The City Council approved the first reading of Ordinance 781 to authorize a PG&E energy-efficiency retrofit loan for the Piedmont Recreation Department building and authorized the city administrator to execute related agreements.

The Sustainability Program Manager told the council the PG&E offer covers retrofit of more than 50 fixtures to LED lamps with emergency drivers. "This loan would include retrofitting of over 50 lights and converting them to LEDs and add emergency drivers which provide temporary backup lighting during a power outage," the manager said. Staff estimated the lighting retrofit will reduce electrical use for lighting by about 67% at current rates, saving roughly $1,300 per year at today's prices.

The loan is interest-free over an on-bill financing period of 9.73 years; staff said the program is turnkey, includes qualified installers vetted by PG&E, and that the city code requires an ordinance because the transaction involves borrowing. The council approved the ordinance's first reading and authorized the city administrator to sign documents as needed; a second reading is scheduled for the council's August 4 meeting. Staff noted PG&E required a quick acceptance window for the offer, and advised the council that staff might need to accelerate execution steps to meet program deadlines.