FROM:
Sean Youra, Climate Action Coordinator; Sean Condry, P.E., C.B.O., Public Works & Building Director
SUBJECT:
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Authorization to Sign an Agreement with Sage Energy Consulting and Request for Resilience Hub Consultant Funds
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RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
1. Authorize the Public Works Director to sign the Master Services Agreement and Task Orders with Sage Energy Consulting, Inc. (SAGE) for the interconnection application and feasibility study of the Municipal Resiliency Hub-Solar PV and Microgrid at Town Hall and the Library.
2. Approve the request for funding to cover SAGE’s consulting services.
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BACKGROUND
At its June 11, 2019, meeting, Town Council approved Resolution 4286 to adopt the San Anselmo Climate Action Plan 2030. The Climate Action Plan (CAP) includes several measures to both reduce GHG emissions and improve community resiliency, including:
• Measure R-4: Investigate and pursue innovative technologies such as microgrids, battery storage, and demand-response programs that will improve the electric grid’s resiliency and help to balance demand and renewable energy production.
• Measure R-5: Install solar energy systems at municipal buildings and facilities where feasible and investigate and pursue innovative technologies such as battery storage and demand response programs.
• Measure A-1: Develop local systems of food and energy production to enhance our town's resiliency and adaptation toward localized systems. Examples include microgrids for energy and regenerative agriculture practices on Town managed land, as well as promoting home gardens and water catchment systems.
San Anselmo’s Climate Action Commission (CAC) recently developed their 2022-23 priority project workplans, which include developing a design for the upgrade of Town Hall to serve as San Anselmo’s Community Resilience Hub with solar PV and battery energy storage for emergency situations.
Staff and CAC members subsequently held a meeting on August 1 with Sage Energy Consulting based in San Rafael to explore developing a Resilience Hub for Town Hall and possibly the library.
DISCUSSION
As defined by the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN), “Resilience Hubs are community-serving facilities augmented to support residents, coordinate communication, distribute resources, and reduce carbon pollution while enhancing quality of life.” An integral part of Resilience Hubs is providing resilient power, which is the ability to provide power to essential facilities and services during a power outage while simultaneously providing economic and environmental benefits by reducing energy bills, GHG emissions, and air pollution. Solutions to provide resilient power typically include multiple forms of power generation and energy storage, most commonly in the form of solar PV paired with battery energy storage. Further resiliency can be provided with microgrid controls that can keep critical infrastructure and electrical loads (e.g., refrigeration, air conditioning, lighting) operational during power outages by disconnecting from the main grid and utilizing renewables and energy storage to power these critical loads. In the face of worsening climate impacts including severe flooding, wildfires, and heatwaves that can also impact grid reliability, Resilience Hubs offer a critical adaptation solution to ensure communities can remain resilient before, during, and after these events.
SAGE has substantial expertise in the technical and financial aspects of installing solar PV, battery energy storage, and microgrids. They’ve worked on several renewable generation projects for public entities in the Bay Area, including the San Mateo Union High School District and Santa Clara County. This work has included performing solar analyses, feasibility studies, and financial and performance modeling; identifying and securing financing; developing and managing RFPs; and ongoing construction and asset management support for these projects.
SAGE can support the Town’s efforts to develop a Resilience Hub by first submitting an interconnection application to PG&E and conducting a feasibility study for installing solar with battery energy storage and microgrid controls on Town property to provide resiliency benefits to Town Hall and possibly the library. To submit the interconnection application, SAGE would create electrical and site drawings as part of the application packet. The estimated costs for each of these items are:
• Submittal of interconnection application: $4,500
• Conduct feasibility study: $18,700
Further details regarding the scope of work for each of these items can be found in the associated Tasks Orders (Attachments 2 and 3).
FISCAL IMPACT
The total estimated cost for the consulting services is $23,200. Funding will come from the General Fund. Some or all of these costs may be able to be reimbursed over time if a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is pursued for financing later phases of the project.
CEQA AND CLIMATE ACTION PLAN CONSISTENCY
The Council’s authorization to sign the agreement with SAGE and approval of the request for funding are not a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act, because it does not involve an activity which has the potential to cause a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. (Cal. Pub. Res. Code § 21065).
As discussed in the Background section, the CAP includes several measures related to the Resilience Hub project including Measures R-4: Innovative Technologies, R-5: Solar Energy Systems for Municipal Buildings, and A-1: Preparation and Response.
CONCLUSION
Staff respectfully requests that the Council authorize the Public Works Director to sign the agreement with SAGE and approve the request for consulting funds to initiate the Resilience Hub project.