HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-11-12 City CouncilCity of Palo Alto
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
CITY MANAGER
NOVEMBER 12, 2002
DEPARTMENT: UTILITIES
CMR:430:02
SUBJECT:APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING A $70,000 GRANT
FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO EXPAND THE
ELECTRICAL LOAD CURTAILMENT CAPABILITY IN CITY
FACILITIES
REPORT IN BRIEF
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council approve the attached Resolution approving and
authorizing the acceptance of a grant of $70,000 from the State of California for
additional load curtailment capability.
Provided through SB 5X legislation and distributed to the member utilities of the
Northern California Power Agency (NCPA), these funds will be used to expand the
ability of City facilities to curtail electric demand by an additional 45 kW. This load
curtailment, ability would be used during electric supply emergencies and will not affect
the City’s ability to provide services to the public. By reducing electric demand during
peak hours, the City joins the efforts of all Utilities customers to reduce demand on the
Palo Alto electric distribution system during system emergencies.
BACKGROUND
The California "energy crisis" prompted a surge in State legislative funding for electric
utilities and their customers to reduce electric usage. The objective was to reduce "peak
demand" for electricity during the critical weekday hours of noon to six by targeting
electricity using systems in the residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors
such as lighting, air conditioning, motors and the like. Such activities fall under the
categories of "load management, load curtailment, or load control." With electric utility
customers turning off lights, raising room temperature setpoints, and reducing "demand"
of systems by improving their efficiency (more output for less input), the State generally
CMR:430:02 Page 1 of 4
avoided having to turn off of portions of the electric grid when demand exceeded the
available electric stipply (rolling blackouts).
The City of Palo Alto participated in the various programs and received funding for the
conversion of the traffic signal system from incandescent lamps to light .emitting diode
technology, and the replacement of lighting systems in sixty municipal buildings to more
efficient lights.
Under a separate activity, the Utilities Department funded a new load curtailment system
for the City Hall complex to serve as a technology demonstration project. This system
(brand named "Tridium"), provides added operating efficiency to the City Hall complex
by remote control of the City Hall space conditioning system, including control of room
temperature setpoints, and the real time display of energy consumption. Building
operations personnel can now control several building operating functions from a single
control station rather than make manual adjustments throughout the building. The current
"Tridium" system configuration permits City staff to reduce electric demand between 40
and 70 kW in the City Hall complex.
DISCUSSION
In recent months, NCPA has worked with the California Energy Commission to procure
grant funding for partner utilities interested and capable of pursuing projects that would
allow increased electric load control and curtailment capability. Public Works and
Utilities staff has identified additional electric load curtailment capability in several City
facilities that can be accomplished by the.grant’s construction deadline of May 11, 2003.
With grant funding, staff proposes to expand the ability of the existing City Hall
"Tridium" load control and curtailment system to provide a minimum of 45 kW of
additional load curtailment capacity. Staff will install new electric load curtailment
hardware, software and controls in the Water Quality Control Plant, City Hall, and the
Downtown Library. This will address lighting, pumping, and space conditioning systems
at these sites and be tied into the existing master load curtailment system.
Declining the grant would result in a lost opportunity to significantly expand the
capabilities of the existing backbone "Tridium" system and reduce future building
operating costs at.essentially no cost to the City.
The additional hardware, software and system programming needed to comply with the
grant conditions would provide the City with the capability for future expansion of the
"Tridium" system. This would allow for additional systems in City buildings to be
CMR:430:02 Page 2 of 4
controlled at minimal costs (only the cost of the local control components). This
additional control would result in increased load curtailment capability combined with
reduced operating costs for City facilities if, for example, lighting or other systems could
be reduced by fifty percent during low occupancy or custodial hours. The system could
also be set to maximize the use of outside air, rather than condition (heat or cool) the air
when conditions permit.
RESOURCE IMPACT
The City will provide the labor expense for the overall administration and expenses
associated with the $70,000 grant from existing resources with assignment of personnel
absorbed under current operating budgets. Grant funding will be used to purchase, install
and program the required controls hardware and software. There are no other direct or
indirect costs associated with the administration of this grant.
A Budget Amendment Ordinance transferring the $70,000 grant from City Revenues to
the appropriate Operating Budget will be submitted to Council during the Mid-Year
Budget Adjustment.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
The planning and implementation of this project are consistent with existing City
policies. This project meets the objectives outlined in the Utility Strategic Plan Key
Strategy 1, "Operate distribution systems in a cost effective manner", and Strategy 7,
"Implement programs that improve the quality of the environment."
TIMELINE
The conditions of the grant require that 100% of the required work to be completed by
May 11, 2003.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This project is categorically exempt by the provisions of the California Environmental
Quality Act and no further environmental review is necessary.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution
CMR:430:02 Page 3 of 4
PREPARED BY:
VIRGINI~WAIK
Marketi ~ng~ngineer
DEPARTMENT HEAD:
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
FRANK BENEST
City Manager
CMR:430:02 Page 4 of 4
RESOLUTION NO.
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO
ALTO APPROVING THE FILING OF AN ACCEPTANCE FOR
GRANT MONEY WITH THE CALIFORNIA ENERGY
COM}4ISSION FOR A GRANT UP TO $70,000 TO
PARTIALLY FUND ’THE ELECTRIC LOAD CURTAILMENT AND
CONTROLS SYSTEMS EXPANSION FOR CITY FACILITIES
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Public Resource Code Section
254, the California Energy Commission is authorized to provide
grants to city, county or city and county governments for load
curtailment projects; and
WHEREAS, the City of Palo Alto wishes to curtail
electric demand during electric supply emergencies with the
financial assistance of the California Energy Commission made
available by one or more grants;
NOW, THEREFORE, The Council of the City of Palo Alto
does hereby RESOLVE as follows:
SECTION i. The Council hereby approves the City of Palo
Alto’s acceptance of funding from the California Energy
Commission for the expansion of electric load curtailment and
controls systems to be used in City facilities for the amount up
to $70,000.
SECTION 2.The City Manager or his designated
representative, the Director of Utilities, is hereby authorized
and empowered to execute in the name of the City of Palo Alto
all necessary documents to effectuate the purpose of this
resolution and to undertake all actions necessary to complete
the load curtailment project.
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SECTION 3. The Council finds that the adoption of this
resolution does not constitute a project under the California
Environmental Quality Act, and therefore no environmental
assessment is required.
INTRODUCED AND PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
ATTEST:APPROVED:
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Mayor
City Manager
Senior Asst. City Attorney Director of
Administrative Services
Director of Utilities
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