Sustainability and Energy Action Plan

BUILDINGS AND ENERGY GRANTS PASS SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY ACTION PLAN Generating enough solar to power even just essential services will likely not be possible relying on on -site micro -grid systems alone. In order to produce power at the scale demanded by municipal operations, some additional renewable energy generation projects may be needed. Furthermore, these projects will be critical to the goal of energy savings. Energy production at these sites is estimated to possibly extend beyond projections of municipal usage,51 providing an opportunity to create a new revenue stream and/or a community solar system. Some potential sites are outlined below.Project BE -6. Develop Dedicated Renewable Energy Generation Sites BE-6-1. Convert the Retired Foothill Landfill Brownfield Into a Solar Field The retired Foothill landfill site has been evaluated by Pacific Power’s Alan Meyer as a potential site for solar generation, and the results were promising.52 Both this site and the Merlin landfill site discussed below have been given special attention since they are large, clear spaces, and most importantly, brownfields .53 Because these sites must remain under City ownership and have little to no potential usages beyond that of energy generation, they are ideal locations for a solar field installation. In addition, a solar generation project at either site would more than likely qualify for grant funding for both renewable energy production and for brownfields renewal,54 as discussed in Appendix XI. Community Solar systems provide opportunities for citizens to use solar energy to power their home even if they do not have a suitable space for panels to be installed at their address. Brownfields are pieces of land that are or are perceived to be contaminated due to their past uses. This status makes redevelopment of them eligible for additional funding. 51