Council asks RFQ to welcome clean‑energy innovation, community solar and resilience measures

Several councilors urged the city to highlight sustainability and resilience goals in the Gateway RFQ and to make scoring favorable for proposals that use clean‑energy incentives.

Councilor Panemiro asked that the RFQ portray Talent as “open to innovation” and include potential for microgrids and resilient design that could “disconnect” from the larger grid during outages. He linked such features to the city’s clean‑energy goals and noted Talent’s community solar projects as local context.

Alex said staff has had preliminary conversations with Energy Trust of Oregon about incentives for both commercial and residential projects and that those incentives — including for battery storage — could make such design elements more attractive to developers. He recommended not requiring participation in incentive programs but making the language and potential incentives clear in the RFQ so applicants can propose them.

Councilors suggested including sustainability performance in the scoring rubric so that proposals that align with the city’s clean‑energy action plan score better. Councilor Byers emphasized the community benefit of community solar for residents who cannot put solar on their own homes: “It’s green to help lift up our community,” she said.

No requirements were adopted; staff were directed to add language that signals openness to energy innovation and to reflect available incentives in RFQ materials and scoring guidance.