TO:
Honorable Parking and Public Improvements Commission Chair and Commissioners
THROUGH:
Masa Alkire, Community Development Director
FROM:
Erik Zandvliet, Traffic Engineer
Britny Coker-Moen, Environmental Programs Administrator
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of Clean Power Alliance’s Power Ready Program Regarding Solar and Battery Storage Opportunities at the Police and Fire Public Safety Building
Body
_________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Parking and Public Improvements Commission recommend to the City Council that the City continue participation in the Clean Power Alliance Power Ready Program to explore a no-additional-cost solar and battery energy storage system on the City’s Police and Fire Public Safety Building.
BACKGROUND:
Clean Power Alliance and Power Ready Program Background
Clean Power Alliance (CPA) is a Community Choice Aggregation program, established as a Joint Powers Authority, that purchases clean power that is delivered by Southern California Edison (SCE) to provide energy to its member agencies, including Manhattan Beach. CPA serves more than three million residents and businesses through more than one million customer accounts. SCE sends a single monthly bill, which includes SCE charges for electricity delivery and CPA charges for electricity supply and generation. CPA charges are not an added fee, they simply replace the SCE supply and generation charges on the bill. Customers are automatically enrolled at the preferred energy option determined by each jurisdiction but can change or opt-out at any time. The energy options include “green” power which is 100% power sourced from renewable energy sources, “clean” power which is 50% power sourced from renewable energy sources, and “lean” power which is approximately 30% power sourced from renewable energy sources.
The City of Manhattan Beach joined CPA in 2017 and as a member agency has representation on CPA’s Board of Directors. The City of Manhattan Beach has opted into the “green power” option. CPA is comprised of 38 member agencies that have banded together to provide cleaner electricity at competitive rates. As a not-for-profit organization, CPA’s revenues, after costs for power and operations plus financial reserve contributions, are pooled and invested into local programs to assist customers and communities through no-cost programs and rebates, such as the Power Ready Program.
In January 2020, the increasing risk of weather and disaster related electricity outages, in addition to Public Safety Power Shutoffs and grid emergency events, prompted the CPA Board of Directors to authorize CPA staff to conduct a Request for Information (RFI) to member agencies related to solar and battery systems. The purpose of this RFI was to gauge interest in a program that would provide a solar-paired battery energy storage system for critical power loads at a critical facility in each of CPA’s member agencies’ jurisdictions. After receiving the results of the RFI, CPA staff designed the Power Ready Program (Program) to meet the expressed member agency needs for community energy resiliency.
The Program provides a no-additional-cost method for member agencies to install resilient, clean, on-site photovoltaic (PV) solar and battery energy storage systems for backup power at select public buildings that serve a critical community purpose. The Program is offered at no upfront cost and no additional costs throughout the life of the Program, which is approximately 20 years. The Program relieves member agencies of the burden of undertaking resilience projects that are expensive, complex, and require specified knowledge to design, implement, and maintain. CPA is further streamlining participation for their member agencies by contracting with a third-party vendor to build, own, and operate the systems for 20 years on behalf of the member agencies and by aggregating multiple potential solar and battery storage sites owned or operated by them. The aggregation of sites allows CPA to solicit bids through a competitive solicitation process for all sites together, making it possible for CPA to obtain more cost-effective bids from vendors rather than if agencies were to solicit projects individually.
City of Manhattan Beach Background
In 2015 the City Council held a study session on sustainable energy initiatives for Manhattan Beach, including an update of the City’s previous energy audit conducted in 2009. A 2016 Energy Audit and Solar Analysis completed by Newcomb, Anderson, and McCormick (NAM) was presented to City Council in January 2017 and recommended the City pursue energy conservation and renewable energy.
In 2022, City staff was offered the opportunity to nominate up to five sites for the Program. Public Works, Fire Department, and Community Development staff identified the Police and Fire Public Safety Building (Public Safety Building), City Hall, Public Works Yard, and Joslyn Community Center as potential sites for consideration. Sites were selected and evaluated for consideration based on public benefit, age of the building and roof, power load, space for solar and batteries, and other factors. At the time, the Joslyn Community Center was selected as the best public facility candidate for Manhattan Beach due to its central location in the community, its frequent programming, which is especially popular among seniors, and considering that the facility did not have a generator on site. However, the Joslyn Center project did not move forward primarily due to concerns with a carport solar system. A rooftop solar system was not feasible at the Joslyn Center as the roof was determined to need extensive renovation before the end of the 20-year project term as well as extensive HVAC and other equipment obstructions on the roof.
In 2025, City staff revisited the Program and nominated the Public Safety Building, which includes Fire Station One, as a potential site for the installation of the Program’s Round Two solar and battery energy storage system. City staff selected the Public Safety Building based on its central location, community benefit, City logistics, emergency uses and communications, public access, and critical City operations. The Public Safety Building is suited for the program as it serves critical community functions as a public-facing building that hosts the Police Department, Fire Department, and Fire Station One. In addition, the Public Safety Building contains the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and serves as the command post when the EOC is activated during emergencies.
Of note, the City of Manhattan Beach has not yet pursued or implemented any municipal solar projects on City facilities or carports. While Public Works is proposing an ongoing project to consider solar installations at City facilities in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2026 through 2029-2030 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), funding for these types of projects would not become available until FY 2028-2029. Therefore, the proposed Program would be the first City solar and battery energy storage system on public property and could serve as a demonstration site for future municipal and community solar and battery energy storage projects. Furthermore, participation in this Program has the potential to make CIP funds available for solar projects on other facilities or other more pressing CIP projects that benefit the community.
In considering Program participation, it is appropriate to consider the City’s sustainable electrification objectives outlined in the City’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP), adopted in April 2025, which include:
• A reduced dependency on fossil fuels (CAAP Goal 2);
• A community with clean air (CAAP Goal 3);
• Buildings and infrastructure that support human health and emissions reduction (CAAP Goal 4);
• Sustainable production and consumption of resources (CAAP Goal 6);
• Procure zero-carbon electricity (CAAP Strategy E1);
• Increase local solar energy generation (CAAP Strategy E2);
• Develop energy storage (CAAP Strategy E3); and
• Net-zero buildings (CAAP Strategy B2).
The CAAP also identifies some of these initiatives as mid-term high cost goals due to the significant infrastructure investments required. Therefore, City staff began pursuing project and funding opportunities to implement electrification infrastructure, including the Power Ready Program.
In 2026, Police, Fire, and Community Development staff, along with CPA and Arup Group Limited (ARUP), CPA’s contracted engineering firm, conducted a site visit of the facility to further determine its feasibility. According to the Public Safety Building Power Ready Program Report (Attachment 1) developed by CPA and ARUP, the site is a strong candidate to apply for the Program. The preliminary assessment of the project proposes 90 kilowatts of PV solar capacity, 153,000 kilowatt hours of annual solar power generation, annual solar offset of 11 percent of the building’s energy use, 75 kilowatt battery capacity, and 40 percent, or four hours, of battery critical energy reserve to support the identified critical loads. Four hours is the guaranteed battery energy reserve that will be available at all times. However, in the event of a grid power outage event, the facility will have access to any power generated during that time in addition to the four hours guaranteed. The project would work in parallel with the existing backup generator.
According to SCE (Attachment 2), the Public Safety Building lost power on seven occasions between March 2021 and April 2026 for an average of 76 minutes, with a high of 101 minutes on March 6, 2023, and a low of 47 minutes on April 23, 2022. The most recent outage was on April 16, 2026, for 81 minutes.
The benefits of the Power Ready Program include:
• Back-up power system that provides power during outages (including public safety power shutoffs, natural disasters, and blackouts);
• Reduced dependence on the existing diesel-powered generator, and associated reduced fuel costs, emissions reductions, and air quality improvements;
• No upfront or additional costs to the City, and no increase to energy bills for participating;
• CPA responsibility for all operations and maintenance labor and costs of the system;
• Enhanced grid resilience that helps to prevent grid emergencies and reduces peak energy demand for the broader community;
• A clean, renewable, and reliable energy source as recommended in the City’s CAAP;
• City staff education about hosting battery storage; and
• CPA promotion of the City’s participation in this innovative program.
DISCUSSION:
The Power Ready Program is offered as a community benefit with no upfront and no additional cost to the City for the installation and maintenance of a photovoltaic (PV) solar and battery energy storage system. CPA guarantees annual electricity charges for the facility will be equal to or less than the amount that would have otherwise been charged if the City did not participate in the Program through an on-bill adjustment mechanism. The program relieves the City of the responsibility of expending resources to determine feasibility, permitting, constructing, operating, and maintaining the system. The City will continue to pay the usual monthly electricity bill for the building, which is guaranteed to be no higher than it would have been without the system, and could potentially even see savings.
By participating in the Program, the City can reduce reliance on the on-site generator by at least four hours during a power outage, thus reducing funds spent on fuel for the generator, improving air quality, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions as aligned with the City’s adopted Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.
Project Proposal
Solar System
According to the Public Safety Building Power Ready Program Report (Report), the available rooftop space has capacity for a 90 kilowatt PV solar system. Initial structural calculations determined that the existing roof could support the weight of the panels. Despite being 23 years old, the roof is in good condition, and at the time of the assessment no repairs were determined to be needed prior to the installation of the solar panel system. However, ARUP recommends auditing original specifications for the rooftop to confirm the barrier material and determine whether a replacement is warranted.
Battery System
Two battery system options are presented in the Report. The proposed systems would be installed where there is currently an underused landscaped area towards the southern portion of the Police Department parking lot, between the Investigation Bureau and a structure that contains animal control kennels and maintenance equipment for the air conditioning and heating (Attachment 1, page 9). The Report proposes either two large batteries or a series of smaller batteries. Installing two large batteries would require a concrete masonry unit (CMU) wall to be installed between the battery and public right-of-way and the east-facing exterior wall of the Investigation Bureau to meet the fire code. Due to the chance of the CMU wall obstructing a portion of the east-facing Investigation Bureau office windows, an alternative battery system option is proposed, comprised of a series of smaller batteries that would not require a CMU wall to be constructed. Should the City continue to participate in the program, CPA will work with City staff to design the best possible battery system layout with minimal window obstruction while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing view from the public right-of-way. The City’s Police and Fire staff have indicated that this location as the preferred site for the battery energy storage system so as not to impede upon available parking spaces in the parking lot.
A portion of the battery supply, a minimum of four hours, is guaranteed to be available for power outages for the selected critical loads at the facility at all times. The critical loads selected by City staff from the Police and Fire Departments include select lights, outlets, IT, and doors for the EOC, watch commander’s office, front desk, jail, and Fire Station One. These critical loads represent approximately 11 percent of the building’s total energy use. All other critical loads will continue to be supported by the existing on-site generator that will work in parallel with the battery. If the battery runs out of backup power, all critical loads will shift back to the generator.
Financial Assessment
ARUP also conducted a financial assessment that assumes the following costs incurred if the City were to pursue this type of project itself (Attachment 1, page 41). These assumptions amount to approximately $867,600 over the lifetime of the project.
The City benefits by participating in the program as CPA is covering not only the upfront costs, but also the operations and maintenance labor and costs for the life of the project. By participating in this program, the City will not pay any of the costs below.
|
Input |
Value per kilowatt |
Total value |
|
Rooftop PV capital expense |
$3,900/kW |
$351,000 |
|
Rooftop PV operations and maintenance |
$34.40/kW/yr |
$3,096 per year |
|
BESS capital expense - sizing |
$500/kW |
$45,000 |
|
BESS capital expense - financial |
$1,450/kW |
$130,500 |
|
BESS operations and maintenance |
$14.60/kWh/year |
$1,314 per year |
|
BESS Investment tax credit |
- |
30% |
CONCLUSION:
City staff will present this item and the PPIC’s recommendation to the City Council at the November 4, 2026, City Council meeting. At the November 5, 2026, CPA Board of Directors meeting, the Board will select the proposed projects to advance into implementation. If the Manhattan Beach Public Safety Building project is selected, the preliminary design for the project and a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the CPA will return to City Council for consideration in the Summer 2027. Execution of the MOU would formalize the City’s participation in the Power Ready Program as well as indicate that the City is willing to enter into a Site Lease Agreement that allows CPA’s vendors to construct, operate, and maintain the systems on site. The MOU will enable CPA to solicit bids through the Request for Proposal process for all sites combined, planned for issuance in Fall 2027. After a vendor is selected from the solicitation process, CPA and the vendor will work with the City to submit engineering plans for permits. CPA estimates the project will have completed construction and be in operation in September 2029.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
Formal public notice is not required for this item; however, the item was identified on the Parking and Public Improvements Commission meeting agenda for September 24, 2026, which was posted in accordance with the law. Additionally, an email was sent to interested parties via the Sustainable Manhattan Beach newsletter listserv.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Public Safety Building Power Ready Program Report
2. PowerPoint Presentation