Solar Runs Par For the Course at the Lone Tree Golf Course and Event Center, and is Expected to Save Over $1M in Energy Costs

October 25, 2019 — Antioch, California — The City of Antioch on Friday announced the completion of six new solar parking canopies at the city’s Lone Tree Golf and Event Center marked by a ribbon cutting ceremony. The solar arrays, totaling at 374 kilowatts (kW), will provide shade to the golf course parking lots, as well as clean, cheaper energy to the facilities.

The decision to go solar stemmed largely from the city’s desire to offset rising energy costs, with solar now offsetting 85% of the facility’s energy usage.

Antioch selected local solar and energy storage developer, ForeFront Power, to develop, finance, and construct the solar project. All of this came at no cost to the city, thanks to the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Over the course of the twenty-year agreement, the city’s golf course will receive discounted solar energy, which is expected to save the city over $1M over twenty years.

The City of Antioch is one of the many progressive California communities that is seeking to not only offset rising utility rates, but also reduce environmental impact using renewable energy. Created after the passage of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB32), the state initiative aims  to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. In 2009 the City of Antioch created their own goal to reduce GHG emissions by 25% in year 2025 and by 80% by year 2050.

In 2011, the City put that goal into action by creating the Community Climate Action Plan, which highlights possible programs and actions that the City can adopt to reach emission reduction targets. According to Julie Haas-Wajdowicz, Antioch’s Environmental Resources Coordinator, the adoption of PV solar plays an important role in the Community Climate Action Plan. “The City has a community wide goal of installing 10,000 kW of solar PV,” said Haas-Wajdowicz. “The solar project at the Lone Tree Golf and Event Center helps us achieve this goal.”

The City is excited that the Lone Tree Golf Course and Event Center are now operating more sustainably.

ABOUT THE CITY OF ANTIOCH

Antioch is the Gateway to the Delta, located on the banks of the San Joaquin River in Northern California just off of Highway 4, in Contra Costa County. With a population of over 100,000 people, Antioch has become the heart of Eastern Contra Costa County, offering a variety of employment, shopping and vast recreational activities. Antioch is one of the few Bay Area communities that offers affordable housing. There are a variety of house styles throughout Antioch, from condominiums to single family residences, priced for a variety of income levels. The pace of development in Antioch has spurred activity for financial and insurance institutions, contractors, and other types of service-oriented businesses. Increased development has created increased employment in schools, hospitals and other local service sectors

ABOUT FOREFRONT POWER

ForeFront Power has more than 15 years of renewable industry experience, serving business, public sector, and residential power customers around the world. Our team has developed over 900 MW of capacity across more than 1,000 projects, targeted on assisting public sector agencies and C&I firms to deliver the most impactful behind-the-meter, community solar, and wholesale solutions.

ForeFront Power is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsui & Co., Ltd., a global energy infrastructure and investment leader. Mitsui brings a strong balance sheet and global presence to its partnership with ForeFront Power. The company offers substantial financial liquidity due to its strong profitability and is proud to have a credit rating of A from Standard & Poor’s and A3 from Moody’s.