City of Ventura
City of Ventura
Energizing a municipal multi-site solar energy portfolio of parking canopies to help a California city diversify its energy mix, reduce utility costs, and improve community services.
The City of Ventura needed to reduce emissions, stabilize energy costs, and advance its Climate Action and Resilience Plan and 2025 strategic priorities while powering critical municipal facilities.
ForeFront Power delivered a 910 kW citywide solar portfolio with canopies at Ventura Community Park and the Police/Fire HQ under a 20-year PPA, providing fixed, below-utility electricity rates at no upfront cost while owning, operating, and maintaining the systems.
The solar canopies now offset 96% and 47% of the sites’ annual electricity use, generate about 1.5 million kWh of clean power each year—avoiding over 800 tons of CO₂ annually—and are projected to save the City nearly $2.3 million in electricity costs while supporting state clean energy goals and local air quality.
The City of Ventura completed a 910-kW citywide solar portfolio, developed in partnership with ForeFront Power, featuring two solar canopies at Ventura Community Park and the Ventura Police/Fire Department Headquarters. The solar canopies will offset 96% and 47% of the municipal sites’ annual electricity use, respectively, and are projected to save the City nearly $2.3 million in electricity costs.
This project originated as a component of Ventura’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP), which outlines strategies to cut carbon emissions and increase climate resilience. The solar energy portfolio also advances the 2025 City Council Strategic Priorities of environmental stewardship and economic development. By diversifying Ventura’s energy mix, reducing harmful diesel-fueled emissions, and locking in millions in operational savings, the project demonstrates the City’s commitment to sustainability while strengthening its long-term economic health.
"Expectation-setting is huge. We are continuously planning as we go, with the resources we have available. So we lean on our partners like ForeFront to help us outline a roadmap, outline what our options are, and then we can take that back to our council, to our residents, to our implementers, and see what's going to work best."
The City of Ventura was able to pursue this project at no upfront cost through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with ForeFront Power. The PPA enabled the City to secure a fixed, lower electricity rate than the utility for the next 20 years, ensuring budget stability while avoiding rising utility costs. Meanwhile, ForeFront Power will continue to own, operate, and maintain the system throughout the life of the agreement.
The solar portfolio will generate approximately 1.5 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity each year, which is enough to power the annual electricity use of over 250 homes. This clean energy production will help the City avoid over 800 tons of CO2 emissions per year, an amount equal to diverting 800,000 pounds of coal burned each year.
These benefits extend beyond cost savings and emissions reductions. With solar canopies powering critical facilities, the City’s solar portfolio adds another local, renewable resource to California’s energy mix, contributing to the State’s clean power goals while improving air quality for the Ventura community.
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