MURIEL BOWSER
MAYOR
December 12, 2024
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Chairman Mendelson:
Enclosed for consideration and enactment by the Council of the District of Columbia is an
emergency bill, the “Multiyear Contract No. DCAM-22-CS-RFP-0011 with Ameresco, Inc.,
Approval and Payment Authorization Emergency Act of 2024,” and the accompanying
emergency declaration resolution.
The legislation will approve Contract No. DCAM-22-CS-RFP-0011 with Ameresco, Inc., in
the not-to-exceed amount of $4,656,198, for a new resilient microgrid providing energy to St.
Elizabeths East campus. In addition, the legislation will approve payment for the goods and
services received and to be received under the contract.
My administration is available to answer any question you may have regarding the proposed
contract. In order to facilitate a response to any questions you may have, please contact Delano
Hunter, Director, Department of General Services (“DGS”), or have your staff contact George G.
Lewis, Chief of Contracts and Procurement, DGS, at (202) 727-2800.
I urge the Council to take prompt and favorable action on the enclosed legislation.
Sincerely,
Muriel Bowser
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Chairman Phil Mendelson
3 at the request of the Mayor
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6 A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
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11 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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16 To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to approve multi year Contract
17 No. DCAM-22-CS-RFP-0011 with Ameresco, Inc ., to develop a new resilient microgrid
18 providing energy to St. Elizabeths East campus, and to authorize payment for the energy
19 generated by the microgrid for a 15-year period.
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21 RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
22 resolution may be cited as the "Multiyear Contract No. DCAM-22-CS-RFP-0011 with
23 Ameresco, Inc., Approval and Payment Authorization Emergency Declaration Resolution of
24 2024".
25 Sec. 2. (a) There exists an immediate need to approve multiyear Contract No. DCAM-22-
26 CS-RFP-0011 with Ameresco, Inc. to develop a new resilient microgrid providing energy to St.
27 Elizabeths East campus, and to authorize payment for the energy generated by the microgrid for
28 a 15-year period.
29 (b) Contract No. DCAM-22-CS-RFP-0011 is a multiyear contract that requires Council
30 approval pursuant to section 45 l(c) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved
31 December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 803; D.C. Official Code§ l-204.5l(c)).
32 (c) Approval of Contract No. DCAM-22-CS-RFP-00 11 is necessary for the District to
33 enter into a multiyear agreement with Ameresco, Inc. to develop a new resilient microgrid at the
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34 St. Elizabeths East campus, and to allow the District of Columbia government to purchase the
35 energy generated by the microgrid for a 15-year period. Construction of the microgrid by
36 Ameresco, Inc. must begin before December 31, 2024 in order for the microgrid to qualify for a
37 Federal tax credit, without which development of the system is not economically viable. Given
38 the time required for the development of the system, the District must act immediately.
39 (d) The St. Elizabeths microgrid will bring numerous benefits to Ward 8, the new Cedar
40 Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health, 801 East Men’s Shelter, and the Unified
41 Communications Center. All energy offtakers will be able to maintain operations during grid
42 outages, preserving 911 service and critical human and medical services. The project will lower
43 energy costs for the District of Columbia government and St. Elizabeths Hospital, and the solar
44 and onsite combined heat and power offer significant emission reductions compared to other grid
45 power sources and diesel generators.
46 Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances
47 enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the
48 Multiyear Contract No. DCAM-22-CS-RFP-0011 Approval and Payment Authorization
49 Emergency Act of 2024 be adopted after a single reading.
50 Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
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