have about one megawatt in place, and we have plans to put two more hopefully by the end of 2025. And we have a five year plan to get to that 531 megawatts. So the bulk of it's going to be hit by one of our larger solar arrays.
Everything we're doing on our rooftops only gets us there partially. But we still have planned to make that our priority number one is to become independent here on the reservation. So we know it's a long term plan.
If I could add to that, removing as many electrons from the grid as possible in a form of conservation and an action that is easily doable by any facility that has a rooftop. And I think, you know, the technology is already there, the battery storage is there. We just need to get these things in place. And so taking that. First and foremost is the easiest path for reaching the numbers that need to be met.
But collectively as a country, as a region, as a community, we need to be able to do these things together. And I think that's really what we're asking in Project 5311 is let's do this together. I mean, we're all a part of the same community, the same region and the same country. So let's work on this together.
And I think we're in a good position right now. And one megawatt doesn't sound like a lot, but when you come and look at all the rooftops that have solar on them and a potential across the region that could be doing the same, then we're going in a good direction.
It sounds like the most efficient way to obtain 10 percent of the energy for project 5 through 11 is by coming together and working with one another to achieve this goal.
Would you please explain what a virtual power plant is?
Virtual power plant is taking all distributed energy and aggregating it to one energy source so that it could be used for distribution. And that's kind of our vision for what we see, taking that concept and applying it to reservations throughout the U.S. All of our tribes can generate large energy sources on the reservations, and at some point we connect those through this virtual power plant technology and become a larger cooperative utility company. And then look at becoming a utility to produce energy for those outside the reservation.
A virtual power plant sounds very useful and beneficial for all the tribes across the United States.
With Project 5311 being a large project with many components, how far along is Nimiipuu Energy in the process of making this a reality?
We're still in the very early stages, but no telling how quickly it'll creep up on us. Cause technology itself is moving at such a fast pace. I feel like it's doable with, you know, it could be as early as five years, might be longer.
It's just hard to say, but we're pushing as fast as we can because like Shannon mentioned, our salmon runs don't have time to wait.
Its nice to know that the project is moving at a good pace and might be done sooner than expected
Thank you Jesse Leighton and Shannon Wheeler for discussing project 5311 and the possible future of energy. We hope you enjoyed this two part series about the Nez Perce Tribe, their relationship with the Salmon in Idaho and their plans to replace the generating capacity of the lower snake river dams .
Funding for our Sustainable Idaho Student Hosts is provided in part by this radio station, the ISU Office for Research, and the Center for Ecological Research and Education through the ISU Career Path Internship Program. Direction, funding, and additional support is provided by the Portneuf Resource Council.
