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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6.k. Application for Xcel Energy’s Partners in Energy EXECUTIVE SUMMARY City Council Regular Meeting: September 20, 2016 AGENDA ITEM: Application for Xcel Energy’s Partners in Energy AGENDA SECTION: Consent PREPARED BY: Derick Anderson, Sr. Engineering Tech AGENDA NO. 6.k. ATTACHMENTS: Xcel Energy’s Program Overview APPROVED BY: ddj RECOMMENDED ACTION: Approve Application for the Partners in Energy Program. ISSUE Excel Energy has a “Partners in Energy” program to help support Cities with their energy and sustainability initiatives. The Rosemount Environmental and Sustainability Task Force (ESTF) discussed the program at the August 16 meeting. They determined the program could be a benefit to the City and voted to recommend City Council approval for the application for the program. BACKGROUND: The “Partners in Energy” program is available to communities in Minnesota that are looking for resources to take their energy planning to the next level. The application is due October 14. Three cities from Minnesota will be selected to participate. Through this program, Xcel Energy will: • Facilitate the development of a plan that reflects the community’s unique needs • Analyze data regarding energy use to enable informed planning and decision making • Provide support through project management, marketing communications and tracking • Recognize and celebrate goal achievements The two year program consists of a six month plan development stage followed by an 18 month implementation stage. Approximately 15-20 hours of staff time will be needed to complete the application. A member of the ESTF will act as the “Partners in Energy Champion” and the entire ESTF will work as a team on the development and implementation of the plan. Approximately 15 hours of City staff time per month will be required during the six month development stage. SUMMARY Staff recommends City Council approval to proceed with the application for the Partners in Energy program. A free offering for communities looking to take energy planning to the next level. Your leadership. Our energy know how. A collaborative team.ABOUT 24 MONTHSPartners In Energy How can Partners in Energy energize your community? Develop an Energy Action Plan with our empowering guidance and experience ADVANCES your economic development path FOSTERS a collaborative, energy-savvy community PROVIDES a leadership platform ENGAGES and educates community members LAUNCHES your energy and sustainability goals PLANNING WORKSHOPS Schedules and facilitates helpful workshops to guide development of Energy Action Plan SCENARIO PLANNING Models (into the future) the energy impact path your community is striving to achieve OUTREACH SUPPORT Energy expertise and team leadership to enable your community-driven plan DOCUMENTING ENERGY PLAN After weeks of planning, your commu- nity will receive a robust Energy Action Plan document to serve as your blueprint to energy management ESTABLISHING BASELIINE Identies an energy baseline for measuring consumption, program participation or greenhouse gas emissions. RECRUITING PARTNER Helps you identify and recruit energy planning team contributors GOAL SETTING Guides your planning team in identifying measurable energy goals Take action with our implementation support Imagine the possibilities for your community PR + social media Promotional marketing Event planning Contests + challenges Education + outreach Tracking + reporting Tools for events + tabling Project management • E n ergy expertis e • ResourcesReady to launch? Want to learn more about how to apply for Partners in Energy? You and your community stakeholders can learn more by visiting xcelenergy.com/PartnersInEnergy for more information. xcelenergy.com | © 2016 Xcel Energy Inc. | Xcel Energy is a registered trademark of Xcel Energy Inc. | 16-08-136 From crisis to clarity It’s only fitting that a great energy program started with an energy crisis. The maintenance staff at the City of Red Wing started working on energy efficiency projects back in the 1980s, when an energy crisis gripped the country. Fuel prices came down so the Deputy Director of Public Works approached the city council about putting money saved on fuel costs toward retrofits and upgrades. He knew Xcel Energy offered rebates to help offset the cost of the new equipment. “I was given permission and we used it as a revolving fund,” explains Jay McCleary, now retired from the position. “We’d do one project and it would pay back in seven months, so we’d turn around and do another.” Three decades and countless projects later, McCleary has helped the city of Red Wing collect nearly $100,000 in Xcel Energy rebates and begin a trend toward efficiency and sustainability that has grown over time. Those accomplishments laid the groundwork for a new venture that the surrounding community is engaging in called Partners in Energy. This broader venture encourages both businesses and residents to get involved. A long list of savings Looking back at decades of efficiency work, it’s hard to know exactly where it started, but Xcel Energy account manager Lance Duellman says there isn’t much they haven’t retrofitted. “They’ve recommissioned several buildings and have replaced heating, cooling equipment and lighting in all of them,” says Duellman. “In fact, they’ve upgraded their lighting several times, installed LEDs on a parking ramp and even changed the streetlights to LEDs three years ago. They have been very proactive for a long time.” McCleary credits Xcel Energy with helping them determine a priority list for their twelve buildings. Projects with quick paybacks were tackled first. The money saved on one project went to the next. The steady cycle continues to save them money. “We really never received much resistance from the city council when we showed them the costs, rebates and payback,” says McCleary. “They were always very supportive and gave us the green light.” In addition to efficiency efforts, McCleary says they were trend setters in the solar realm. They added solar panels to half of their buildings in 2013–2014 and have plans to add panels to the others. The city of Red Wing was one of the first Solar*Rewards® customers in the state of Minnesota. In 2014, the panels produced 3 percent of the city-owned buildings’ energy and saved the city roughly $19,500 in electrical costs. McCleary and his team pushed even farther with their sustainability efforts with a waste oil furnace in the maintenance shop. The used oil from the fleet vehicles is saved throughout the year and used to heat the building during the winter months. Powered by electricity from the solar installations, this building is net zero. Partners in Energy: City of Red Wing Saves Energy, Money and the Environment CASE STUDY RED WING “It’s exciting, I never envisioned that it would be that big of a drop. I knew we would save money and reduce our carbon footprint, but the numbers that came back after we installed those solar panels were awesome.” JAY MCCLEARY Retired Deputy Director of Public Works Partners in Energy In this two year collaboration, Xcel Energy works with communities to help them develop and implement their own energy action plan. As part of the offering, Xcel Energy will: • Facilitate the development of a plan that reflects the community’s unique needs • Analyze data regarding program participation and energy use to enable informed planning and decision making • Provide support through project management, marketing communications and tracking • Recognize and celebrate goal achievements “The oil goes through an oil filter, similar to a car oil filter and the furnace does the rest,” says McCleary. “It burns very clean with virtually no smoke.” McCleary says since they started benchmarking energy use in 2011—all while making efficiency improvements—they have reduced their carbon footprint for the 12 major buildings by a whopping 55 percent. “It’s exciting,” says McCleary. “I never envisioned that it would be that big of a drop. I knew we would save money and reduce our carbon footprint, but the numbers that came back after we installed those solar panels were awesome.” Community support McCleary says having the community behind the effort has helped tremendously. It’s why they recently teamed up with Xcel Energy’s Partners in Energy, which provides community support over two years to help communities develop their own energy action plans. These plans leverage a community’s unique resources to engage and inform community members to drive them to action and help them achieve their goals. “The partnership is designed to help communities form a team, make a plan that reflects their priorities and implement change. We also track and report progress, which is often a great motivator to continue efforts and encourage even more people to get involved,” says Tami Gunderzik. “Partners in Energy is community driven, but once a community identifies what they want to achieve we work together to leverage Xcel Energy’s programs and services to help them reach their goals.” “People understand the savings associated with these investments and that we’re doing the right thing for the environment,” says McCleary. “We’ve never had a problem convincing them that these are good ways to spend money—even when we’re looking to install a furnace in a library and competing with capital dollars to buy fire trucks or squad cars. Those are tough choices so we build them into our five-year capital improvement plan.” McCleary says they’re now working on a community solar garden, which residents can’t wait to get up and running. Getting awards and giving advice Many of the city’s buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places, making retrofits even harder due to extra regulations. It’s not easy to find the right, energy-efficient windows for a 100-year-old building. Despite the challenges, they’re doing enough right to be earning recognition. “In 2013, we were given an Innovation award by the Minnesota chapter of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing,” explains McCleary. “As a national finalist, we were invited to Philadelphia to present what we had accomplished. We knew then that part of our goal was to educate others about how we did it, so they could learn from us and implement their own plans.” They are now spreading the word however they can. Education is an important element to help others make decisions and save money at their own facilities and homes. Xcel Energy’s Partners in Energy helped put a solid implementation plan in place to deliver the message. “We are now thinking about new ways to educate residents about the opportunities out there like rebates or other incentives,” says McCleary. “We’re considering things like literature distributed by the welcome wagon or real estate agents—anything to help others achieve what we have.” And Xcel Energy continues to provide support one community at a time. xcelenergy.com | © 2015 Xcel Energy Inc. | Xcel Energy is a registered trademark of Xcel Energy Inc. Northern States Power Company-Minnesota, an Xcel Energy Company. | 15-07-522 | 08/15 To learn more about how Partners in Energy can benefit your community through an action plan, rebates and more, please visit xcelenergy.com\ PartnersinEnergy or call 1-800-369-4362. CITY OF RED WING CASE STUDY PARTNERS IN ENERGY 1-800-369-4362 RED WING PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS Dates 1987 – Present Projects Peak energy controls, lighting upgrades, motor upgrades, variable frequency drives for treatment plants, replacement of HVAC Equipment, solar panels Locations 1. Community Development Building 2. City Hall 3. Fire Station 4. Solid Waste Facility 5. Public Works Building 6. Public Works Maintenance Shop Xcel Energy rebates $98,404 Solar energy produced annually 240 MWh (3% of the City of Red Wing’s energy) and $19,500 in annual energy savings How can we support your outreach? Xcel Energy offers a portfolio of programs and services to augment your energy initiatives. Partners in Energy tailors support where you need it, which could include these examples. Tactic Xcel Energy Partners in Energy Support Possible Deliverables Micro-grants (ability to award funding within the community to support projects)  Help identify possible sources of funding to develop a pool  Work with team to identify potential program structure  Community administered program  List of possible sources of micro-grants  Support with completing grant applications Grants (large capital award to pursue an investment in the community)  Support defining project parameters and financial modeling  Assistance with identifying potential funding sources and technical assistance with completing applications  Large community project funded all or in part through third party  List of possible funding resources to pursue as capital intensive projects are identified People and resources to help deliver programs  Support with developing systems to coordinate volunteers  Assistance with identifying where resources would have the greatest impact  Support developing promotional materials.  Help you identify volunteers or prepare them to serve  Geographic identification of where 1:1 contact would be most effective  Establishing a web portal for volunteer sign-ups  Training for volunteers Marketing materials  Support with designing post cards, door hangers, posters, emails or other collateral  Assistance with identifying the best target market for a program or offering  Translation services for collateral for non-English speaking audiences  Newsletter content development  Collateral development based on your tactical objectives  Emails with educational materials on possible rebates or energy efficiency measures  Educational poster development to educate employees and customers  Ongoing column or blog leveraging existing community outlets Media relations  Templates and content ideas for press releases or articles  Support developing a targeted outreach plan  Press releases  Articles for local media Tactic Xcel Energy Partners in Energy Support Possible Deliverables Community 1. Information on energy use and  Analysis of neighborhoods to identify Partners in Energy Support Tactic Xcel Energy Partners in Energy Support Possible Deliverables Community data/activity tracking  Information on energy use and program participation for neighborhoods or communities (within constraints of data privacy rules)  Combine Xcel Energy information with other community data to get a more robust profile  Recognition tools for participants  Analysis of neighborhoods to identify opportunities  Activity updates to support tracking program participation (tracking progress to goal)  Recognition programs for residents or businesses who participate Education  Develop communication collateral  Identify expert resources  Assist with developing training curriculum  Provide information on associated utility programs  Assist with developing a presentation  A seminar or training for community members, trade or government employees  A website to help inform or provide user support  Trainings for community leaders on outreach topics  Presentation and materials at local business association meetings to promote the community’s plan Events  Assist with designing and developing invitations, agendas or other collateral  Identify steps of an action plan to support a community’s event  Assist with developing a communication plan to build awareness of the event  A community trade fair to promote weatherization, renewables, community resources, etc.  Open house to inform community members about the Energy Action Plan and solicit input and implementation support  Event fliers, posters and signage Resource center  Support developing web content  Suggest potential organizations, programs or Web links that provide expertise in focus areas  Case studies highlighting success stories with results associated with an Energy Action Plan  Data visualization with energy-related data mapping to represent community use  Free small business energy efficiency advisors  Community website management that provides a portal to the Energy Action Plan and/or “how-to” steps to implement improvements  Collateral that provides non-biased information on energy efficiency or renewable projects  Bilingual information on how to participate in energy-related programs  Provide list of possible financing options for large capital options Ongoing program communication  Support with scheduling and coordinating team meetings  Social media support – Tweets, Facebook, etc.  Facilitating quarterly meetings for the implementation leaders to review plans and progress updates  Facebook posts giving energy tips, updates on progress to goal, recognition and event announcements. Copyright © 2016 Xcel Energy Inc. An Xcel Energy Community Collaboration Q. What is Partners in Energy? A. Xcel Energy’s Partners in Energy is available to communities in Minnesota and Colorado that are looking for resources to take their energy planning to the next level. Through a two-year commitment, we help you identify your community’s energy objectives, develop a plan, and implement strategies that incorporate your unique, local resources. To facilitate and empower contributors, we’ve assembled a team of experts in energy consulting, process and implementation coaching to help your teams throughout the process. Q. How can Partners in Energy benefit my community? A. Partners in Energy offers flexibility, expertise and resources to develop and launch your energy planning. We supplement your local resources with our team of experts to guide you through the planning process and develop your plan document. If you’re aiming to add renewable energy, reduce electric and natural gas consumption, or lower CO2 emissions, developing a robust Energy Action Plan will provide the first step to charting your energy course. The plan will outline actionable strategies that may include promotional outreach, education, events, PR and more. We help guide the project implementation and bring tools and resources to help your community overcome implementation barriers. Community engagement is a key component, which can help community leaders deliver good news stories to stakeholders, as well as position your community as an energy-savvy, environmentally conscious trendsetter. Q. What information can Xcel Energy provide to help with the plan? A. As part of developing the plan, your Partners in Energy team will begin by determining your baseline energy use, program offerings and program participation. In addition to working with energy data from Xcel Energy, we ask your team to share what they know about the local history of energy-related programs and offerings to develop a full profile of what your community has achieved to date. Through a series of workshops, we’ll try to provide more in depth analysis to help the team answer questions on things like program participation by market segments, geographic differences or historical patterns. Once your plan is completed, we will track and report participation to be sure we are achieving measurable results. Q. What resources are expected from us? A. Ideally, you will assign a champion from your community who will help smooth the process of developing an Energy Action Plan and rolling out implementation. Our facilitators are supportive every step of the way by leading workshops and empowering the team with resources and energy expertise. Over the first six months Partners in Energy Frequently Asked Questions Email us: partnersinenergy@xcelenergy.com Call us: 800.369.4362 Learn more: xcelenergy.com/PartnersInEnergy of working together to develop your action plan, it may require up to 100 hours of time from your Partners in Energy champion. You will also need to identify a group of local participants to get involved in developing the plan. Throughout the planning and implementation, we will leverage your existing communications channels, such as your community website, social media, press media, newsletters or cable channels. Xcel Energy resources are there to support and provide tools and help throughout the process—but it is the community that owns the plan. Q. Is there a cost associated with Partners in Energy? A. There is no cost to participate in Partners in Energy—or for our resources. The amount you need to invest is driven by your needs or outreach strategies in your plan. The tactics in your energy action plan may be within your current budget, or you may identify needs for a more robust energy management program. Q. Who is involved? A. In addition to your community contributors, the Xcel Energy team will be at the table to provide resources, data and support during the planning and implementation. In addition, you will have access to energy planning experts and the ability to brainstorm with representatives from other communities participating in Partners in Energy concurrently. This is done through a series of webinars and “ask the expert” office- hours delivered through our Exchange option. Q. How do we apply for Partners in Energy? A. To find out more about when additional communities can join or to download an application, visit xcelenergy.com/PartnersInEnergy. If you have specific questions or want to request a presentation email us at PartnersInEnergy@xcelenergy.com. Q. What are the first steps to participate? A. Once you’ve been accepted into the Partners in Energy program, Xcel Energy will organize preliminary kickoff meetings to build the framework to launch your energy action planning workshops. Anticipate six to eight weeks for preparation, and 20 to 26 weeks for development of the plan. Following the plan development, we will collaborate for 18 months to implement your strategies. Partners in Energy Frequently Asked Questions xcelenergy.com | © 2016 Xcel Energy Inc. | Xcel Energy is a registered trademark of Xcel Energy Inc. | 16-07-121 APPLICATION COLORADO | MINNESOTA Partners in Energy PAGE 1 OF 6 16-05-618 | 5/2016 Partners in Energy offers tools and expertise to support communities as they develop and implement Energy Action Plans. These Energy Action Plans belong to the communities and become roadmaps for successfully achieving their energy goals, including outlining responsiblity, ownership and the metrics to define success. As with other planning documents in a community, the Energy Action Plans and associated work products will be public and can be shared with community members and other communities who may be participating in or considering Partners in Energy. Partners in Energy is offered at no cost to participating communities, with the expectation that both the Xcel Energy and the community will invest in the process. This investment will include staff and financial resources from Xcel Energy during both the planning and implementation phases, as well as the community providing staff time during both the planning and implementation phases and financial support as necessary for the implementation of the plan. Xcel Energy wants to work with motivated, engaged, and action-oriented communities and champions who are willing to commit to the process and the outcomes. This application will help us better determine good community alignment for our limited, but valuable, resources. While completing the application does not guarantee acceptance as a participant, your application will be evaluated against other applicants using criteria that include, but may not be limited to, community size and structure, planning experience, stakeholder capacity, available resources (staff and otherwise), and willingness to share results publicly. If you have questions about the application or the opportunity, please visit xcelenergy.com/PartnersInEnergy, email us at PartnersInEnergy@xcelenergy.com or call 1-800-369-4362. SUBMIT COMPLETED APPLICATION VIA EMAIL TO: PartnersInEnergy@xcelenergy.com. Return this application by 5:00 p.m. CST on October 14, 2016. Qualifying Customers Communities in Colorado and Minnesota with retail energy services from Xcel Energy qualify to participate in Partners in Energy. Community name ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Community jurisdiction (e.g., city, association, partnerships, county): ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Contact name __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Title _____________________________________________________________________________________ Phone ____________________________________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City _____________________________________________________________________________________ Email _____________________________________________________________________ Approximate business count ___________________________________________________ Approximate household count _______________________________________________ Approximate population ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Approximate area in square miles ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Would you be able to provide a GIS a shapefile of your community that would define the geographic boundaries of the area? Yes No COMMUNITY CUSTOMER INFORMATION COMMUNITY PROFILE PARTNERS IN ENERGY APPLICATION CO | MN PAGE 2 OF 6 16-05-618 | 5/2016 Current community energy-related utility providers (e.g., gas service providers) 1) Name of Company __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Fuel type _______________________________________________________________________ Area Served ___________________________________________________________________ 2) Name of Company __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Fuel type _______________________________________________________________________ Area Served ___________________________________________________________________ 3) Name of Company __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Fuel type _______________________________________________________________________ Area Served ___________________________________________________________________ Describe your interest in the Partners in Energy. What is/are the most pressing energy-related issue(s) facing your community today? INTEREST IN PARTNERS IN ENERGY PARTNERS IN ENERGY APPLICATION CO | MN PAGE 3 OF 6 16-05-618 | 5/2016 If you’re accepted as a participant in Partners in Energy, what additional approvals within your community would need to be obtained prior to starting the planning process? (examples: City Council, Sustainability Commission, etc.) Does your community currently have any sustainability or energy plans, policies, codes, regulations or initiatives? If yes, please identify them and indicate the date(s) they were last revised. (Include links to documents if possible.) Describe any energy programs or energy management activities your community has participated in over the past two years. Please include goals and results if applicable. This can include initiatives to track energy use in any part of your community (e.g., public buildings), a neighborhood energy challenge, etc. PLANNING AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE PARTNERS IN ENERGY APPLICATION CO | MN Does your community currently have paid staff who are, or will be, involved in the management and/or implementation of energy or sustainability initiatives as a component of their job duties? If so, please describe their title and role. (If available, please include an organization chart or staff list to indicate the role of key personnel that would participate in this program.) Please indicate who in your community would be the point person to manage your Partners in Energy participation and describe his/her applicable experience and background relative to planning, energy and /or sustainability, as well as availability to support this two-year process. a. During the planning phase (approximately 15 hours per month) b. During the implementation phase (time commitment will be driven by the implementation strategies identified through the planning process) COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND COMMITMENT PAGE 4 OF 6 16-05-618 | 5/2016 PARTNERS IN ENERGY APPLICATION CO | MN PAGE 5 OF 6 16-05-618 | 5/2016 While Partners in Energy is offered to communities at no cost, the community will be responsible to supporting expenses associated with implementing the plan. Does your community have staff, volunteer, budget or other funding resources to implement the energy initiatives that will be identified in development of an Energy Action Plan? Yes No If yes, please describe. Is there an interest in applying for grants or identifying third-party financing mechanisms to fund energy-related activities for the community to successfully implement an Energy Action Plan (if necessary)? Yes No If no, please provide a reason. One of the keys to Partners in Energy is to engage representatives from your community to participate in developing the plan and ultimately in the implementation activities. These representatives should be varied and willing to commit their time to the process. They may include city or town staff members, business association representatives, large local business, local nonprofits,s schools, county government officials, etc. Please describe who from the community you would anticipate trying to engage in developing your Energy Action Plan. (Please list six to eight possible representatives.) COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PARTNERS IN ENERGY APPLICATION CO | MN Would you be willing to share your progress during plan development and implementation with community members and other potential Partners in Energy participants and make your Energy Action Plan a public document? Yes No If no, please explain. Is there anything else you would like us to consider when evaluating your application? I certify that the information in this application is accurate and complete and I am authorized to make this application on behalf of my community. Your signature confirms your community is interested in participating in Partners in Energy and is willing to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Xcel Energy that will define responsibilities and expectations of both parties. Community Name ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Contact Name _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Title _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By checking the box and indicating my name below, I am signing this application in declaration of its accuracy. Name __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date _______________________________________ CUSTOMER DECLARATION xcelenergy.com| © 2016 Xcel Energy Inc. | Xcel Energy is a registered trademark of Xcel Energy Inc. 16-05-618