IV.7. Approve Subscription Agreement with Geronimo Energy for purchase of energy from community solar gardens; Stadler (CR2017-119)�rTY oF
September 28, 2017 y° P K� N S Council Report 2017-119
Approve Subscription Agreement with Geronimo Energy for purchase of energy from
community solar gardens
Proposed Action
Staff recommends adoption of the following motion: Move that Council approves a 25-year
subscription agreement with Geronimo Energy for the purchase of energy from community
solar gardens and authorize the City Manager to sign the agreement on behalf of the City.
Overview
The City entered into the MN Community Solar Garden program back in 2015 via a subscription
agreement with SunEdison. SunEdison has since gone through a bankruptcy and our
subscribed solar gardens are now owned and operated by SoCore Energy and Ecaplexus. The
energy from these gardens will account for about 80% of our electrical demand. Three of the
original solar garden sites fell out of the program for various reasons. Therefore, the City has
about 0.75 m1/�f-hr/yr out of our total energy use of 5.15mW-hr/yr available for solar purchase.
Staff has been working with Geronimo Energy which has a solar garden with available capacity
and is currently under construction in Sherburne Co. Geronimo Energy is a weil-established
developer of renewable energy projecfis and has a nearly 100 mW portfolio of solar gardens
throughout Minnesota thafi are either under construction or in operation. The proposed
subscription agreement with Geronimo Energy will be identical to our current agreement with a
25-year term and a$0.01/kW-hr price offset from the Xcel Energy rate. It is anticipated that the
Geronimo Energy solar garden will begin operations in 1 St qtr 2018. The City �ttorney has
reviewed the proposed agreement and minor changes may yet be made that do not materially
affect the City's obligations, risk or energy cost savings. City staff recor�mends approval of the
subscription agreement.
Supportinq Information
• Proposed Subscription Agreement
(Final agreement language is still being reviewed and revised between the parties —
the proposed final agreement will be provided to City Council just prior to the
meeting)
�
Steven J. Stadler, Public Works Director.