Additional review sought for scope of projects, request for proposals
Climate Action Plan Coordinator Alex Porteshawver and interim Community Development Director Dan Marks thought they were presenting the City Council two appealing options for wind power that might bring the city a new source for $75,000 in annual lease payments.
But while they were given the go-ahead Tuesday to draft a request for proposals (RFP), the Council asked to see the draft before City Manager Brad Kilger could seek bids on the project.
Even the scope of the project remained subject to refinement.
In one option suggested by Marks and Porteshawver, the city could seek bids for two 360-foot turbines similar to those built at the Budweiser property in Fairfield. Those structures, built on the city’s water treatment plant property, could generate 9,000 megawatt hours of power, which could be sold to the power grid through an established utility such as Pacific Gas and Electric or Marin Clean Energy.
The power sale, as well as the construction, would be the responsibility of the selected developer, the two said, whereas the city would get the annual lease payments.
Under this scenario, the city wouldn’t get any direct benefit in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Benicia, Porteshawver said, though it would demonstrate the city’s commitment to take a leadership role in wind power production.
How much revenue the developer could expect would depend on tariffs and payment rates at the time the project would become operational, she said.
The other prospect would be a smaller turbine that would generate the rest of the power the water plant needs that isn’t already supplied from the city’s solar arrays.
This project is not related to a wind power study being conducted near Lake Herman on a separate parcel owned by the city.
Porteshawver and Marks, as well as Kilger, sought the Council’s opinion and authorization to seek proposals for turbines at the site.
Foundation Wind Power (FWP), a commercial-scale wind energy development company, provided city employees with plans for the two turbines, which is likely to need review under the California Environmental Quality Act.
However, exact arrangements with the city, including the property lease, wouldn’t be known until proposals from vendors are sought, Marks and Porteshawver explained Tuesday.
“The RFP is to see what deals we can get,” Marks said.
In addition, RFP responses would be evaluated on what is best for the city, Kilger said.
“I think windmills are not a bad idea,” Councilmember Tom Campbell said. But there are members of the
community who might disagree, he said.
Among them, “The birding community is not going to be happy.” Nor would residents of Waters End, a residential development that would be near the project, likely be overwhelmingly in favor, Campbell said, adding, “Shouldn’t we see what the community is thinking first?”
“We do know there will need to be an aggressive public outreach,” Kilger said. “We want the Council to be comfortable.”
Patterson warned that the outreach “is crucial.” If the project didn’t get residents’ support and the public felt it couldn’t trust the Council’s decision, “we will not succeed.”
Councilmember Christina Strawbridge suggested an outreach element could be included in the proposals request, and Mayor Elizabeth Patterson asked that vendors state their experience in building in residential areas as well as with “the public process.”
Another concern: the amount of staff time that would be taken up by drafting the request as well as analyzing the responses.
City Attorney Heather McLaughlin said she would likely need outside help to complete the document. Other staff time would come from Porteshawver, who has such projects incorporated in her Council-approved work plan.
Kilger admitted energy-producing wind projects are “not the highest priority” for the city.
“But we have a two-fer,” he said, explaining that the wind project would meet the goals of generating more revenue and addressing strategies listed in the Climate Action Plan that was approved in 2009.
A consultant has given the city initial estimates of what the project could produce and what it could pay the city, and the chosen vendor would pick up the construction and other costs, Kilger said.
Despite her concerns, Patterson called the project “a wonderful opportunity.” But she sought more information, including a comprehensive, if conceptual, recommendation in the RFP about appropriate citywide solar projects and Benicia’s capacity for wind turbines.
Both Marks and Kilger suggested that should be a different project.
“If that’s what you want, we may need to talk about it,” Marks said.
Vice Mayor Mark Hughes, who was among those worried about how much additional workload a wind power project would be for city employees, suggested leaving the project “until we can breathe.”
But he also asked to see alternatives that would include sharing power sales revenues with the city.
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If the City gets no direct benefit from reducing GHG on this project why did we ok MCE. If MCE buys the renewable energy would not that fit the talking points of MCE? I thought that was the whole idea. MCE would help reduce GHG by using renewable energy. It proves my point about MCE. The MCE energy goes into the grid with no evidence of reduction of GHG. The co-ordinator just told us that. Very strange situation. On one hand it is a benefit but on the same hand it is no benefit. Just which is it.
Why spend time and money before checking to se if Benicians are interested in Wind Turbines in their backyard?
Advisory Ballot Measure in 2016 is the only comprehensive mechanism to assess the will of the community.
A GIS survey would indicate the extent of visual impacts. In my opinion, a significant percentage of residents do not have a line of sight to proposed turbine sites.
Stan stated: In my opinion, a significant percentage of residents do not have a line of sight to proposed turbine sites.
Which would then imply that an insignificant number of Benicians would be inconvenienced by these eyesores? ( I know that is not what you meant, but that is the message sent).
That might be a hard sell to the residents of the several hundred houses, the folks at the City Park, as well as all those at to Mathew Turner school. Recognize these windmills will be hundreds of feet tall.
Depending on exact location and number of windmills to be constructed this project would also virtually negate any potential for future growth along Lake Herman road.
But I suspect that is seen as an advantage to the project by many of those who favor this.
I have mentioned this several times and have yet to see any efforts made to consider this: Hydro turbines operating under water, out of sight to all, supply electricity to numerous remote locations (Galapogos Islands for example). These have also been used on the Hudson River. Solutions are available, so I wonder why the push for the windmills? Perhaps precluding development is the part of that answer?
I do believe this project is a long way from being approved. Where did they come up with $75,000 for the fee? Maybe it should be $300,000. In trhe long run the rersidents do not wANT
Sorry, bad at hitting the wrong buttons.
I don’t know about that Bob, it seems to me you are pretty good at pushing all the right buttons.
😉
That was a good comment Dennis. Thanks.
I do believe this project is a long way from being approved. Where did they come up with $75,000 for the fee? Maybe it should be $300,000. In the long run the residents do not want to see those ugly things. Not on the Benicia side or the Contra Costa side of the Straits. The best solution is to work with Elon on the Seeno property for an off the grid Business/Industrial Park. Share the emergy. Everyone wins then and it is not ugly with all the new tech. I will go with Elon any day.
Stsan these turbines are 360″ tall. Unless they are in a hole everyone will be able to see them. Do you mind looking out your house windows and seeing 360″ wind turbines? Would you like to look across the straits and those hills lined with 360″ turbines? They are ugly.
A couple of comments. There seems to be as much justification for your $300,000 number as the $75,000 number. Since we are apparently pulling numbers out of nowhere, I say lets go for $1,000,000. I mean why not? Second, i don’t have a problem with windmills per se. Everyone wants sustainable energy, just not in their back yard. They sure as hell cannot be uglier than the solar panels on East 2nd Street. Your idea of an off the grid business park is hot air if the city is not willing to place some source for off the grid energy. I am also not sure you can single out one developer, no matter how slimey, and place that kind of onus on them developing land they own.
It is not hot air. The only way the Seeno property will be developed is thru a third party. Who knows something may be happening right now. I do not know that. You dangle income in front of Seeno and you get his attention. Off the grid supporting the Business/*Industrial Park and then selling it to PG&E with a portiion going to the folks who take out leases for free energy and a portion going to Seeno. Sweet deal . It is not hot air. No one has talked about it. Elon would jump at that. His solar and his partnering with utility companys which he is salready doing would work. I am correct on this issue. It may never happen but the idea is very strong and that is the futurer of renewable energy.
Question for everyone. What do the Pope and Bob have in common? They are both infallable.
It is only me. The Pope did not make the cut nor did you and Peterson. I am the only one.. The problem with you John is your not updated. Get with the program. .
It appears the Pope is about to recognize me as a Saint. I do love that.
http://bit.ly/14RS2j4
Cal State Hayward grad like you should know exactly what I am talking about. Oh I forgot it only takes an expired fishing licence to get in that Jr. College
That’s funny. I, Peter Bray, Bob Shelby, Thomas Petersen and oh, just about everyone else who ever commented at beniciaheraldonline.com can say the same thing about YOU (especially the clueless and classless part). But we would actually be accurate in saying it.
ROFLMAO
Glad you liked it, John.
The Herald site is not “email”. We should not be surprised that you don’t know that. “Savy”, indeed.