Oakland County seeks $1 million energy study to map campus infrastructure upgrades; commissioners debate scope and funding

Oakland County’s Economic Development & Infrastructure Committee on Nov. 13 voted to forward a proposal to finance for an energy study of the county campus that staff estimate could cost roughly $1 million.

County sustainability staff said the study would identify aging electrical feeders, evaluate capacity for electrification and electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, and recommend prioritized capital improvements so the county can plan for future decarbonization and resilience. "A lot of what the study aims to do is understand critical infrastructure that we need to upgrade now, help us with the capital improvement planning process," the presenter said, outlining concerns about aging feeders and repeated outages on campus.

The study would not include the new Pontiac buildings themselves but would assess how the county’s move to Pontiac affects remaining campus facilities, staff said. "It includes the implications and impact that everything of the move to Pontiac," a sustainability staff member said, adding that the scope would be adjusted to avoid studies of buildings slated for disposition.

Why it matters: Committee members said the technical analysis is necessary to make grant applications, plan future EV charging, and estimate costs for any sale or repurposing of buildings.…