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mncerts.org/solargardens/collaborative 7/23/2015 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Community Solar Subscriber Collaborative: <br />An Opportunity for Metro Area Local Governments <br /> <br />Description: Community Solar Gardens create a new opportunity for local government entities to <br />support clean energy, save on energy bills for public buildings and plants, and hedge against the <br />future price volatility of electricity. <br />The Community Solar Subscriber Collaborative is a joint effort for Metro area local governments to <br />procure solar garden subscriptions from a single RFP process. By working together, government <br />entities gain an economy of scale in the solicitation process (reducing the administrative burden to <br />vet developers) and in attractiveness to developers, resulting in better pricing and subscription <br />terms. <br />The process below describes how the RFP will be issued and how local governments are able to <br />procure solar garden subscriptions through this initiative. <br />Process: <br />1. Letter of Intent: Interested local governments sign a non-binding letter of intent declaring <br />their intent to subscribe, and attach to the letter a list of the premises and loads they are <br />interested in subscribing. Interested entities must be willing to subscribe to at least 100kW <br />of solar production (equivalent to 120,000 kWh annual consumption). <br />2. Joint Powers Agreement (Optional): Local governments requiring a Joint Powers <br />Agreement (JPA) to be signed according to their procurement policies may sign a <br />community solar garden subscription-specific JPA. <br />3. Request for Proposals: The Metropolitan Council will publish an RFP for developers to <br />provide community solar garden subscriptions to the local governments that signed a Letter <br />of Intent. Developers’ proposals will include a list of the counties they can provide <br />subscriptions to and how much capacity they have available for each county. <br />4. Developer Selection: A team of governmental participants from the core steering group <br />and major subscribers, selected by the Council, will evaluate proposals received, ranking <br />them according to qualifications, experience, and price. <br />5. Lottery Process: Local governments that signed a Letter of Intent will be entered into a <br />lottery for available garden subscriptions. Local governments drawn in the lottery will have <br />the first right of refusal to subscribe to the garden(s) for which they are drawn.