Municipal Building Decarbonization Plan for the City of Pinole

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to invite proposals from qualified firms to assist the City of Pinole with development of a municipal buildings decarbonization plan. The ultimate purpose of this plan is to achieve the Pinole Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) goals set for city infrastructure and operations to not only lead by example, but also make progress towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2045.

The City of Pinole is advancing community-wide building decarbonization through multiple, coordinated strategies. In 2024, the City launched the Pinole Energy Enhancement Rebate program (PEER) to help offset project cost of various energy-efficiency measures for single-family and multi-family property owners. The City is also developing an all-electric building virtual concierge—a one-stop platform designed to streamline adoption of electrification measures.

In tandem, the City is also pursuing reach codes to establish stronger standards that support long-term decarbonization goals. The City also modernized its permitting systems by launching eTRAKiT for online permitting and Symbium for instant solar permit approvals, significantly improving efficiency and accessibility. Building on this foundation, the Community Development Department is preparing to roll out additional instant permit options for energy efficiency-projects via Symbium, further aligning implementation efforts with the City’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP).

The City of Pinole adopted its inaugural CAAP [1] in August 2024 to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, aligning with State goals and reducing the City’s contribution to global emissions. Building energy consumption from fossil fuels makes up approximately 22% of the Pinole municipal greenhouse gas emissions with building electrification identified as a key strategy.

One of the central measures in the CAAP’s Infrastructure and Operations section is CIO-1, which directs the City to “upgrade all City accounts to MCE’s Deep Green option by 2025 and electrify or otherwise decarbonize all municipal buildings and facilities by 2035” (emphasis added). In addition, CAAP Action CIO-1d envisions the development of an actionable and implementable municipal building decarbonization plan to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from the City’s building portfolio.

CIO-1d - Develop a plan to electrify or otherwise decarbonize all municipal buildings and facilities by 2035 which will include:

▪ An inventory of existing fossil fuel-powered buildings and facility equipment, available electric or zero/low-carbon alternatives for replacing each, and relevant costs and benefits of replacing each (e.g., lifespan, equipment costs, operational quality).

▪ A prioritized schedule for completion based on potential to reduce natural gas and propane usage.

▪ Prioritize upgrades that benefit vulnerable communities first, such as the Library, Senior Center, Youth Center, and Tiny Tots facilities.

A building decarbonization plan will provide cost-effective and cost-beneficial solutions to completely transition gas-fueled buildings by the year 2035. Current municipal building stock is provided in Table 1, below.

Table 1: Current Pinole Municipal Building Stock (estimations were made using CCMap )

The City was awarded Federal grant funds through the California Energy Commission Local Government Building Decarbonization Challenge to support preparation of this plan. The resulting contract and scope of services will be subject to all grant terms and conditions.