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CITY COUNCIL
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Carlsbad Ccarlsbad
Municipal Water District
Memo ID# 2025074
Council/CMWD Board Memorandum
December 18, 2025
To:
From:
Via:
Re:
Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council Carlsbad Municipal Water District Board of Directors
Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works (\ ~ (,' / Sheila Cobian, Assistant City Manager/Assistant Executive Manager ~ Solar Energy Production Projects at City-Owned Facilities (Districts -All) This memorandum provides information on solar energy production projects at city-owned facilities.
Background
On September 30, 2025, the Carlsbad Municipal Water District (CMWD) Board of Directors adopted Resolution No. 1786, rejecting all proposals for the Maerkle Reservoir Site Solar Feasibility Study. The CMWD Board directed the Executive Manager to look at other city-owned sites for potential solar project opportunities.
As a matter of practice, city staff look for solar project opportunities in keeping with implementation of the Climate Action Plan (CAP). The city currently has solar photovoltaic (PV) renewable energy generating systems at four facilities and a solar PV parking lot system at another facility. A Capital Improvement Program {CIP) construction project that is currently in progress will add a solar PV system to another city facility. Two other CIP projects in the design and planning phases will add solar PV systems to another existing facility and a new facility that will replace existing facilities. There is also an energy storage project awaiting funding in fiscal year 2026-27.
Discussion
CAP Update
As part of the CAP update approved by the City Council on November 12, 2024, Measure E-3.1 described the city's reach code that focused on requiring solar PV and other energy-efficiency measures for new and existing non-residential buildings. The core of the reach code is to help the city reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from nonresidential buildings, while helping businesses improve energy efficiency and reduce long-term energy costs. Measure E-3.1 aims to continue the implementation and enforcement of this reach code for non-residential buildings, so long as updates to the California Green Building Code do not supersede its requirements.
Public Works Branch
Fleet & Facilities Department
1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-2943 t
Council/CMWD Board Memo -Solar Energy Production Projects at City Facilities (Districts -All) December 18, 2025
Two supportive implementation actions are:
Action E-3.1.b: Analyze feasibility of eligible sites for renewable energy infrastructure across all city facilities, leveraging any pre-existing analyses that are applicable.
Action E-3.1.c: Seek grant funding for installation of renewable energy infrastructure at existing and new city facilities (e.g., solar, battery storage, microgrids).
Existing solar PV
The city has rooftop solar PV renewable energy generating systems at the following locations:
Safety Training Center, Police & Fire Headquarters, Pine Avenue Community Center, and Fire Station 2. The city also has a solar PV parking lot canopy system at Alga Norte Community Park.
Project under construction that includes solar PV
The Monroe Street Pool Replacement Project, Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Project No. 4724, is under construction and, when completed, it will include a solar PV system.
Target construction completion date is late summer 2026.
Projects in design or planning phases that include solar PV Staff are currently developing two CIP projects that will include rooftop solar PV systems:
1. Fleet Maintenance Facility Refurbishment -CIP Project No. 4714 Staff have developed permit-ready design plans that include a new rooftop solar PV system. This project is anticipated to start construction in late summer 2026.
2. Orion Center (Public Works and Parks Maintenance Facility) -CIP Project No. 3572 Staff are developing design plans that include a new rooftop solar PV system for the Orion Center administrative building. Staff anticipate submitting permit applications for construction of the project in 2026 and beginning construction in 2027.
Future scoping of project for energy storage
The scoping phase of the Orion Complex Energy Storage Project, CIP Project No. 2310, is anticipated to begin in 2027 because project funding is projected for fiscal year 2026-27. This project will look at the feasibility of alternative energy generation and storage, such as a "microgrid," to support the city facilities on Orion Way. A microgrid is a localized energy system with its own generation (such as solar, batteries or generators) and loads, acting as a single controllable unit that can connect to the main grid or disconnect to run independently (island mode). Microgrids provide resilience, reliability and efficiency for areas like campuses, neighborhoods or businesses by ensuring power during outages and balancing local supply/demand.
Council/CMWD Board Memo -Solar Energy Production Projects at City Facilities (Districts -All) December 18, 2025
Next Steps
In January 2026, staff will publish a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to solicit proposals from qualified consulting firms to prepare a feasibility study, including an economic analysis, for installing solar PV installations at various city-owned facilities.
Upon award of the agreement, staff will work with the consultant to determine the timeline to complete the feasibility study. Staff will present the results of the feasibility study to the City Council upon completion.
cc: Geoff Patnoe, City Manager/Executive Manager
Cindie McMahon, City Attorney/General Counsel
Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services
Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services Tim Lyons, Assistant City Attorney/ Assistant General Counsel Amanda Flesse, Utilities Director/CMWD General Manager
Kyle Lancaster, Parks & Recreation Director
Jeff Murphy, Community Development Director
Jamie Wood, Environmental Sustainability Director
Mike Strong, Assistant Director of Community Development John Maashoff, Public Works Manager