Planned power outages are generally minor inconveniences, but for Donna Bradley, they can be a matter of life or death.

The Anza Electric Cooperative member relies on in-home supplemental oxygen 24/7 via portable concentrators, meaning that even brief outages can spell trouble.

“I understand why they have the outages, but I dread them because they're always at night, and I need to change my portable tanks every 1 to 2 hours," says Bradley, who lives in the remote desert outside Palm Springs, California. “That means I don't get any sleep."

Anza members on critical medical equipment have been at an even greater risk in recent years. The 2018 Cranston wildfire caused little damage, but Anza's entire system lost power for 10 days, and the co-op has since added equipment upgrades related to wildfire mitigation to its docket of planned outages.

“We deal with fires every year, unfortunately," says Anza EC General Manager Kevin Short.

But thanks to a recent collaboration with Riverside County Supervisor Chuck Washington, these vulnerable residents can now have peace of mind. His office donated $75,000 to Anza EC to buy solar-powered generators for use during planned and unexpected outages. The co-op's directors kicked in another $25,000.

“We have a very good relationship with him," Short says. “We talked about the difficulties of members on life support equipment during long power outages. Out of the blue, his office contacted me and said they'd like to donate some money" for generators.

“Every level of physical and medical need concerns me. That's what the job is. It's first helping people survive and secondly helping them thrive," Washington says. “It was easy for us to say, 'Hey, we have money out of this pot of funds. Let's give it to Anza to help our residents in the Anza valley.'"

With $100,000 in hand, the co-op bought nine solar-powered generators, each equipped with a solar panel and connection cables. The portable units each include a 2,000-watt inverter battery.

“They're about the size of a medium ice chest and come with a nice display that tells them how many hours of capacity are left," says Betsy Hansen, the co-op's member services rep.

The co-op chose solar power because of low noise levels and duration. Batteries can hold a charge for 18 hours, Short says, or “indefinitely, depending on load and solar generation."

“We wanted something easy to transport and easy to set up that didn't require fuel and would recharge during the day. They're also stackable, so in the case of a dialysis machine, which is a bit of a heavier load than an oxygen concentrator, we can send out more if they need a larger machine."

And while the batteries can last round-the-clock, their energy supply is limited, the co-op warns, and is intended only for life-support machines.

“They can charge cellphones without too much problem, but they can't run refrigerators or anything else," Short says.

In past years, members contacted the co-op directly for assistance. But for the new program, which began in late spring, “we took the initiative and called the life support folks to see if there would be an interest," Hansen says. “And yes, there is, definitely."

Of the co-op's 4,974 members, Shirley Housley is among the 40 requiring life-support devices. She has required a 24/7 oxygen concentrator at home since 2023.

“It was like an angel had been sent to me," says Housley, a lifelong co-op member whose husband is in hospice care for cancer. “My sister lives with us and she's handicapped, and I use a walker also. It's a real blessing to know that at least I've got my oxygen."

For Bradley, the solar-powered generator lets her get a full night's sleep. “When you have to deal with all the little idiosyncrasies when you're on oxygen and something like this comes along, it's absolutely wonderful."

Meanwhile, the co-op is exploring funding options to buy additional generators.

“I really have to applaud our supervisor for thinking of this," Short says. “It's just a question of funding. As a cooperative, I believe that our primary obligation is the well-being of our members."