For the last couple of years, the team laboring on an ambitious energy plan for Wallowa County has been working without much public attention.

That changed in the past week, as the plan came up for approval by the Wallowa County Board of Commissioners. At the board’s meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 18, when it was scheduled to sign off on the plan, 20 or so people packed the Thornton Conference Room at the county courthouse, and another 10 watched online. That’s a big turnout for a commission meeting that doesn’t include Greater Idaho on the agenda.

In general, people at the meeting weren’t necessarily opposed to the Wallowa County Community Energy Strategic Plan. But they wanted to know more about it — and they wanted a chance to comment on it.

Although we might suggest a subscription to the Chieftain, which has covered the plan extensively over the last month, those are still fair points. The commissioners agreed to delay approving the plan, instituted a 30-day comment period, and have scheduled a community forum on the plan for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8 at Cloverleaf Hall, 600 NW First St. in Enterprise.

Joe Basile of Wallowa Resources, who’s been spearheading work on the plan, was agreeable to the delay.

And he should be: Our sense is that the more people learn about the plan, the more they’re likely to support it. (You can read the plan on the Chieftain’s website, wallowa.com; search for “County Energy Plan,” click on the image that shows the cover of the plan and then click on the button that says “Download PDF.” Or you can find a copy of the plan on the Wallowa Resources’ website.

In Wallowa County, which sits at the end of the line in terms of energy, the need for this plan is obvious: Rural communities often face a lack of energy access, high energy prices and can be subject to prolonged outages.

But the county’s relative isolation also means that, at least to some extent, it can take matters into its own hands — and that’s the idea at the heart of the plan.

The leadership team creating the plan identified 34 recommended actions, and selected seven of those to take precedence for implementation. The proposal to move forward with a so-called “Microgrid Resiliency Corridor Project” has, justifiably, caught much of the attention thus far: The notion of “microgrids” around the cities of Wallowa, Joseph and Enterprise, all fueled by renewable sources, is promising.

But some of the remaining six actions could lead to quick victories, such as the idea of creating a countywide weatherization team that will go to households to help them conserve energy. Another idea calls for installation of solar-powered crosswalk signals and streetlights. And another idea listed among the first seven — to help irrigators understand the benefits of modernized systems — could not just save water but could also create opportunities for additional sources of hydropower.

As some observers have noted, the plan in spots is a little shy on details — but, to be fair, that’s to be expected at this point. And the question of funding hangs over all of these recommendations — but having an approved plan is an essential first step in lining up grants.

Some of the comments last week suggested that the plan is somehow part of a government conspiracy. We were happy to see Commissioner Susan Roberts squash that baseless talk.

“Wouldn’t you rather have the county take care of itself than count on the federal or state government?” she asked. “That’s what we’re talking about, not having to depend on the outside world.”

As more residents become more familiar with the plan, they’ll come around to Roberts’ point of view: This is about Wallowa County taking control of its energy future. It’s a bold goal, to be sure, but one that’s well worth pursuing.