Consultant outlines draft comprehensive energy plan for Oshkosh; presents targets, solar site reviews and funding options

Ted Redmond of consulting firm Pale Blue Dot presented a draft comprehensive energy plan to the Oshkosh Sustainability Advisory Board on Sept. 4, describing a data-driven, 10-year road map to reduce municipal energy use, expand renewables and guide capital investment.

The plan, Redmond said, is built from five foundational steps — data collection, energy benchmarking, solar site reviews, modeling of example solar projects and the development of a 25-action road map — and is intended to guide the city toward near-term targets for 2035 and longer-range goals around 2040.

Redmond said the consultant team benchmarked major city properties using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, performed “solar snapshots” on parks and buildings, and produced order-of-magnitude budgets and 30‑year return-on-investment estimates for roughly 33 prioritized sites. He described the plan’s purpose as helping the city “meet carbon reduction targets, reduce operational costs and guide proactive energy upgrades.”

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