Regional Renewable Energy Procurement Project

About the Program

Category: County Resiliency (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

The Regional Renewable Energy Procurement Project (R-REP), an Alameda County led initiative, is the largest collaborative municipal government procurement of solar photovoltaic systems in the nation. R-REP includes 19 public agencies with 186 sites located in four counties in the San Francisco Bay Area. R-REP projects can generate approximately 31 megawatts of renewable power through the installation of solar panels on publicly owned facilities such as community centers, libraries, medical buildings, city halls and educational facilities. Collaborative procurement offers a compelling solution for public agencies looking to overcome the challenges faced when considering renewable energy for their facilities, which include high upfront costs, limited staff resources, and a lack of experience with renewable energy. Conducting a multi-agency solicitation with a large volume of sites resulted in exceptionally competitive pricing, lower transaction costs, and a rapid increase in the use of renewable energy at public facilities across the region. The R-REP model described here can easily be replicated by other agencies and the program delivered results, leading to reductions in greenhouse emissions, energy cost savings, and job creation.