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Municipal Management
Power play:
Miltipas energy upgrades will save the city millions By JULIE YOUNG | The Municipal
Miltipas, Calif., is serious about sustainability. And thanks to the installation of new microgrids as well as state-of-the-art, community-wide water and energy conservation initiatives, this Silicon Valley city is working smarter, not harder. “We are now entering the next phase of our journey, with our developments ready to be operationalized,” said Mayor Rich Tran in an Earth Day statement. Strategic upgrades Located 45 miles south of San Francisco, Miltipas is home to just over 80,000 residents. In 2013, city leaders created a Climate Action Plan to make Miltipas a more sustainable community by reducing greenhouse gas emissions; as the global climate crisis continues, the city is 62 THE MUNICIPAL | AUGUST 2022
constantly updating and revising its plan to keep the city on the path to carbon neutrality by 2045. Recent energy and water conservation initiatives are part of the overarching Climate Action Plan that is geared to make a difference in a variety of sectors while promoting the health and well-being of everyone who lives and works there. According to Tony Ndah, PE, public works director, the new energy and water conservation initiatives were not developed in a vacuum, nor were they adopted
ABOVE: An overheard shot of the microgrids on top of the Milpitas Community Center and the Barbara Lee Senior Center that are part of the energy and water conservations efforts the city has installed over the past year. (Photo provided by Milpitas, Calif.)
overnight. Approximately five years ago, the city identified several upgrades they wanted to make throughout the city and began to look for a partner who would help them achieve their sustainability goals. After drafting the scope of work that needed to be done and putting policies in place that would allow them to move forward, Miltipas leaders invited firms to submit proposals. They narrowed six finalists down to three and ultimately selected ENGIE North America Inc. to plan, design
