^ Outlook
7/28 MSC Public Comment - Agenda Item 2 - Municipal Solar Implementation Update From Sam Berndt
Date Tue 7/28/2026 3:08 PM
To PublicComment-AutoResponse <[email protected]>; Jones, Justin Cc
<[email protected]>,· Hampton, Tyron <[email protected]>; Lyon, Jason <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]> Masuda, Gene <[email protected]>,· Rivas, Jessica <[email protected]>; Madison, Steve <[email protected]>; Gordo, Victor <[email protected]> [A] CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button (PAB). For more information about the PAB view article "KB0011474" on the DolT portal.
The expansion of municipal solar sites from 5 to 27; providing approximately 11.8 MW of municipal solar by 2029 is an incredible step in the right direction.
I do remain concerned:
First, because of the lack of allocated funding & deviation from the capital improvements program. The CIP only identifies funding for approximately 6.5MW of solar; approximately half of the scoped 11.8MW and only a third of the required 20MW. On May 4th, Councilmember Cole motioned to have a presentation on how all 20MW will be funded within 2 months. We are still awaiting this presentation.
Without funding sources identified and allocated, these critical projects will not move forward.
Second, we still only see plans for approximately half of the required 20MW to be completed in 2029 - this implies that PWP is planning on installing the second half of solar all within a single year. I urge PWP to not backload the installation of these panels for risk of schedule slip.
Finally, I am concerned by the intent to outsource this work via RFP design-and-build contracts.
Councilmembers Lyon and Cole previously recommended doing the installations of solar in-house. I strongly recommend this. It is inherently cheaper than the RFP approach - and it builds the capacity of PWP to design, build, and maintain this new green infrastructure.
But beyond that, these are good jobs, and doing this work in-house would provide an opportunity for a just transition for PWP's workforce by retraining them and retaining them as we reduce our reliance on glenarm.
Let's do this right and include the workers who will be impacted by this transition in the transition itself by doing this work in-house and compensating them with benefits above and beyond the status quo.
Together, we can not only transition to carbon free electricity, but we can be a model for how other cities and utilities can do this transition in a just and equitable way.
Sam Berndt