Explanation
Background: This legislation authorizes the Director of Public Utilities to modify existing subrecipient service contracts for the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant with Power a Clean Future Ohio and Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission to add additional funding. The total modification amount being authorized by this ordinance is $85,000.00.
ORD 2503-2023 authorized acceptance of the award for the Climate Pollution Reduction Planning Grant, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) 66.046. The grant project period is from June 1, 2023, through May 31, 2027. The City’s grant number is G602301.
The Climate Pollution Reduction Planning Grant provides funding under the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to the City of Columbus to develop regional climate mitigation plans to address greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and co-pollutants and reduction measures throughout the entire metropolitan area and to conduct meaningful engagement with low- income and disadvantaged communities and coordinate with geographically proximate tribes as appropriate. Three key deliverables will be produced and submitted over the course of the four-year program period: a Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP), a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP), and a status report. The City’s inaugural Climate Action Plan published in 2021 will serve as the baseline for the PCAP and CCAP.
Work with the sub-recipients will support initiatives to benefit residents of Columbus and the surrounding areas. Expected outcomes over the course of the grant include pollution reductions measured in tons of pollution reduced over the lifetime of the measures; tons of pollution reduced annually; and tons of pollution reduced with respect to low-income and disadvantaged communities.
The sub-recipient agreement for Power a Clean Future Ohio (PCFO) covers the co-pollutants analysis necessary for the Central Ohio Climate Action Plan under the EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant. PCFO will translate data from the measure analysis into the form required for co-pollutants analysis, develop and research factors as needed, and run the EPA’s AVERT tool to estimate electricity co-pollutants. Using the 2020 National Emissions Inventory (NEI), PCFO will create per-MTCO2e factors for each available fuel or source in each county and apply those to establish a baseline. The same method will then be used to estimate the reductions associated with the planned measures. Where NEI values are not available, PCFO will research alternative factors or substitute stand-in values, with all assumptions and uncertainties documented. Land use co-pollutants are not required but will be estimated where possible. The process will proceed in six phases over six weeks: Week 1 will focus on data translation, Week 2 on factor development and research, Week 3 on running AVERT for electricity, Week 4 on applying multipliers to other fuels and sources, Week 5 on validating results, and Week 6 on compiling results and graphics. The total amount requested for this work is $15,000.
The sub-recipient agreement for Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) includes ongoing facilitation of regional stakeholder engagement and public involvement for the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant and its deliverables, including the Priority Climate Action Plan, Comprehensive Climate Action Plan, and Status Report, across the 10-county Central Ohio region within MORPC’s membership area, inclusive of the City of Columbus. This expansion also includes project management for development of the Status Report, including establishing timelines to meet U.S. EPA deadlines, coordinating and supervising sub-awardees responsible for report sections, ensuring compliance with EPA requirements, managing compilation, design, and editing of the final document, completing analyses and written sections as needed, documenting progress, and providing regular updates and communication to City of Columbus staff regarding project status and needs.
This Ordinance authorizes the contract’s first modifications and is being submitted in accordance with the relevant provisions of Chapter 329 of City Code.
1. Amount of additional funds: The total amount of additional funds needed for this contract modification is $85,00.00, $15,000.00 for PCFO’s subrecipient agreement and $70,000.00 for MORPC’s subrecipient agreement. Total PCFO contract amount including this modification is $146,000.00. Total MORPC contract amount including this modification is $237,500.00.
2. Reason additional funds were not foreseen: This modification is to provide funding for additional time and resources to the subrecipients for the Columbus MSA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG).
3. Reason other procurement processes were not used: Starting the contract anew would cause unnecessary delays.
4. How was cost determined: The cost, terms, and conditions are in accordance with the original agreements. The cost for these modification is $85,000.00.
Principal Parties:
Power a Clean Future Ohio
1145 Chesapeake Ave, Suite I
Columbus, OH 43212
Cassandra Clevenger, (419) 303-7388
Contract Compliance Number: 047010
Contract Compliance Expiration Date: PENDING UPDATE
Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission
111 Liberty St., Suite 100
Columbus, OH 43215
Danielle Spencer, (614) 233-4195
Contract Compliance Number: 004591
Contract Compliance Expiration Date: August 1st, 2026
Fiscal Impact: $85,000.00 is available from within the Electricity Grant Fund for the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant subrecipient agreements.
Acceptance of the $1,000,000.00 grant award and its appropriation were authorized under Ord. 2503-2023. The agreements with respective sub-recipients were authorized under Ord. 0001-2024.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Public Utilities to modify the subrecipient agreements with Power a Clean Future Ohio and Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission for the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant, to authorize the transfer of $77,546.62 within the Electricity Grant Fund, and to authorize the expenditure of $85,000.00 from the Electricity Grant Fund. ($85,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the Director of the Department of Public Utilities to modify existing subrecipient grant agreements with Power a Clean Future Ohio and Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission for the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the transfer of $77,546.62 within the Electricity Grant Fund; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the expenditure of $85,000.00 from the Electricity Grant Fund; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance is being submitted in accordance with the relevant provisions of Chapter 329 of City Code pertaining to contract modifications; and
WHEREAS, it has become necessary in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Utilities, to authorize the Director of Public Utilities to modify subrecipient agreements with Power a Clean Future Ohio and Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission for work related to the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Department of Public Utilities is hereby authorized to modify the subrecipient agreements with Power a Clean Future Ohio and Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission for the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant.
SECTION 2. That these modifications are in accordance with the relevant provisions of Chapter 329 of City Code.
SECTION 3. That the transfer of $77,546.62 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized between object classes within the Electricity Grant Fund per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. For the purpose stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $85,000.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary to pay the cost thereof, be and is hereby authorized from the Electricity Grant Fund 6316 in object class 03 Services per the accounting codes in the attachments to this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 6. That at the end of the grant period, any repayment of unencumbered balances required by the grantor is hereby authorized and any unused City match monies may be transferred back to the City fund from which they originated in accordance with all applicable grant agreements.
SECTION 7. That this Ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.