Committee backs $1.44 million first-year launch of Palo Alto whole‑home electrification program with Franklin Energy contract

The City of Palo Alto Climate and Sustainability Committee on March 21 recommended that the City Council approve a three‑year professional services contract with Franklin Energy to operate a full‑service whole‑home electrification program for single‑family homes and authorized the first‑year budget required under the contract.

Christine Tam, Senior Resource Planner, presented the proposal and said the multi-phase program builds on existing local pilots to expand turnkey services — including customer intake, home assessments, contractor coordination, and on‑invoice rebates — for homeowners who wish to replace gas appliances with electric heat pumps and related upgrades. Tam said the city launched a phase‑1 rebate hub in January and has completed dozens of rebate reservations in a short span; phase 2 would add the full-service delivery model run by Franklin Energy and subcontractors.

Under staff’s recommendation, the contract would be a three‑year…