The Santa Fe City Council will hold public hearings next month to discuss a slate of proposed ordinances representing the next step in a multimillion-dollar plan to increase city sustainability.
The ordinances, if approved, will solidify agreements to overhaul a slew of city infrastructure, including improving energy consumption at city-owned buildings, water fixtures and overhauling street lights to be more energy efficient.
The overhaul is part of a plan to shift Santa Fe to carbon-neutral electricity by 2040.
With little discussion, the council voted unanimously Wednesday to schedule hearings for the three ordinances Feb. 24. The contracts will have to make their way through the Public Works Committee on Feb. 8 and the Finance Committee on Feb. 15.
One of the ordinances would solidify a $3.2 million contract with Massachusetts-based Dalkia Energy Solutions LLC to oversee replacing all city-owned streetlights with LEDs, a move recommended in a 2019 energy audit on city-owned facilities and infrastructure.
Regina Wheeler, public works director, called the upgrades the first piece of the city’s sustainability strategy.
“The project that we are working on,” Wheeler said, “this is a big chunk of that implementation of that plan.”
A second request would move forward on a roughly $15.5 million contract with Yearout Energy Services LLC to oversee additional conservation measures, including generating 2.8 megawatts of solar energy, upgrading 760 city water fixtures and installing 28 new high-efficiency transformers.
The city has received approval from Public Service Company of New Mexico for 26 new solar arrays.
“We have actually come pretty far down the road on this,” Wheeler said.
The agreement also calls for the solar carports at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center, which were deemed to be underperforming during an audit of the facilities, to be repaired, while the roof at the Canyon Road Water Treatment Plant will be upgraded and fitted with solar panels.
The project could be funded through a lease-purchase financing agreement with Sterling National Bank. According to the city, savings on city utility bills would pay for the upgrades without costing taxpayers in the long run.
The changes are estimated to save the city $230,392 in utility payments on public buildings during its first year, once the project is complete, according to the audit.
According to an audit from Yearout Energy Services, the recommendations would lead to a 16.8 percent decrease in the city’s annual energy bill.
The improvements are expected to take a year to install if approved by the City Council.
Source: “Santa Fe to Hold Public Hearings on Sustainability Proposals”
Source: “Santa Fe to Hold Public Hearings on Sustainability Proposals”
