Title
Apply for Department of Energy Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant Funding Opportunity for Federal Fiscal Year 2024-25 - Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding (Ordinance S-50795)
Description
Request to retroactively authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to apply for, accept and, if awarded, enter into an agreement for disbursement of Federal funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the Federal Fiscal Year 2024-25 Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant (EECBG) grant opportunity. If awarded, the funding will be used for solar projects in libraries, parks and possibly other City facilities. Further request to authorize the City Treasurer to accept, and the City Controller to disburse, all funds related to this item. Funding for this grant opportunity is available through the Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The total grant funds applied for will not exceed $1,340,660, with no local match required.
Report
Summary
The EECBG funding is allocated by DOE based on population size and requires participating municipalities to apply the funds toward energy conservation and greenhouse gas reduction projects. The City of Phoenix allocation is $1,340,660, for which it is proposing to commit to the installation of solar covered parking projects. Rather than allocate all the funds to one solar project, staff are proposing to use the funds to "buy-down" the cost of parking lot solar shading at multiple libraries and parks through Solar Service Agreements whereby the vendor will be required to build, own, operate, and maintain the solar equipment throughout its life - while the City's contractual obligation will be to purchase the energy it produces throughout its life at an agreed to rate that is below or close to the current utility electricity rate. The Public Works Department will assist on this project by providing oversight of the vendor's connections to City infrastructure at the properties selected by the City project team.
As part of the EECBG program, the City may also be eligible to receive support from a DOE "energy fellow" who will assist with the implementation of the funded project(s) and assist with other energy efficiency projects for up to 18 months at no cost to the City. If the City is selected to receive assistance, the City may host the fellow for a period of time within City facilities, however the fellow will remain an employee of the U.S. DOE.
The EECBG grant submittal deadline was April 30, 2024.
Contract Term
The grants funds would be awarded in calendar year 2024 and disbursed in calendar years 2024 through 2026 as each specific project is installed.
Financial Impact
The EECBG award is $1,340,660. No matching funds are required. Departments will be reviewing solar covered parking proposals from vendors, approving specific projects, and negotiating with vendors on specific Solar Services Agreements to be agreed to at a later date.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Managers Mario Paniagua, John Chan and Inger Erickson, the Office of Sustainability, and the Parks and Recreation, Public Works and Library departments.