The City of Oceanside, in collaboration with ENGIE North America, partnered for a transformative energy initiative aimed at enhancing sustainability, reducing costs, and fostering community engagement.

This comprehensive 30-year initiative is projected to generate more than $26,000,000 in net savings for the City. Through a series of strategic measures, Oceanside is poised to achieve significant energy efficiency gains, including:

• Integrating 1.6 megawatts of solar alongside a 250-kilowatt energy storage system
• Implementing an energy management system
• Replacing and refurbishing HVAC units
• Installing new, efficient distribution transformers and generator heat pumps
• Upgrading interior and exterior lighting to LED

Additionally, ENGIE is taking the lead in spearheading an extensive community engagement effort as part of this initiative. This plan includes a range of programs:

• Paid internships with the City
• The placement of a CivicSpark Fellow to provide support for Oceanside's Climate Action Plan
• Fostering economic development initiatives
• Establishing a living lab equipped with real-time solar data
• Bolstering support for the Parks and Recreation Department by facilitating after-school programs to promote STEM activities

By acting proactively, the City of Oceanside was able to secure participation in a Net Energy Metering (NEM) 2.0 Program, which significantly enhances the financial benefits of the solar installations and grandfathers the City into the program for 20 years.

Another component of the initiative is the implementation of a battery energy storage system. This system is anticipated to bring numerous benefits, including peak demand shaving, energy arbitrage, and demand response capabilities. Oceanside is expected to receive a battery storage system incentive of $150,000 through the State of California’s Self Generation Incentive Program.

The initiative also aligns with the nationwide Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), allowing the City to benefit from direct pay tax incentive funding. The City qualifies for over $3.2 million in IRA funding relative to solar and energy storage.

This major initiative is projected to reduce 4,200,000 kWh of electricity per year, which is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions of 641 cars annually, or 579 homes' electricity use for one year.

Additionally, the integration of more solar infrastructure into the City's Capital Improvement Plan directly contributes to the objectives of achieving 125 MW by 2030 and 165 MW by 2045.