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NAPA VALLEY COUNTYWIDE TRANSPORTATION PLAN MAY 2021
RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES AND OPERATING DURING POWER OUTAGES Another way that NVTA will work towards being more sustainable will be to retrofit their new maintenance facility with solar panels. The solar panel system has been engineered to meet the needs of the maintenance facility and office, but will not have the capacity to also charge NVTA’s vehicles due to insufficient space for battery storage. To address this issue, an additional battery storage site will be needed to help NVTA generate solar power and store it off the grid for when it is needed to charge its electric vehicles. Since the design of the facility was completed in 2019, NVTA was able to acquire an adjacent parcel to the maintenance facility site on Sheehy Court. This adjacent facility ,which is included for funding consideration in this plan, will be developed to accommodate additional parking and to build a facility that can accommodate battery storage.
Constructing a battery storage facility will not only reduce fueling costs further, but it will also provide battery backup power for NVTA vehicles during power outages. As a result of the 2019 fire season, Pacific Gas & Electric implemented a Public Safety Power Shutoff procedures, making potential power outages more likely. Power consistency is a necessary element for the success of the battery electric bus fuel transition. Even during power outages, NVTA riders depend on the bus service to access lifeline services, such as food, healthcare, employment, and education. The battery storage facility is also a necessary resource during emergencies since Vine Transit is a first responder and can be called to evacuate Napa County residents. Without a battery backup facility, NVTA will not be able to provide this vital emergency response.
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NVTA WILL BUILD A NEW $32 MILLION MAINTENANCE AND ADMINISTRATION FACILITY AT SHEEHY COURT IN NAPA, CA TO ADDRESS THE GROWING NEEDS OF THE TRANSIT OPERATIONS. THE PROJECT WILL ALLOW NVTA TO MAINTAIN AND EXPAND TRANSIT SERVICE FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS.
