Title
Authorizing the acceptance of $298,000 from the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s Microgrids at Community Lifeline Facilities Grant Program for Oxford Community Center; and authorizing the execution of a grant agreement and amending the 2026 Grant Budget.
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
WHEREAS, decarbonization plans were developed for Oxford Community Center and the adjacent Jimmy Lee Recreation Center during 2025 which recommend electrification of the HVAC systems and the addition of on-site solar to improve energy efficiency, reduce operational emissions, and increase the resilience of those priority buildings in alignment with the City’s climate goals; and
WHEREAS, the Minnesota Department of Commerce designated U.S. Department of Energy State Energy Program funding for a competitive grant program to support demonstration projects for a microgrid at a community lifeline facility, community hub, or a group of such facilities to improve energy resilience in a disruptive event; and
WHEREAS, the City Council previously approved the submission of a Microgrids at Community Lifeline Facilities grant application under Resolution 25-1660 to cover the planning and design costs of a microgrid project at Oxford Community Center/Jimmy Lee Recreation Center that would include HVAC electrification and rooftop solar installation with battery storage; and
WHEREAS, grant funds of $298,000 were awarded in December 2025, which will cover 100% of the project’s planning, design and engineering costs with no match required; and
WHEREAS, by this Resolution, the Council authorizes the acceptance of the Microgrids at Community Lifeline Facilities grant for Oxford Community Center/Jimmy Lee Recreation Center, amends the 2026 budget, and authorizes execution of a grant agreement with the Minnesota Department of Co...
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