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Painesville advances $80.7 million clean‑energy plan, adds sustainability/electric role
Summary
Council approved creating a Sustainability Project Manager/Assistant Electric Superintendent role tied to a federally funded $80,665,000 Climate Pollution Reduction Grant and authorized a request for qualifications to build a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to pair with the planned solar field. The City expects a contractor award by late April/early May and 15–18 months to operation.
A majority of Painesville City Council on Feb. 2 approved steps to advance a grant‑funded clean‑energy program, including the creation of a Sustainability Project Manager/Assistant Electric Superintendent position and authorization of a request for qualifications (RFQ) for a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).
Human Resources Director Kris Young told council the City received an $80,665,000 Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) in 2024 to support solar and battery projects. To manage that work and support succession planning in the Electric Department, the administration proposed renaming and expanding a previously created position to Sustainability Project Manager/Assistant Electric Superintendent (Class Grade 25). The role’s total annual salary was presented as $135,000, with roughly 87% covered by the CPRG and about 13% by the City Electric Fund; the position will also include stipends—education/degree, a Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional (CMRP) stipend, and a backup duty stipend—estimated together at about $10,000 annually.
"The expanded title and duties will provide operational continuity for generation and distribution as we implement the CPRG projects," Young said, describing the change as both a grant‑management and workforce planning move. Council voted 6‑0 to suspend the three‑reading rule and adopt the ordinance.
Separately, Electric Superintendent Joe Price described the RFQ to hire an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for a turnkey BESS system funded in part by the CPRG award. The RFQ process calls for qualified companies to submit statements of qualifications, with the City selecting three finalists for negotiations. Price said Encompass Engineering will design interconnections at both substations and that EITRI Foundry is engaged for solar site design work; the City hopes to award a contract by late April or early May, with supply‑chain realities making the build time roughly 15–18 months once awarded. Preliminary discussions with Cuyahoga County EPA could justify increasing the system from 10 megawatts to as much as 20 megawatts pending cost and technical review.
Law Director Jim Lyons noted the BESS procurement will be handled as a design‑build approach, a turnkey model authorized under Ohio law, which consolidates design and construction responsibilities under a single contractor.
The council’s approvals mark formal steps toward deploying solar paired with battery storage and toward integrating those projects into the electric utility’s operations. The new position, Young said, will be largely funded by the federal grant and serve as both project manager and an assistant to electric leadership during implementation.
