Printer-friendly version
Initiative would serve as a model for community-led energy resilience, delivering more reliable power and improved energy security for Borrego’s most vulnerable residents and businesses
File photo, left: Sunbeams over Anza-Borrego Desert near Borrego Springs
By Gabriela Dow
May 16, 2025 (Borrego Springs) -- The Borrego Springs Microgrid Collaborative (BSMC) has submitted a grant application for funding through San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) under the California Microgrid Incentive Program (MIP). California Senate Bill 1339, enacted 2018, directed the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to develop microgrid policies, leading to the MIP.
This funding opportunity is a critical step in advancing a community microgrid that enhances energy reliability, resilience, and sustainability for Borrego Springs – a community of just over 3,000 residents in San Diego County, surrounded by Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
The MIP was established to improve electricity reliability, increase resilience in high-risk communities, and promote clean energy technologies. This milestone marks an important step toward a more sustainable and reliable energy future for the Borrego Springs community.
With Borrego Springs facing extreme heat conditions, and summer temperatures often exceeding 110°F, this new project would supplement existing infrastructure in the area to enhance reliability and resiliency.
Photo, right, by Bob Kurschner: Wildflowers in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, voted best California state park for wildflower viewing in a 2025 poll by California State Parks Foundation
Submitted on February 21, the BSMC grant application details plans for a community-based microgrid designed to strengthen energy reliability in Borrego Springs.
As a remote desert town, “Borrego” is uniquely vulnerable to power disruptions due to geographic isolation and reliance on a single transmission line. The proposed system will integrate renewable energy sources, non-lithium long duration energy storage, and islanding capabilities to provide consistent, reliable power to critical infrastructure and at-risk residents.
About the Borrego Springs Microgrid Collaborative (BSMC)
Photo, right, by Miriam Raftery: Golfer at the prestigious Rams Hill Golf Club
The BSMC is a partnership between the Borrego Springs Community Resource Center and T2 Borrego, LLC (also known as 
Rams Hill Golf Club), the project’s sponsoring applicant. Funded by T2 Borrego, LLC, the initiative is led by a Steering Committee of community stakeholders, including:
- Bill Berkley – Borrego Community Sponsor Group
- Dale Jones – American Legion Post 853
- Jim Wermers – Borrego Community Resource Center
- Martha Deichler – Borrego Community Resource Center; BSUSD Board of Trustees (2025)
- Rodney Bruce – Rams Hill Golf Club
“This microgrid represents a major step toward energy security for Borrego Springs, and I’m incredibly grateful to my fellow steering committee members for their time, commitment, and belief in what this could mean for our community,” said Rodney Bruce, Steering Committee Chair, Borrego Springs Microgrid Collaborative. “I also want to recognize the dedicated work of our Community Engagement and Outreach Committee, whose efforts ensured that the voices and needs of our most vulnerable neighbors were front and center throughout this process.”
Community Engagement and Outreach - A dedicated Community Outreach Committee played a key role in the application process, identifying and documenting eligible commercial and residential customers. Their work—through neighborhood 
canvassing, surveys, and data collection—ensured the project prioritized those most vulnerable to power disruptions. Committee members include:
- Bruce Kelley – Borrego Springs Rotary Club
- Diane Johnson – Borrego Minister Association, Borrego Water District
- Martha Deichler – Borrego Community Resource Center; BSUSD Board of Trustees (2025)
- Rodney Bruce – Rams Hill Golf Club
File photo, right: Desert solar panel array
Key Benefits of the Borrego Springs Community Microgrid - The proposed Borrego Springs Community Microgrid is designed to enhance energy resilience, integrate clean energy, and provide reliable power for residents most vulnerable to outages.
- Reliable Power During Outages – The microgrid will combine solar energy, non-lithium long duration energy storage, and smart energy management to ensure seamless transitions between grid-connected and islanded operations, keeping essential services running.
- Emergency Backup for Critical Facilities – The system will power Borrego Springs Elementary School, the local medical clinic, emergency shelters, and cooling zones, ensuring these sites remain operational during power disruptions.
- Energy Security for At-Risk Residents – Approximately 60 households, including families with limited financial resources, medically vulnerable individuals, and those in remote areas prone to frequent outages, will benefit from a dependable and sustainable power source.
Photo, right, by Miriam Raftery: La Casa Del Zorro Resort in Borrego Springs after dark
By integrating clean energy solutions and community-driven resilience strategies, the Borrego Springs Community Microgrid will provide a reliable safety net for the town's most at-risk residents, supporting a stronger, more sustainable future; providing energy security for the community’s essential assets.
Funding and Next Steps - Estimated total project cost is approximately $21 million and BSMC has requested $14 million in MIP funding, supplemented by additional contributions from private impact investment funds. SDG&E’s review and final funding decision is pending. If awarded, this project will serve as a model for community-led energy resilience, aligning with California’s clean energy and climate resilience goals.
Photo, 
right: Borrego Springs, CA, view south of downtown Borrego. Creative Commons Photo Credit: Bob Perry
Photo, left by Mitchell Wagner: Rainbows over Borrego Springs
Recent comments