Energy Efficiency, Solar, Sourcing Renewables - May 21, 2021
City of Milpitas Starts Smart City Energy & Water Savings Program
The City of Milpitas announced May 20 that construction started on a broad Smart City energy and water savings program expected to reduce utility consumption by more than 4.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and save more than $1.5 million for a lifetime savings of over $30 million.
The expansive program, approved by the City Council and implemented with ENGIE North America, includes the addition of more than 200 kilowatts of solar power; an energy storage and microgrid solution for backup power at the Milpitas Senior Center and Milpitas Community Center; 2,185 LED streetlight retrofits; 4,453 streetlight control upgrades with outage detection; city-wide LED lighting upgrades in parks, sports fields, city buildings, and community facilities, and electric vehicle charging stations.
"The goal of the city's energy and water savings program is to upgrade critical infrastructure with an eye on three major pillars: economic benefits, environmental benefits, and human benefits. Through this program, we will leverage guaranteed energy and water savings to pay for the program and save the city money, while reducing our energy and water usage, improving community safety, and enhancing building comfort and usability," said Mayor Rich Tran in a statement. "The city of Milpitas is proud of our continued commitment to fiscal and environmental stewardship and this comprehensive Smart Cities program will showcase Milpitas as a responsible and innovative community."
The city will use state incentives for battery energy storage, resiliency funds from Silicon Valley Clean Energy, and low-interest lease revenue bonds to fund the Smart Cities project. The energy and water savings will help the program more than pay for itself. The Smart Cities plan provides the community with a dedicated AmeriCorps CivicSpark Fellow, and the program’s outreach is designed to build public interest in climate action and sustainability issues.
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