Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Energy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City benchmarking and municipal solar: staff report shows electricity trends, 73% renewable municipal supply in 2023
Summary
Staff presented benchmarking charts for city-owned buildings and a municipal renewable energy inventory; the report showed municipal accounts were supplied 73% by renewable grid electricity in 2023 and described solar-siting sites and next steps on designs and interconnection.
City staff presented two staff-compiled reports at the Feb. 26 meeting: a benchmarking review of municipal buildings and an inventory of municipal electricity sources and solar siting options.
Phil (city staff) walked commissioners through energy-use charts for municipal buildings larger than 1,000 square feet, showing month-by-month electricity and natural gas use for each building and aggregated totals. The benchmarking results are intended to establish a baseline so future efficiency projects and electrification investments can be measured against historical energy use. Phil said several buildings showed expected seasonal shifts—higher gas use in winter, higher electricity in summer—and noted the wastewater treatment plant is the largest electricity consumer by a wide margin.
Staff also reported that 73% of municipal electricity consumed in 2023 came from renewable grid sources and renewable allocations; the remainder came from nonrenewable sources. Noble said she will produce an updated municipal renewable energy report for the most recent year as data become available.
On municipal solar siting, staff reported a First Avenue parcel survey that identified 1.26 acres of land, with about 0.99 acres usable for ground‑mounted solar; the team will proceed through planning and wetlands permitting. The city has site approvals for solar at Hesper Park and is seeking design and interconnection approvals for installations at neighborhood centers and the pool. Staff noted some installers have experienced interconnection denials and said they are investigating causes.
Separately, staff said the city is moving forward with a NYSERDA-funded carbon-neutral design phase that will focus design work on solar, geothermal, building envelope upgrades and full electrification for City Hall and the Andy Murphy Center; EV charging and lighting were excluded from the design scope because staff manage those items separately. Noble said NYPA will be the continuing design partner and that subs will be selected under the contract to advance design work; bids for construction will follow the design phase.
