DATE: May 10, 2021
TO: Council Sustainability Committee
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT
Title
Solar and Storage for Critical Facilities
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
That the Council Sustainability Committee (CSC) reviews and comments on this report and provides direction to staff.
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SUMMARY
When East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) launched in 2018, the jurisdictions in Alameda County’s primary goals were to provide cleaner electricity at competitive rates and also to drive investment in renewable energy and improve resilience of local communities. In 2019, EBCE’s Local Development program began investing in customer side distributed energy resources initiatives including those that enhance community energy resilience. EBCE is now offering its Joint Power Authority (JPA) members, including the City of Hayward, the opportunity to participate in a new procurement program that aims to deploy solar and battery energy storage systems (Solar + Storage) at critical municipal facilities.
This procurement program includes an upfront assessment of municipal facilities by an independent engineer (hired by EBCE) to identify potential roof, structural or electrical capacity upgrades that might be required to install Solar + Storage systems. EBCE is reducing risks to all parties by hiring an independent engineer to complete an analysis for buildings currently in the Phase I portfolio and is offering to act as the counterparty to a power purchase agreement (PPA) which will bring down costs, streamline procurement, and reduce the amount of time required by City staff. Hayward would join three other member agencies in the first phase of EBCE’s procurement which will enable economies of scale. Participating in this opportunity would increase the potential for on-site solar generation, advance Hayward’s goal of building electrification, and ensure that more of Hayward’s critical facilities are prepared for PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff events, rolling blackouts and other potential power outages such as those caused by a major earthquake.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment I Staff Report