Contact: Debbie Pollart (510) 577-6020
dpollart@sanleandro.org
The California Energy Commission recently announced that the City of San Leandro will receive $1.99 million in grant funding through its Local Government – Energy Innovation Challenge (EIC) program, representing the largest grant awarded by the Commission.
This funding will enable the City of San Leandro to upgrade various projects at the Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP), highlighted by a 1-megawatt solar power generation system. The grant will also help to fund high-efficiency LED lighting and a new automation system. These improvements will reduce electric power use at the WPCP by 53%, decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 2,789,951 pounds annually and generate $238,861 in annual energy savings.
The WPCP facility processes and treats wastewater for approximately 50,000 San Leandro residents using 125 miles of sanitary sewer pipelines and 13 pump stations, making it by far the largest single user of electricity under the City’s control. These upgrades would have been impossible for the City to accomplish without the grant funding from the Energy Commission, along with matching contributions provided by the WPCP’s enterprise fund.
“I am excited to announce this grant award because it will enable our City to make significant progress on our Climate Action Plan goals, improve our local environment, and do so in a fiscally responsible way,” noted San Leandro Mayor Pauline Russo Cutter. “This project solidifies San Leandro’s reputation as a statewide leader in taking action to reduce our energy consumption.”
The goal of the grant program is to fund the deployment of innovative energy-efficiency projects and to serve as a leading example for other municipalities across the state. In total, the Energy Commission awarded $6,707,750 to four municipal agencies through the EIC grant program.
“The Energy Commission’s Local Government Energy Innovation Challenge fills a critical gap by providing resources directly to local governments, which is where the action is for ensuring that the state’s building stock is running as efficiently as possible,” said Commissioner Andrew McAllister, who is the California Energy Commission’s lead on energy efficiency. “Optimizing energy use across the building stock is fundamental to achieving the city’s and state’s climate and energy goals. Our partnership with the City of San Leandro will help develop innovative solutions that meet the needs of local communities.”
The grant award is part of a broader strategy by the City of San Leandro to reduce its carbon footprint and address the impacts of climate change. Last year, Mayor Cutter announced that on behalf of the City she joined the Covenant of Mayors, launched by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to capture the impact of cities’ collective actions through standardized measurement of emissions and climate risk. To bolster these efforts, San Leandro has funded a full-time staff position dedicated to managing the City’s sustainability efforts.
Late last year, the City announced a partnership with Climatec, a leading energy services firm, to implement various investments in infrastructure retrofits and smart city applications. The City expects to recover the costs of the $5.2 million contract through installation of energy and water saving equipment and technology. Climatec assisted the City of San Leandro with its application for the EIC grant. Through their partnership, various other innovative technologies are being implemented throughout the City, including LED streetlights, wireless mesh control networks, and smart building technologies.
“This grant award is a prime example of public-private collaboration towards a common goal of reducing operating costs and improving the environment,” said Tom Jackson, senior vice president of Climatec. “We applaud the City for its multi-pronged efforts to drive efficiency and sustainability by deploying cutting edge technologies that underpin their Smart City of the Future goals.”
About San Leandro
One of the most diverse cities in the nation located at the center of the dynamic San Francisco Bay Area, San Leandro is a safe, vibrant community of 89,000 residents with well-maintained neighborhoods, excellent public libraries, twenty-one public parks, quality local schools, and a wide range of shopping, dining, and entertainment options. The western border of the city consists of over eight miles of pristine shoreline and amenities on San Francisco Bay while a regional park and nature areas fall on the eastern border. San Leandro businesses enjoy multiple advantages including close proximity to the Oakland International Airport and Port of Oakland, two major freeways, two BART stations, and access to a large and well-educated workforce. Through a public-private partnership known as Lit San Leandro (www.LitSanLeandro.com), a fiber optic network encircles San Leandro’s industrial and commercial core offering businesses virtually unlimited internet connectivity.
Visit www.sanleandro.org to learn more about San Leandro. To receive City press releases, meeting agendas or other notifications by email, sign up at www.sanleandro.org/portal.
City of San Leandro
Public Information Office
City Hall
835 East 14th Street
San Leandro, CA 94577
Phone: 510.577.3351
Fax: 510.577.3340
http://www.sanleandro.org
