By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent
It was the first city in the United States to become powered by 100% renewables. Now Burlington, Vermont, and its radical electrical utility are at it again – they have issued a request for proposals to become the first net-zero (NZE) city in the country.
If it succeeds, Burlington could blaze a new trail for cities across the country the way it did with it commitment to renewable energy. After all, until Burlington did it, you never heard anyone else talk about such aggressive and lofty goals, did you? You did not.
Now 72 other cities have joined the commitment, according to the Sierra Club’s “Ready for 100” list. So how exciting would it be to see the same commitment to net zero after Burlington proves you can do it?
First, though, the electric utility – the largest municipal utility in the United States with 21,000 customers – has to complete its RFP, which states:
Our concept of an NZE City encompasses sourcing as much renewable energy as we consume across the electric, thermal and ground transportation sectors (air travel is not included at this time), thereby displacing fossil fuel consumption.
The Burlington Electrical Department says it is already moving in the direction of becoming a net-zero city through its focus on energy efficiency and strategic electrification, while helping its citizens understand the goals and helping them get there. The RFP’s authors write:
The success of the NZE effort depends in part on BED continuing to serve as a trusted advisor and partner to customers interested in energy efficiency and technologies such as solar, storage, heat pump technology, electric vehicles, solar + battery storage, weatherization, deep energy retrofits, commercial envelope, and HVAC, and lighting and other offerings.
BED will review proposals using the following RFP Evaluation Criteria:
- Has the necessary analytical and modeling capabilities to conduct energy/environmental/economic analyses to provide BED with multiple alternative pathway scenarios describing how to achieve NZE;
- Has conducted relevant work in the past for municipal or state governments or utilities;
- Demonstrates the ability to take complex data and information and provide it in a way that is useful, and transparent, for a variety of audiences including policymakers, regulators, BED staff, and the general public;
- Outline of a project plan that meets BED’s targeted timeline for an interim report (ideally early 2019) and final report (by July 2019);
- Demonstrates relevant experience presenting similar materials to policymakers, regulators, and the general public;
- Has expertise in utility-led energy transformation work and new business models for utilities, or “utility 2.0”.
- Understanding of electric utility business and financial structures, as well as general utility rate economics
Proposals must be made by Burlington Electrical Department approved vendors by August 31. The full RFP is attached below.