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PUC moves to rebid City Hall, Davies rooftop solar after state recognizes PV apprenticeship
Summary
The San Francisco PUC said it will rebid two rooftop solar contracts to capture local-hire opportunities after the state recognized a new 'photovoltaic installer' apprenticeship classification; staff said apprenticeship approvals could take 6 months–1.5 years and prevailing wage rates remain governed by a separate state division.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission on March 22 said it will rebid two rooftop solar projects — City Hall and Davies Symphony Hall — to try to capture local hiring benefits after the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards recognized a new photovoltaic (PV) installer occupation.
Assistant General Manager for Power Barbara Hale told commissioners the state’s step is “a good first step” but cautioned it does not automatically make PV installers available on job sites. Hale said the apprenticeship programs under review could take “between 6 months to 1 and a half years” to be approved and that wage-setting remains under the Division of Labor Statistics and Research.
Why it matters: Reissuing the bids could allow the PUC to include the city’s local-hire objectives in procurement documents without changing the department’s charter or major contracting rules. Staff said reissuing is low-risk because prior awards have expired and the contracts can be reissued without immediate construction impacts; actual construction at Davies is constrained by acoustic and scheduling limits and likely would not begin for more than a year.
Staff estimates, drawn from the previously unsuccessful bid, that the two rooftop projects would require roughly 30 workers per site and about 2,485 total labor hours. Commissioners and staff emphasized the need to work with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development and union stakeholders to define hiring plans and avoid jurisdictional disputes between trades.
Commissioner Courtney asked how many jobs would be created; Hale said the trades involved would likely total “around 30 people per job site,” and staff reiterated that pre-bid conferences and job-site visits would surface prevailing-wage and jurisdictional questions before any award. Hale said two already-awarded projects (Chinatown Public Health Center and Muni Woods Coach facilities) will proceed as designed and that the awarded contractor for those projects, Bass Electric, has volunteered to try to comply with local-hire targets.
Next steps: Staff will reissue bid packages for the City Hall and Davies rooftop projects, monitor the apprenticeship program approvals, and return to the commission before awarding contracts. The commission signaled no objection to rebidding, and staff committed to return with any community or labor concerns raised during pre-bid conferences.
