Three California school districts choose ForeFront Power to add solar

ForeFront Power is thrilled to announce that three additional school districts across California have selected the developer to install 3.7 MW of solar photovoltaic capacity across 13 locations. Stockton Unified School District, South Monterey County Joint Union High School District, and Shasta Union High School District all engaged ForeFront Power to go solar with no capital outlay.

The solar parking canopy projects, which will be completed in 2019, are expected to generate over 5 million kWh of electricity annually, representing 4,793 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent avoided from the grid. ForeFront Power will manage all aspects of project development, including financing via a Power Purchase Agreement that requires no upfront cost or bonds on the part of the districts.

“As one of the largest school Districts in California, it’s important that we demonstrate our commitment to sustainability while conserving District resources,” said Steve L. Breakfield, director of facilities & planning. “ForeFront Power’s solutions enable Stockton USD to implement solar at schools across our District without the use of bond funds and bring solar learning directly into the class room.”

Stockton USD has prior experience installing solar at several high schools and middle schools. For this second round of sites, the District chose ForeFront Power as their solar provider. ForeFront Power makes the decision to go solar easy by offering a full suite of services – on-site and off-site renewable energy solutions, battery storage, electric vehicle charging, and solar energy curricula—through a streamlined procurement process via School Project for Utility Rate Reduction (SPURR). ForeFront Power’s backing by Mitsui, the ‘A’-rated global energy investment leader, ensures expedient project development and a stable counter-party for the long-term life of the solar projects.

“We are proud to be the solar partner of so many school districts across California,” said Co-CEO of ForeFront Power, Go Mizoguchi. “More and more schools are leveraging ForeFront Power’s innovative solar solutions. Our team continues to be recognized for our industry leading expertise in developing and financing solar projects for California Schools.”

All districts utilized an innovative purchasing framework through SPURR that allows public agencies in California to “piggy-back” a competitive Request for Proposal process for solar energy. SPURR’s program mitigates many challenges of public procurement, like consultant fees and long contract negotiations. Since 2015, the SPURR Renewable Energy Aggregated Procurement (REAP) program and the ForeFront Power team have helped over 20 school districts and municipalities procure more than 50 MW of clean solar power across more than 100 sites.

“We are thrilled that so many schools, municipalities, and county offices are saving time, effort, and money by using our procurement process. SPURR strives to offer clear, fair, and competitively-sourced terms and conditions that allow for easy sourcing,” said Michael Rochman, managing director of SPURR.

The schools will also receive free energy lesson plans from Schools Power, a leading national education organization that provides school districts with standards-based renewable energy curriculum packages. ForeFront Power and Schools Power announced their partnership in July of last year.

“Our curriculum will make on-site solar adoption even more real for students,” said CEO of Schools Power, Elliott Josi. “Students will be able to practice their skills in STEM and English language arts. Also included are activities to build student interest and awareness of careers in the solar energy industry.”

For more information about ForeFront Power and solar energy for schools, visit k12.forefrontpower.com.

News item from ForeFront Power