CMLP details procurement options and MassCEC grant bid for Concord school solar project
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Summary
Concord Municipal Light Plant (CMLP) told the School Committee the rooftop-and-canopy solar project’s bid was canceled, that staff spent roughly $300,000 on prework, and that CMLP submitted a MassCEC Green School Works grant application (about $1.4 million) while weighing procurement options including purchase, PPA with a third-party developer, or lease.
The Concord School Committee heard a detailed update on a stalled rooftop-and-canopy solar project from Jason, a CMLP representative, who said the original bid was canceled while staff perform a postmortem and explore alternatives. "We did submit that application," Jason said, referring to a MassCEC Green School Works grant; the application totaled about $1,400,000 and CMLP estimated roughly $320,000 could be recoverable through investment tax credits if conditions allow.
The presentation laid out four procurement paths: the school could procure the solar directly (but currently has no funding mechanism), CMLP could procure and use its town-borrowing authorization (town meeting previously authorized up to $7.5 million for solar and storage), CMLP could hire a third-party developer under a power-purchase agreement to avoid upfront capital costs, or the school could enter a solar lease. Jason said each option carries trade-offs of capital exposure, schedule risk and control: a third-party PPA transfers construction and financial risk to the developer but limits the school’s control; CMLP ownership gives more control but would likely require expanded staff expertise and project management.
CMLP staff also discussed technical and market uncertainties. Jason noted that adding rooftop and canopy solar without co-located energy storage can create grid 'backfeed' issues that make batteries more likely, and he described outreach with the fire department, planning and other town stakeholders to evaluate siting and safety. He said the utility has spent more than $300,000 so far on design, legal work and preconstruction and that bid responses for rooftop-plus-canopy ranged widely — roughly $2.5 million to $5.6 million — complicating straightforward cost estimation.
Committee members sought clarity on what 'pause' meant; Jason described the project as shifted from an active bid process to a phase of evaluating alternative procurement models. Multiple members requested a clear matrix comparing the four options, their costs and implications. Jason agreed to circulate a written matrix and monthly updates to Laurie for inclusion in committee packets and suggested returning to present again when proposals crystallize. The committee and CMLP agreed that pursuing the MassCEC grant would remove much of the financing uncertainty and that staffing or third-party expertise would be required to manage whichever procurement route is chosen.
The committee did not take a formal vote on procurement at the meeting. The next procedural steps are written updates from CMLP to the committee and a return to the committee when a recommended procurement path is ready for formal consideration.
