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Tiburon council accepts $660,000 storage grant, approves 400 kW battery for police station; debate over workforce language
Summary
The council accepted a $660,000 MCE energy-storage grant to put battery storage at the police station and voted to move forward with a 400 kW system. Residents and union representatives pressed for explicit "skilled and trained workforce" language to protect safety and ensure experienced electricians on the job; council asked staff to pursue that language with MCE and the vendor.
The Tiburon Town Council voted on March 4 to accept $660,000 in grant funding for a behind-the-meter battery storage system at the police station and to proceed with a 400-kilowatt option for the town’s share of the project.
Town staff told the council the grant, awarded through the MCE Energy Storage Program, pays contractors directly and supports battery systems paired with on-site solar at critical facilities. Staff said the grant covers $660,000 of the cost regardless of system size and presented three sizing options (400 kW, 500 kW, 600 kW) with different town contributions and differing energy- and resiliency-related paybacks. The council selected the 400 kW option and adopted the resolution to accept the grant, create a project reserve, and authorize the town manager to execute related agreements.
Why it matters: Staff said the battery would reduce peak electricity costs and provide backup power during outages. The largest-size option would provide the most days of off-grid power during the summer months, but the smaller system offered the strongest financial payback without reliance on the pilot virtual-power-plant program staff described as forthcoming.
During a lengthy public-comment and council discussion period, union representatives and residents urged the town to require a "skilled and trained workforce" for the electrical work. "I would love to see language adopted for this project that include a skilled and trained workforce," said Stephanie Hall, an electrician with IBEW Local 551, who told council members that experienced, apprenticeship-trained workers reduce safety risks on battery systems. Jared Mum, a local journeyman electrician and IBEW representative, said prevailing-wage rules alone can leave gaps that apprenticeship and training requirements would close.
Town staff and the sustainability coordinator said the town will try to include workforce language in its professional-services agreement with the selected vendor and will coordinate with MCE and the Department of Energy as the grant and contracting steps proceed. "We will have a professional services agreement with the vendor and language like this can be included in those agreements," said the town sustainability coordinator.
Council member discussion focused on whether the town could legally require skilled-workforce language when MCE and the Department of Energy are parties to aspects of the contract. Some council members said it was important to record the town's preference before the DOE review deadline; others cautioned the town might not be able to bind MCE or the federal grant program. The motion that carried instructed staff to proceed with the 400 kW design and to seek to include the town’s workforce preferences in contract language where feasible.
What's next: Staff will return to finalize vendor recommendation and execute agreements required by MCE and the DOE. The town will establish a reserve fund and include the project in the fiscal-year 2026–27 capital improvement program. The council record shows the resolution passed in a roll-call vote.
