Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Energy And Utilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council weighs industrial transformer policy and moves forward on large battery contracts and solar site work
Summary
The Utility Committee discussed a request from Avery Dennison for a $130,000 industrial transformer and possible policy options; City Manager Doug Lewis reported contracts with Convergence Energy for a 20‑megawatt Tesla battery project funded by a $29 million CPRG award and a second contract that will require roughly $9 million in bonds to be authorized by council.
A request from Avery Dennison for a new industrial transformer and progress on energy projects were the central utility topics at the Painesville City Council meeting on June 15.
Councilmember Paul Hach summarized the Utility Committee’s June 3 discussion about covering the cost of a transformer requested by Avery Dennison. Hach said the committee reviewed options — the company pays the full cost, the city provides the transformer, or costs are shared — and noted the city’s annual transformer budget is roughly $300,000 while the requested unit was estimated at about $130,000. The committee assigned staff to review how other utilities handle industrial transformer requests and to consider whether a standalone industrial‑transformer policy is appropriate.
Hach also reported updates on solar development: the city is working on site control with West Creek Conservancy, Eitri Foundry continues designing solar placements in OU7 (off Fairport Nursery Road), and the city is working to certify funds for a BESS contract with Convergence Energy, with a bond authorization expected to be brought to council.
City Manager Doug Lewis later provided additional detail on the energy projects, saying the City entered into contracts with Convergence Energy for a 20‑megawatt Tesla battery installation that the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) will cover at an estimated cost of approximately $29 million. He said a second Convergence contract will require the City to issue about $9 million in bonds; that bond authorization will be presented to council at a future meeting. Lewis noted battery deliveries are expected within three to six months and that staff continue site evaluation and contract certification work.
Why it matters: The transformer request carries immediate budgetary questions for the electric utility and could prompt a formal policy. Separately, the large‑scale battery project and associated bond authorization represent a major capital program for the city’s energy infrastructure and will carry multi‑year financial and operational implications for Painesville.
