City of Fresno wins APWA Project of the Year award for solar and battery projects

FRESNO, CA- The City of Fresno Public Utilities and Public Works departments were honored with a prestigious recognition from the American Public Works Association (APWA) Central California Region, recognizing the City’s largest and most innovative solar and battery storage projects.

The City’s Public Utilities department has implemented a combined 27 megawatts of on-site solar energy and battery storage systems which will generate over 47 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.  The City was awarded the Public Works Project of the Year Award for projects constructed at three of the City’s highest energy intensive sites located at the Surface Water Treatment Facilities, and the Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility which is also the largest commercial solar energy and battery storage system in the U.S. This infrastructure is part of the City’s comprehensive plan to lower its energy costs, bolster environmental resiliency, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At a time of rising electricity costs, these DPU projects are projected to save the City $120 million in taxpayer dollars by 2045.

In addition to saving taxpayer money, these renewable energy projects will continue to improve our air quality and have also created over 120 good paying local jobs. We are fortunate to have a talented team in place to make these projects a reality and I’m proud that the APWA is recognizing their work with this award,” said Mayor Jerry Dyer. 

“These projects conserve ratepayer dollars and also help the City avoid over 26,000 tons of CO2 emissions each year, which is the environmental equivalent to removing over 6,000 gas-powered passenger vehicles annually. That means less air pollution and cleaner air for City residents,” said Paul Amico, Director of Public Works.

This recognition reflects the collaborative work of the City and its project team, including industry partners at ForeFront Power, and the City’s Joint Powers Authority SPURR.

“We are proud to see the City’s renewable energy projects recognized at this level,” said Scott Mozier, Director of Public Works. “It demonstrates the incredible teamwork and commitment to sustainability of everyone involved in building a better Fresno.”

Mayor Jerry Dyer Receives
Climate Protection Award

The United States Conference of Mayors awarded Mayor Jerry Dyer and the City of Fresno an Honorable Mention in the 2022 Mayors’ Climate Protection Awards – Large City Category.

The City of Fresno made significant strides in implementing the City’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) calling for a reduction in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and increasing renewable energy. The City is recognized by the United States Conference of Mayors for its efforts in achieving energy efficiency and renewable energy. The two-part program saves more than $166 million in taxpayer funds over the next 20 years and is equivalent to removing 10,000 vehicles off city streets and growing 775,000 new trees in just 10 years.
The Mayors Citywide Energy and Sustainability Program is vital because Fresno suffers from some of the most significant air quality challenges in the nation. The mayor concentrated his efforts to achieve these goals by:

• Upgrading streetlights and facility lighting to LED
• Installing improved transformers
• Replacing HVAC thermostats and upgrading systems to be more efficient
• Installing auto-sensing light controls
• Investing in solar and battery storage at 18 City-owned facilities using the most energy

“Receiving recognition from the National Mayors Conference for our efforts in reducing our energy footprint is just the icing on the cake. The real reward is for our residents in decreasing over 36 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering our atmosphere and the savings in taxpayer funds. Cleaner air and saving money is always a good thing,” says Mayor Jerry Dyer.

Contact Us