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Commissioners briefed on climate roundtable, large‑scale solar RFI and restaurant grease biofuel pilot
Summary
Staff said the commission’s delegation attended a climate change roundtable hosted by Speaker Pelosi and reported plans to issue an RFI for large‑scale solar (moving beyond roughly 2 MW) and to pilot a program collecting restaurant grease to make biodiesel for city vehicles and buses.
Polk Utilities Commission staff told commissioners about a recent climate change roundtable led by Speaker Pelosi and outlined two energy initiatives the commission will pursue: a request for information (RFI) for large‑scale solar projects and a pilot to convert restaurant grease into biodiesel.
Commission staff said the roundtable included the general manager, the mayor and Jared Blumenfeld, director of the Department of the Environment, and that it brought business and environmental leaders together to discuss policy tools such as tax credits and other incentives. Staff described the event as an opportunity to inform congressional staff about the utility’s on‑the‑ground work and appropriations priorities.
On renewables, staff said the utility has installed nearly 2 megawatts of solar to date and is seeking ideas to scale projects to the 5–35 megawatt range. The RFI is intended to elicit market approaches and deal structures and is not a commitment to a specific project. ‘‘We’re trying to get information from the private sector to let us know how to structure these, some ideas about how to structure deals like this so we can move forward,’’ a staff member said.
Staff also described a biofuel pilot that would collect grease from restaurants and route it to a temporary transfer station where it would be processed into biodiesel for use in city cars and Muni buses.
What’s next: Staff said it will return drafts of the long‑term (10‑ and 25‑year) energy plan in the coming months and will issue the RFI to gather options for larger solar installations.
