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Cohasset subcommittee advances solar RFP with microgrid goal as National Grid pauses new interconnections
Summary
The Cohasset Alternative Energy Subcommittee on April 9 advanced preparations for a solar RFP for the Deerhill/Osgood school campus, prioritizing a standalone microgrid with battery storage and seeking school liaison participation, while noting National Grid has placed a temporary hold on new local solar interconnections.
The Cohasset Alternative Energy Subcommittee met April 9 by Zoom to advance a solar request for proposals (RFP) for the Deerhill/Osgood school campus and to press for microgrid and battery-storage capabilities in proposals. Chair Tanya Bodell said she wants a standalone microgrid combining solar panels, the campus’s existing backup generation and battery storage so the schools can remain operational during outages.
Cassandra Thayer, Town Planner, told the committee that the district superintendent had expressed willingness to meet on the project and that two years of the elementary schools’ electrical bills have been downloaded for analysis. Thayer said some usage data requested from National Grid arrived in a format the utility could not reproduce because it was compiled by a third party, Titan Energy New England, and that National Grid has placed a hold on new solar developments in Cohasset pending a cluster analysis.
Doran Hole, a committee member, recommended the RFP require bidders to include statements of capability for batteries and microgrids; he noted the July 4 Investment Tax Credit (ITC) deadline may affect some projects but, in his account to the committee, does not apply to battery storage. The subcommittee agreed to request a school liaison to serve on the RFP evaluation panel and to pursue account-level data for the schools’ electric vehicle charging stations.
Procurement staff member Lisa McGonigle confirmed she updated the 2020 RFP documents to reflect legal-counsel revisions. Hole reported that one national firm focused on ground-mounted systems had withdrawn from consideration, two other national firms had expressed interest, and the list now includes five qualified developers.
There were no formal votes on an RFP scope or contract at the meeting; the committee approved routine minutes and adjourned. The subcommittee’s next steps include finalizing revised RFP documents, requesting the school liaison for the evaluation committee, continuing to pursue utility data from National Grid and third-party providers, and maintaining regular communication with the utility regarding the temporary hold on interconnections.
