California Judicial Council seeks bids for microgrids, solar, storage at 32 sites

Sept. 22, 2022
The largest judicial court system in the US — California’s — is seeking bids to develop renewable microgrids or solar and storage for 32 of its sites.

The largest judicial court system in the United States — California’s — is seeking bids to develop renewable microgrids or solar and storage for 32 of its courthouses, judicial centers and other sites.

The state Judicial Council issued a request for proposals (RFP) this week as part of its effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and secure renewable electric supply for its facilities.

The RFP seeks proposals for systems that offer renewable microgrids, solar and batteries or solar alone. The projects will operate under solar power purchase agreements or solar equipment lease agreements, which may vary based on the needs of each site.

The council plans to award the contract to one bidder, who may be a financier, asset owner or developer.

In developing the grid-connected projects, the council’s goals are to:

  • Provide electric price stability
  • Improve the resilience of court operations during power outages
  • Demonstrate commitment to renewable energy
  • Promote local economic development
  • Enhance public awareness about the council’s pursuit of sustainable technologies
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

While the bid winner will own the installation, the Judicial Council will own any renewable energy certificates associated with the project.

The winner will be chosen based on a 100-point ranking scale, with the greatest number of points given for the cost savings offered by the project (30 points).

Proposals are due no later than Tuesday, January 17, 2023, 5 pm PST. The council is aiming for a contract start date of June 15, 2023.

A non-mandatory pre-conference call about the RFP will be held Monday, September 26, 2022, at 10 am PST. (Call-In Number: 1-877-820-7831; participant Passcode: 109630)

Questions regarding the RFP should be submitted in writing to [email protected] by Tuesday, November 29, 2022, 5 pm PST.

The RFP is available on the California Courts website (RFP-FS-2021-07-BD)

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About the Author

Elisa Wood | Editor-in-Chief

Elisa Wood is an award-winning writer and editor who specializes in the energy industry. She is chief editor and co-founder of Microgrid Knowledge and serves as co-host of the publication’s popular conference series. She also co-founded RealEnergyWriters.com, where she continues to lead a team of energy writers who produce content for energy companies and advocacy organizations.

She has been writing about energy for more than two decades and is published widely. Her work can be found in prominent energy business journals as well as mainstream publications. She has been quoted by NPR, the Wall Street Journal and other notable media outlets.

“For an especially readable voice in the industry, the most consistent interpreter across these years has been the energy journalist Elisa Wood, whose Microgrid Knowledge (and conference) has aggregated more stories better than any other feed of its time,” wrote Malcolm McCullough, in the book, Downtime on the Microgrid, published by MIT Press in 2020.

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