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CC - CONSENT ITEM: (1) Acceptance of a Grant in an Amount up to $164,000 from the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California to Support a Portable Battery Fleet Project to Purchase or Lease Portable Battery Systems to Replace use of Fossil-Fuel Powered Generators by Multiple City Departments and by Community Vendors and Special Event Organizers; and (2) Approval of a New CIP Project to Implement the Portable Battery Fleet Project; and (3) Authorization to the City Manager to Approve the Grant Participation Agreement and any Subsequent Amendments; and (4) FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE REQUIREMENT: Approval of Related Budget Amendment to Appropriate the Grant Funds for the Creation of a New Capital Improvement Project to Purchase or Lease Portable Battery Systems.
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Meeting Date: June 23, 2025
Contact/Dept.: Alicia Ide, Public Works Department
Joe Susca, Public Works Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-5618
(310) 253-5636
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [ ] General Fund: Yes [X] No [ ]
Attachments: Yes [ ] No [X]
Public Notification: E-Mail by GovDelivery: Meetings and Agendas - City Council (06/19/2025); Clean Power Alliance (06/02/2025)
Dept Approval: Yanni Demitri, Public Works Director/City Engineer (06/10/2025)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) accept a grant in an amount up to $164,000 from the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California (CPA) to create a portable battery fleet project (Project) to purchase or lease portable battery systems to replace fossil-fuel powered generators used by multiple City departments and to rent to community vendors and special event organizers; and (2) approve creation of a new CIP project to implement the Project; (3) authorize the City Manager to execute the related grant participation agreement and any subsequent amendments thereto; and (4) approval of related budget amendment to appropriate the grant funds for the creation of a new capital improvement project to purchase or lease portable battery systems (four-fifths vote required).
BACKGROUND
Clean Power Alliance
The Clean Power Alliance of Southern California (CPA) is a community choice aggregator formed under the laws of California. In 2017, Culver City became one of currently 38 other local governments located in Los Angeles and Ventura counties who comprise the CPA. The CPA purchases electricity from producers and then sells that power to customers located within its territory. In early 2019, the City completed the transition from Southern California Edison (SCE) to the CPA. In exchange for a distribution fee, however, SCE continues to deliver that electricity through its powerlines to CPA customers, to meter use, and to invoice and collect usage fees that are remitted to the CPA. The CPA currently offers three tiers to their customers, containing varying degrees of renewable power content, and currently, 95% of all customers in Culver City purchase “100% Green Power”. Currently, Council Member McMorrin is appointed to serve on the Board of Directors of the CPA, and she actively participates in their monthly meetings.
Sustainability Subcommittee
At the July 22, 2024 meeting of the Sustainability Subcommittee, Members received a presentation by Humble Rentals encouraging the City to replace fossil-fuel generators with portable lithium-ion batteries internally and to promote community conversion as to their use. Subcommittee Members discussed the City converting and working with its community partners to advance the conversion to portable battery use. Members asked staff to develop a pilot program targeting the City’s Farmers’ Market to encourage battery use at the weekly event.
Very shortly thereafter, the CPA announced their Innovation Fund grant program. Staff determined that that a portable battery pilot project would fit well within the grant objectives, and the Sustainability Subcommittee Members encouraged staff to apply.
Innovation Fund
As part of its Energized Communities program, the CPA is supporting their member agencies, including Culver City, to implement creative decarbonization projects in their communities by providing up to $250,000 with no matching requirement through its Innovation Fund. The Innovation Fund is a competitive grant funding opportunity for projects that align with CPA’s mission and its program pillars, including resilience and grid management, transportation and building electrification, and local clean energy procurement.
Culver City’s portable battery project directly aligns with CPA program pillars of electrification and resilience.
Working with Humble Rentals, staff determined the cost to implement the Project would be approximately $164,000 over two-years and staff subsequently submitted a grant application to the CPA. During their meeting of March 6, 2025, CPA’s Board of Directors approved several Innovation Fund applications, including the City’s proposal to implement a Portable Battery Fleet Project.
If the grant is accepted by the City Council, the Project would officially begin July 1, 2025 and end on June 30, 2027. At that time, staff will evaluate the success of the pilot and determine the cost to continue the program beyond June 30, 2027
DISCUSSION
Project Needs and Goals
Fossil-fuel generators are disturbingly loud to operate, and they emit harmful toxins like carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), and particulate matter (PM) into the environment, which contribute to climate change. There are also aggravated health concerns for individuals, in the vicinity of fossil-fuel-powered generators, who breathe in the fumes, even when operated in open-air environments.
Despite the availability of portable battery systems on the market, City staff and community vendors/organizers face challenges when considering transitioning from fossil-fuel powered generators. This is due to a variety of factors, including cost. Currently batteries are more expensive and have a shorter lifespan (10-15 years depending on their use). The weight of batteries is more than fossil-fuel generators, making them harder to transport. Recharging of the batteries requires electric infrastructure and time to replenish. Vendors and City staff alike are familiar with using fossil-fuel-powered generators and accelerated conversion to portable batteries will require some training and encouragement to become familiar with their use.
The Project proposes addressing the health and environmental concerns and overcoming the transition challenges by acquiring and deploying a fleet of portable batteries for City use and for rent at community events, park rentals, and other activities. The Project would eliminate most adoption barriers, providing charged-up batteries at no cost to vendors/event organizers throughout the 2-year pilot and then they may be offered at a minimal cost thereafter. Over time, use of portable batteries will become routine and even preferred. If successful, the Project will help the City transition away from fossil-fuel generators citywide by demonstrating that a viable alternative exists that is quiet and doesn’t emit greenhouse gases (GHG). If the pilot determines their use as a viable alternative, the City could eventually consider establishing internal policies, external permitting requirements, and even ban the use of fossil-fuel generators citywide in the future.
This Project will advance achieving the City’s GHG Emissions Reduction and Energy Equity objectives and advance environmental sustainability. Fossil-fuel generators emit up to 78.4 lbs. of CO₂ daily and replacing them with portable batteries achieves the objective contained in the City’s GHG Emission Reduction element. Use of portable batteries will significantly cut noise pollution, GHG emissions, and eliminate up to 15 metric tons of CO₂ annually. No-fee use of portable batteries during the pilot period ensures affordability for underserved vendors and community groups, and if desired, minimal fees could be adopted after the pilot concludes to foster their continued use.
While CO₂ reductions address the City’s climate goals, PM and NOₓ elimination also provides immediate health benefits, reducing respiratory and cardiovascular risks, especially in vulnerable urban populations. The Project delivers both environmental justice and public health improvements, setting a model for equitable and sustainable energy transitions in Culver City.
Project Description
Community vendors and event organizers largely use fossil-fuel-powered generators when they need portable power. Currently many City departments use fossil-fuel-powered generators for work in the field, at events, and for emergencies. This pilot will target the Public Works Department, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (PRCS), and Economic Development Division.
Staff will embark upon the following multi-pronged approach to reduce the use of fossil-fuel-powered generators in Culver City:
1. Acquiring or leasing portable batteries systems to replace fossil-fuel-powered generators currently being used by the Public Works Department in the field, by PRCS for City events such as Movies in the Park and Fiesta La Ballona, and by Economic Development Division for City events such as the Summer Concert Series.
2. Buying or leasing and deploying a fleet of portable battery systems by PRCS and Economic Development for rent by community vendors and event organizers. Batteries would replace fossil-fuel generators at the weekly Farmers’ Market and be made available (and potentially be required) for use by community event organizers for large-scale City-sponsored public events such as the Art Walk & Roll Festival, Car Show, and Independence Day festivities. Batteries could also be available for smaller-scale activities, such as independent special events, park rentals, and other activities such as filming. During the first year of the pilot period, and to encourage adoption, batteries will be provided for rental to community vendors and event organizers at no cost. After that time, a reasonable rental fee may be adopted to cover some or all the program’s operational costs, all the while aiming to keep their use affordable.
The portable batteries will be stored and recharged at City facilities. Once identified, the Public Works Department will need to upgrade electrical infrastructure at those locations, and increase their security to avoid theft.
The City will release a bid and/or Request for Proposals (“RFP”) to competing firms to determine whether to purchase some or all of the portable batteries or alternatively, to lease them. If leased, the vendor could provide a turnkey service that includes battery rental, fleet management software, and operational support such as pickup from storage, delivery, setup/removal and recharging services. The leasing vendor could also guarantee the hardware and software, implement theft prevention measures, perform maintenance and inspection, provide safety instruction, collect and analyze usage data, and track inventory, further reducing the City’s operational burdens.
Project Timeline:
Phase 1: Planning (Months 1-3)
Phase 2: Infrastructure Setup (Months 4-8)
Phase 3: Outreach and Pilot Deployment (Months 9-24)
Phase 4: Monitoring and Optimization (Months 9-24)
Post Pilot: Reporting, evaluation of continuation and/or expansion.
Grant Participation Agreement:
The salient deal points contained in the CPA’s Grant Participation Agreement include:
• City agrees to implement the Project within two years.
• City agrees to provide status reports and a final summary report.
• City will follow its own procurement process to acquire the batteries or obtain competing bids to lease them and the CPA will reimburse the City in an amount up to $164,000.
• The $164,00 CPA grant does not require a City match.
• Both parties agree to indemnify and hold each other harmless from claims of property damage or personal injury.
• City agrees to allow the CPA to affix its logo upon battery equipment and to publicize that the City is a recipient of their grant.
• The City agrees to allow CPA to review and approve any project publicity prior to its dissemination.
• City agrees to work with the CPA regarding the project details, expected milestones, targeted participants, quarterly budget, and expected results.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 does not include the proposed project and the CPA grant funds Staff is requesting that the City Council authorize acceptance of up to $164,000 in grant funds from the CPA and appropriate the grant funds for the creation of a new CIP Project to be incorporated into the Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 (four-fifths vote required).
The Project would only expend grant funds up to the $164,000 during the two-year pilot period. The City will front the funds necessary to acquire or lease the electric batteries and to install the necessary electrical upgrades to recharge them and then the City will receive reimbursement from the CPA
If, after the pilot period, the City Council decides to continue with some, all, or to expand aspects of the Project, the City may incur additional acquisition, lease, and maintenance costs that will be determined upon conclusion of the pilot .
ATTACHMENTS
None.
MOTIONS
That the City Council:
1. Accept a grant of up to $164,000 from the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California to implement a portable battery fleet project during a two-year pilot period; and
2. Approve creation of a new CIP project titled Portable Battery Fleet Project in the amount of $164,000 in the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget; and
3. Approve a budget amendment appropriating the $164,000 grant funds to the new CIP project (requires a four-fifths vote): and
4. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and
5. Authorize the City Manager to approve and execute the related grant participation agreement and any subsequent amendments thereto.