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Calabasas selects Wildan for energy master plan; staff warns of tight federal credit timing
Summary
Wildan presented an energy master plan to Calabasas council that would use grants, tax credits and guaranteed energy-savings contracts to finance LED, HVAC, solar and battery projects with no net upfront cost; staff and council noted some federal tax credits have construction timing requirements that create urgency.
The Calabasas City Council heard a presentation Sept. 10 from Wildan (presented by Colton Gorman) on an energy master plan that would assess municipal buildings for LED lighting upgrades, HVAC optimization, solar photovoltaic installations, battery energy storage and electric-vehicle charging stations.
"We specialize in helping municipalities like yourselves achieve sustainable, cost-effective energy solutions," Colton Gorman said, outlining a phased approach: an energy master plan, an investment-grade audit (IGA), and a turnkey construction contract with guaranteed energy-savings commitments.
Wildan said it expects projects to be self-financing using a mix of funding tools, including federal tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), state and federal grants, on-bill financing, green bonds and municipal leases. Gorman emphasized that some incentives include timing requirements: for very large arrays (discussed as over 1.5 megawatts in the presentation), certain ITC/IRA credits require that a specified portion of construction be started by an upcoming June deadline.
Assistant City Manager (staff) described a competitive RFP process that produced two bidders and recommended Wildan; city staff said they will return with a full contract and additional briefings for council.
Councilmembers asked about delivery risk if tax credits or rebate programs change. Gorman and staff said Wildan can adjust the scope of work and financing plan if a particular rebate or tax benefit does not materialize, and that the firm's guaranteed-savings model is structured to cover persistent shortfalls within negotiated terms.
What happens next: Staff will schedule follow-up briefings (one-on-one 2:1s and a future council presentation) and proceed with the energy master planning phase, site assessments and investment-grade audits; the council asked that staff track deadlines tied to federal tax-credit timing when returning with recommendations.
