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Tulare County reports $8.4 million in energy savings to date from solar and efficiency projects; lifetime benefits projected at roughly $73 million
Summary
County staff and consultants told supervisors the county’s solar, LED and HVAC projects have produced about $8.4 million in net savings to date with projected lifetime benefits of roughly $73 million; the presentation covered PPA terms, tax credits, REC sales and future challenges posed by changes to California net-energy metering rules.
Tulare County’s energy-efficiency and renewable-energy program has produced multimillion‑dollar savings and ongoing revenue, county officials reported Sept. 9.
Brooke Sisk, general services agency director, and Russell Driver of ARC Alternatives reviewed a multi‑phase program that includes power‑purchase‑agreement (PPA)‑funded solar carports and rooftop systems, third‑party financed and county‑purchased solar and energy‑efficiency measures (LED lighting and HVAC replacements), tax credits obtained under the Inflation Reduction Act and recent utility‑bill analysis work.
Phase 1 included seven solar sites installed under an ENGIE PPA; the county purchases power at a fixed rate “just under 11¢ per kilowatt‑hour” for 25 years, Sisk said. ARC reported the phase‑1 systems have generated roughly $7.3 million in net savings to date and projected about $65 million in savings over the PPA term. Phase 2 combined purchased and financed solar with LED lighting and HVAC upgrades; the county contributed $1.2 million cash and financed about $9.5 million under a 20‑year taxable lease for those projects. Combined phase 1 and 2 projects have produced about $8.5 million in savings to date with lifetime projections in the neighborhood of $73 million, the consultants said.
Additional program results cited in the presentation: the county secured just under $1.8 million in tax incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act; the renewable energy certificates (RECs) from county systems have produced about $36,000 in revenue to date with an expected roughly $170,000 per year and $850,000 total under the current sales agreement; and a recent utility‑account review by Procure America identified approximately $441,000 in potential ongoing annual bill reductions plus about $24,000 in one‑time reimbursements.
Consultants cautioned that market and regulatory changes — notably revisions to California’s net‑energy‑metering rules — make future solar projects harder to justify purely on savings. Russell Driver said NEM changes have reduced export credits and that future projects may shift toward decarbonization or electrification goals rather than short paybacks. Drivers also described PPA end‑of‑term options: the county may require ENGIE to remove systems, may purchase the systems at then‑negotiated price or negotiate an extension of the PPA.
Supervisor Amy Shuckley and others praised the program as a fiscal win. Staff said the projects also addressed deferred maintenance and created long‑term price stability against utility rate increases. No formal action was required; the presentation was provided for the board’s information.
