Title
Authorizing the City to apply for $85,709 from the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s Solar on Public Buildings Grant Program for solar installation at Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan adopted in December 2019 established the goal of achieving carbon neutrality in municipal operations by 2030 and included a key action of increasing installations of renewable energy at city buildings; and
WHEREAS, the Minnesota Legislature established the Solar on Public Buildings Grant Program in 2023 to provide grants to stimulate the installation of solar energy systems on public buildings; and
WHEREAS, the Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center is undergoing an HVAC system upgrade in 2026 that will improve its energy efficiency and reduce operational emissions in support of the City’s climate goals, however, the improvements will also increase the electric load and associated utility costs for the building; and
WHEREAS, the increase in annual electricity costs for Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center can be offset with the installation of a 40-kWac rooftop solar array; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Financial Services and Department of Parks and Recreation are requesting permission to apply for $85,709 in grant funds from the Solar on Public Buildings Grant Program to cover 70% of the $122,442 total cost for installing solar at Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center with the remainder of the project costs to be paid for with the 2025 capital budget now; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, the Saint Paul City Council expressly provides its support for the City of Saint Paul to submit a grant application to the Solar on Public Buildings Program to support solar installation at Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center.