TO: CITY COUNCIL FROM: Mayor Sam Liccardo
SUBJECT: San José Electric Service to DATE: September 16, 2022 New Developments
Approved Date
RECOMMENDATION
1. Accept the report.
2. Return to Council by December with proposed municipal code revisions to allow for maximum design flexibility for the microgrid in Downtown West, and to provide a policy framework for electric service to new developments, if Council ultimately decides to move in that direction.
BACKGROUND
In the wake of PG&E's Public Safety Power Shutoffs in 2019, the City Council approved direction to increase grid resilience and emergency power provision throughout San José and directed staff to return with recommendations on various methods to improve grid resiliency.
By February 2020, the Google Downtown West Project was identified as a potential option for a City-provided microgrid. On March 25, 2021, the City Council held a Study Session that included an analysis of a potential Downtown West microgrid. A case study analysis by Flynn Resource Consultants concluded that a City utility has the “opportunity to provide reliable, resilient, carbon-free power to customers within a new development at a competitive cost compared to traditional Investor Owned Utility service.”
Staff should return by December with proposed muni-code provisions that will allow greater design flexibility for development in the Downtown West area. These muni-code provisions would be in place so if Council ultimately decides to move in that direction, we would have the policy framework to do so. Additionally, staff should explore opportunities to leverage the microgrid to provide emergency power and energy resilience in the surrounding community.
COUNCIL AGENDA:
FILE NO.:
9/16/2022
22-1329
ITEM: 6.1