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PAGE | 1 OF 2 MEMORANDUM To:St. Anthony Village City Council From:Minette Saulog, Sustainability Coordinator Date:November 12, 2024 City Council Meeting Request:Authorization to Accept Solar on Public Buildings Grant Program Awards, and Approval of Agreements with Developer for Solar at Public Works and Water Treatment Facility BACKGROUND From May to September, staff worked with WSB to prepare a two-step grant application with the Minnesota Department of Commerce under the Solar on Public Buildings Grant Program. The City was eligible for a grant award of up to 60% of project costs for a solar array built on or adjacent to a public building, with an opportunity to take advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act’s Elective Pay tax credits worth up to 30% of the project cost. The City identified the Public Works Building and Water Treatment Facility as candidates for rooftop solar installations and submitted a grant application for both project sites. Building Readiness Assessments were submitted in June to determine the feasibility of solar at the proposed sites based on utility data, solar potential, and other analyses. Commerce notified the City of its eligibility to apply for the full grant application in July. As part of the full grant application, the City opened a competitive Request for Proposal process for each site in August to find a developer partner. Applications were received and scored by staff committee, and All Energy Solar was identified as the developer best qualified for both projects based on the submitted proposals. All Energy Solar provided proposals for each site which are attached in the meeting packets for your review. In October, the City received conditional approval for grant funding of both projects, pending submission of final documents including executed agreements with the developer. All Energy Solar has provided their contract agreements to the City for the City Manager’s signature. Commerce will provide a contract for City approval once the executed agreements with the developer are received. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends authorization for staff to accept the grant awards and execute the grant agreements from the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Staff further recommends authorization for staff to execute contract agreements with the developer, All Energy Solar, to proceed with the solar installations at Public Works and the Water Treatment Facility under this grant program. ATTACHMENTS: Grant award decision letter