Deming schools hear $32 million grid-modernization proposal but take no action

A consultant presented a state grid-modernization grant package to the Deming Public Schools Board of Education, saying the total project evaluation is $32,000,000 and the grant request would be $25,500,000 (about 77% of project value). The presenter said the base case would add roughly four hours of battery capacity at each site, and the grant would increase battery capacity by about 12 times districtwide.

The presenter, identified in the discussion as the owner of Ecomax Solar, said the proposal would be at “no cost to the district,” and said the vendor was “guaranteeing $312,000 first full year” in net savings and estimated $25,000,000 in benefits over 30 years. He described a structure in which the project would work with utilities and financing partners and would require a competitive RFP before any contract could be signed.

Board members pressed the presenter for details about his relationship to earlier district solar work and asked which companies were financing or installing the projects. The presenter said Sunwell (a Massachusetts public-benefit corporation) would handle most projects while Sunshire would handle battery-enabled sites; he said Border Energy performed installations on prior work and that he acts as an independent consultant who is paid a fee by financing companies after leases are executed.

Several trustees voiced concerns about two issues: (1) transparency and procurement fairness, because the vendor provided a draft grant application and asked that portions of it be held confidential so competitors would not copy the proposal; and (2) project delivery, noting that an earlier solar project had seen delays and that trustees wanted to see that work completed before approving an additional, larger program. One board member also raised that the presenter is involved in “current and recent lawsuits,” which was noted as a reputational or legal risk to consider.

Superintendent Wolgemuth recommended not approving the grant submission at this time and suggested the board wait until the first project is completed and district staff can confirm outcomes and delivery. After discussion the board made no motion on the item, so no formal authorization to submit the grant was taken.

What’s next: staff and trustees said they will continue monitoring progress on the existing solar project and may revisit grant submission at a future meeting. The presenter offered to provide a more specific installation schedule and to follow up with board members about site-by-site timing.

Quoted in this article are statements taken directly from the meeting transcript. The board discussion noted the district’s obligation to follow public-records rules if formal requests are filed and emphasized that any procurement would still require a competitive RFP and board oversight.