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Depoe Bay council approves $95,000 ODOE grant agreement with Aptum for green-energy resilience study
Summary
The Depoe Bay City Council approved an agreement to accept a $95,000 Oregon Department of Energy grant for Aptum to research standby green-energy systems for City Hall and to stage a public hydrogen fuel-cell demonstration Jan. 25. Council authorized the city administrator to execute the contract.
Depoe Bay — The City Council voted to accept a $95,000 research grant from the Oregon Department of Energy and to enter an agreement with Aptum to study standby green-energy systems for City Hall and other critical services.
The motion to accept the agreement, moved during the council’s Dec. meeting, was amended to authorize the city administrator to execute the contract on the city’s behalf; the amendment passed on a voice vote. The grant covers an analysis and pilot planning phase, not guaranteed construction funding.
Joe, who presented the project to the council, said the work will evaluate options such as solar-plus-battery, fuel cells and other combinations to keep essential systems running after power outages. "This all was generated from a 55-hour outage we had last January," Joe said, describing the goal of keeping water, sewer, fire protection, warming shelters and critical data systems operating for “at least three weeks to a month” depending on available fuel stores.
The council heard that Jan. 25 will include a public demonstration that the presenter described as the town’s first demonstration of a hydrogen fuel cell powering equipment — including an evening band set powered by the cell. Presenter Joe said the study will produce design documents, a professional-engineer stamp if appropriate, and a potential application for follow-on construction grants if the analysis supports installation.
Council members pressed for clarity on funding: staff confirmed the $95,000 is a research-phase award and that second-phase construction funding is not guaranteed. Staff said any later construction grant will require a separate application and review; the group discussing a regional hydrogen funding pool (Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association) has invited broader partnership if Depoe Bay advances its plans.
The council discussion included a technical Q&A about how fuel would be sourced and stored; presenters noted current fuel availability out of Oakland, Calif., and said the system is intended strictly for standby generation, not prime power.
Next steps set by council and staff include completing the Aptum research scope, pursuing necessary engineering approvals (including a PE stamp if required), and preparing any competitive applications for construction grants should the feasibility work support them. The Jan. 25 demonstration and community seminar will also be held as part of the outreach and evaluation process.
Funding and procedural note: the agreement and the authorization for the administrator to execute the contract were approved by voice vote; the record shows the action was approved but does not include a roll-call tally in the transcript.
