Morgan Hill celebrated the completion of a new solar-powered, all-electric fire station this weekend, helping expand fire service to the growing community.

“We are exceptionally pleased to open a state-of-the-art facility that relies on solar panels and all-electric power,” said Morgan Hill Fire Chief Marcus Hernandez in a statement. “We are ready for whatever is needed to keep Morgan Hill prepared and safe.”

The all-electric facility will operate using solar energy and battery storage, allowing the solar energy to be stored in a “microgrid” on batteries at the station. This will allow the station to continue operating and providing service to the community in the event of a power outage. The system should allow the station to sustain for over 30 hours on backup power, or indefinitely during normal weather conditions, according to Silicon Valley Clean Energy, which provided a $500,000 grant to aid in the electrification.

“We’re grateful for the partnerships like the one with Silicon Valley Clean Energy, whose $500,000 grant helped make this sustainable design a reality,” said Morgan Hill Mayor Mark Turner over text message.

The station also features zero-emission equipment like induction stoves and heat pumps, which avoid emissions from appliances that might otherwise be powered by natural gas. “Firefighters provide a critical service to our community, and we are proud to be a part of providing them a safe, clean air facility,” said Monica Padilla, CEO of Silicon Valley Clean Energy. “We look forward to how this station will not only improve the City’s ability to respond to emergencies but also transform resiliency in the face of them.”

The project cost approximately $9 million overall to construct, according to city staff, broke ground in October 2023, and construction began in March 2024.

The fire station comes at a time when the city is in the midst of navigating the county’s transition to a different fire service model while maintaining its own services with Cal Fire. Additionally, the city is seeing increasing demand for fire service, with call volume increasing 6% from 2023 to 2024, according to Hernandez.

“This station is going to be vital in increasing our capacity to serve this city and keep providing that top tier service,” he said.

Turner also noted that the station was located in a growing area of the expanding city. “The location of the Butterfield Fire Station will improve our response times to the growing Butterfield corridor and eastern parts of our city,” said Turner.

While the station is not yet staffed, city officials say that once open, the station will be open around the clock and throughout the year. Though there is not an official opening date, the city expects the station to be operational this summer.