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Arlington advances solar PPAs, EV charging and resiliency hub planning in CIP
Summary
Energy staff told the board they are pursuing power‑purchase agreements for ~16 pre‑screened county sites, expanding EV charging, and piloting electrification and EMV studies; Maplewood VPPA credits and on‑site PPAs are expected to offset rising electricity costs.
Arlington County’s energy program presentation outlined a coordinated approach across solar power purchase agreements (PPAs), fleet and public EV charging, electrification pilots, and resiliency hub planning. Steven Burr, energy program manager, said the county has pre‑screened about 16 facilities for on‑site PPA opportunities (after excluding active solar sites and those in design) and will phase installations two to four sites per phase tied to roof replacements and site feasibility.
Financial and operational context: Staff noted rising electricity and natural‑gas prices, recent market volatility and the role of the Maplewood virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) in providing bill credits. Burr said the Maplewood VPPA offers both environmental and financial benefits and that on‑site PPAs reduce upfront capital and include maintenance arrangements. "Energy efficiency is more valuable now," Burr said, noting that efficiency, solar and electrification projects should be evaluated together using payback, dollars‑per‑ton GHG and EMV metrics.
EV charging and fleet electrification: Staff forecast 88% of the non‑public safety sedan fleet will be transitioned in 2027 and described a multi‑tier approach to chargers: (1) optimize existing fleet charging and behavior, (2) deploy pilots like public‑safety take‑home charging and (3) add additional fleet infrastructure as needed; public charging expansion will prioritize multifamily and equity‑focused locations.
Resiliency hubs and EMV: The CIP includes energy resiliency planning and implementation funding, with staff planning to select sites for resiliency hubs based on community vulnerability, operational needs and technical feasibility. EMV (evaluation, measurement and verification) is a required follow‑up for pilots so staff can capture performance lessons and inform future CIP decisions.
Next steps: Staff said administrative and contracting experience from earlier PPAs should speed new installations; board members asked staff what would be needed to accelerate the program and whether additional operating or consultant capacity is required. Staff noted that administrative templates and vendor experience will shorten the procurement timeline for additional PPA phases.
