Best Practices: Aligning County Goals and Energy Outcomes
Across the United States, county governments are feeling the squeeze of budget uncertainty fueled by policy changes, market volatility, and rising energy costs. At the same time, many are grappling with the operational inefficiencies and reliability problems that result from an aging infrastructure. The challenge is clear: Administrators need to advance reliable and affordable energy-infrastructure solutions while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
Broad infrastructure modernization initiatives, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) deployments, can help ease counties’ financial pressures. Shorter-payback projects such as lighting upgrades can generate immediate savings that help fund more capital- intensive improvements. This creates a balanced and sustainable approach to county infrastructure upgrades—a boon for decision-makers tasked with doing more with less, often under public scrutiny.
The answer for many counties lies in bundling efficiency and modernization projects in ways that maximize benefits, balance budgets, and deliver tangible community value.
Bundling Efficiency and Modernization with Community Benefits: Solano County, California
Solano County Community College. Photo Credit: Opterra
Solano County partnered with OPTERRA Energy Services to combine efficiency upgrades like LED lighting and HVAC improvements with clean energy investments including microgrids with solar power generation and battery energy storage.
This integrated approach is projected to save the county more than $10 million over the life of the program. It also provides the resiliency to maintain critical services during disasters and power outages. In recent years, Solano County has been plagued with wildfire-related emergency power shutoffs that have left vulnerable populations without access to air conditioning and other essential services. A new microgrid enables the county library to serve as a community cooling center during utility grid outages.
The county’s energy program incorporated several community-focused aspects, as well. For example, OPTERRA funded a fellowship focused on organic waste and energy issues. It also supported a robotics and engineering camp for local middle- and high-school girls and provided resources for the Solano County science and engineering fair.
Throughout this initiative, Solano County strategically balanced fiscal, environmental, and operational goals to ensure measurable value across departments. Meanwhile, it leveraged alternative funding mechanisms, such as grants and energy performance contracts, to move projects forward despite budget constraints. With a future-focused mindset, the county has kept high-impact projects on its roadmap, continuously exploring innovative solutions to make them financially viable over time.
Best Practices for County Leaders
Solano County’s experience offers actionable lessons for other counties facing similar challenges:
Foster leadership alignment so that administrators, elected officials, and staff are unified in decision-making, regardless of external political or economic shifts.
Protect taxpayer funds and hedge against rising utility rates by investing in efficiency measures, on-site power generation, and other initiatives that deliver long-term budget stability.
Schedule measures strategically to secure federal and state incentives before policy changes or funding cuts occur.
Invest in resiliency, through infrastructure like microgrids and battery storage, to protect essential services from natural or manmade disruptions to the power grid.
Recognize that the long-term value of cost control and resilience likely outweighs short-term policy headwinds.
Moving Forward
Counties across the nation are under pressure to modernize infrastructure, meet sustainability targets, and remain financially prudent—all while navigating a rapidly shifting policy and market landscape. Solano County’s model demonstrates that with strategic planning, strong partnerships, and creative financing, counties can respond to all these pressures simultaneously, no matter the economic climate.
Maintaining county services as budget pressures ratchet up requires creative thinking. Counties that follow the Solano County model can find and bundle multiple projects and combine public with private resources. Those that do it well may even be able to pair new community benefits with the infrastructure improvements.
Written by Kelly Fergusson, Clean Energy Project Executive – Public Sector, OPTERRA Energy Services
ENGIE Services U.S. is now OPTERRA Energy Services. OPTERRA partners with public sector stakeholders to meet the unique goals of communities nationwide. Our team customizes projects with top-tier technology to deliver lasting impact, enhancing fiscal savings and community engagement. With over 50 years of experience, we ensure our customers’ long-term success through tailored solutions that support their vision.
To learn more about programs like these, please visit: opterraenergy.com