Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, May 02, 2023
Consent
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER SERVING AS THE COMMUNITY SPONSOR FOR THE PROLOGIS CARSON COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECT AT UP TO TWO SITES IN THE CITY IN CONNECTION WITH PROLOGIS’S SUBMISSION IN THE CLEAN POWER ALLIANCE'S 2022 POWER SHARE REQUEST FOR OFFERS
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I. SUMMARY
The Clean Power Alliance (CPA) is working with communities and energy developers to build local, small-scale solar projects that will provide clean power to underserved communities through their 2022 Power Share Request for Offers (RFO).
Prologis is considering submitting applications for two sites in the City of Carson and is requesting the City serve as the Community Sponsor.
To participate in the Power Share program, solar developers must partner with local nonprofit Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) or local government entities who will sponsor projects on behalf of residents.
Community Sponsors play a critical role in educating the community about the environmental and financial benefits of the program. The Community Sponsor can utilize up to 25% of the power from the project and would receive a 20% discount on its electric bill, while providing an important service to residents.
Fact sheets about the program, how it works, the role of the solar developer and site host, the role of the community sponsor, benefits to the community, benefits to the sponsors, benefits to the customer, customer eligibility, and how customers can sign up are detailed in Exhibit nos. 1 and 2.
Applications are due on June 1, 2023, and bidders will be notified of shortlist status in August 2022.
A presentation about the CPA’s Power Share programs was presented to the City’s Environmental Commission on April 5, 2023, and the Commission unanimously recommended that the City Council approve participation in the program.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. AUTHORIZE the City Manager to sign Letter(s) of Commitment to serve as the community sponsor for the Prologis Carson Community Solar project at one or more of the following locations:
i. 20500 Fordyce Avenue, Carson, CA 90810
ii. 2201 E Dominguez Street, Carson, CA 90810
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III. ALTERNATIVES
TAKE another action the City Council deems appropriate, consistent with the requirements of the law.
IV. BACKGROUND
On June 21, 2018, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved (“D.”)18-06-027 Alternate Decision Adopting Alternatives to Promote Solar Distributed Generation in Disadvantaged Communities adopting two new programs to promote the installation of renewable generation among residential customers in disadvantaged communities (DACs) - the Power Share DAC Green Tariff (DAC-GT) and Community Solar Green Tariff (CSGT) programs.
The CPUC allocated 3.13 megawatts (MW) of solar generation for CPA customers under the CSGT program. This is the second round of the program and CPA is now soliciting offers for renewable energy to fill its remaining eligible program capacity of 2.7 MW.
This program allows developers to build small-scale solar facilities within these under-resourced communities that may not otherwise have access to clean power, making clean power accessible to everyone. Eligible residents within a Disadvantaged Community in CPA service territory will have access to 100% clean energy and 20% discounts off their electricity bill.
Solar developers that participate in the program will manage all technical aspects related to solar installations. They oversee permitting, negotiate equipment purchases, and develop projects to start generating electricity. Developers must install a project in a DAC in Southern California Edison territory within 5 miles of CPA customers living in the DAC. Developers work with sites to find an optimal solution to producing electricity for each site and for the community. In this case, the developer, Prologis, is also the site host.
Prologis is considering submitting offers for two sites in the City of Carson that are located at:
iii. 20500 Fordyce Avenue, Carson, CA 90810 - 1.44 MW
iv. 2201 E Dominguez Street, Carson, CA 90810 - 1.32 MW
If one or more Prologis Carson Community Solar offers are selected to advance and ultimately approved by the CPA Board of Directors and the CPUC, the City’s role as the community sponsor will be to help spread the word to qualified community residents. CPA has created resources for Community Sponsors to utilize to help customers sign up, including:
• Sample Emails to Customers
• Newsletter/Email content
• Social Media posts & Website Content
• Digital Banners/Graphics
• Postcards
• Program Resources translated in Spanish & Mandarin
CPA will provide an enrollment guide that includes detailed step-by-step instructions to assist Community Sponsors with sign-ups, and CPA staff will be available to support enrollment activities.
Eligible customers must be served by CPA and reside within a DAC area. They must also be eligible for either the CARE or FERA low-income programs. If a customer does not wish to sign up for CARE or FERA discounts, they can still apply for Power Share.
Customers who sign up for the program receive 100% clean energy, combined with a 20% discount on their bill every month. In addition to contributing positively to the environment, they will also receive a financial benefit.
Customers are able to check eligibility and enroll in the program on a first-come, first-served basis using one of the following methods:
• Visit CPA’s website: cleanpoweralliance.org/power-share/
• Call CPA Customer Service at 888-585-3788
• Email CPA at customerservice@cleanpoweralliance.org for assistance
Staff is in support of local clean energy projects and if both rooftop solar projects are selected to move forward, they will provide 100% renewable energy and 20% bill discounts to approximately 1,150 low-income CPA customers. In addition, the project will be built using a Project Labor Agreement, bringing workforce development benefits to the community.
V. FISCAL IMPACT
There is no cost to participate in the program and the City should expect to see savings on its electricity bills. The City already shares information with the community about CPA programs on social media and in the Carson Report. The additional cost, if any, associated with the role of the Community Sponsor would be negligible.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. CPA Fact Sheet for Local Governments (pgs.5-6 )
2. CPA Fact Sheet for Community Sponsors (pgs.7-9 )
3. Community Sponsor Letter of Commitment for Prologis Community Solar
Project in Carson at 20500 Fordyce Avenue, Carson, CA 90810 (pgs.10-11)
4. Community Sponsor Letter of Commitment for Prologis Community Solar
Project in Carson at 2201 E Dominguez Street, Carson, CA 90810 (pgs.12-13 )
Prepared by: Reata Kulcsar, Innovation and Sustainability Manager