Willdan Selected by City of Dublin for $21.2 Million Distributed Energy Resource and Design-Build Contract

ANAHEIM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: WLDN) announced today that it has been selected by the City of Dublin, California, to implement citywide energy efficiency, infrastructure, resiliency, and smart-city upgrades. Through this comprehensive $21.2 million contract, Willdan will perform project engineering, development, construction, commissioning, and savings measurement and verification at over 20 sites across the City, including the deployment of distributed energy resources (DERs) at 10 sites.

“Willdan and this contract provide the turnkey expertise we needed to help our City meet immediate and long-term needs while supporting the energy efficiency, infrastructure, and decarbonization goals outlined in our Climate Action Plan,” said Laurie Sucgang, Dublin City Engineer and Assistant Public Works Director.”

The projects are estimated to complete construction within the next 18–24 months, and Willdan will support three years of operations and maintenance once the projects are in service. Ten sites will receive additional solar capacity, totaling 1.4 MW-DC capacity, and four of the sites will be paired with battery storage to support power resiliency during extreme weather events or heavy demands on the local power grid. Two locations will receive an additional 22 electric vehicle chargers to serve public-use and police fleet vehicles.

Willdan improved the financial attractiveness of the scope of work through a Willdan-managed utility program – the PG&E Government and K-12 Schools Program – which identified specific, high-efficiency equipment recommendations and found financial incentives to help offset project costs.

About the City of Dublin

Since the City's incorporation in 1982, its population has increased as both residents and businesses found the benefits of calling Dublin home. Dublin is located approximately 350 miles north of Los Angeles and 35 miles east of San Francisco. From a population of approximately 14,300 in 1982, Dublin has grown to a resident population of 64,695 and has been one of the fastest growing cities in Alameda County. For more information: http://www.ci.dublin.ca.us.

About Willdan

Willdan is a nationwide provider of professional technical and consulting services to utilities, government agencies, and private industry. Willdan’s service offerings span a broad set of complementary disciplines that include electric grid solutions, energy efficiency and sustainability, engineering and planning, and municipal financial consulting. For additional information, visit Willdan's website at www.willdan.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not purely historical, including statements regarding Willdan’s intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations, representations, projections, estimates, plans, or predictions of the future are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the risk that Willdan will not be able to reduce costs and preserve liquidity to maintain its operations during the continuation of this pandemic nor be able to resume its growth trajectory once pandemic-related restrictions are lifted and the economy begins to recover. It is important to note that Willdan’s actual results could differ materially from those in any such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, the ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Willdan’s results, prospects, and opportunities; Willdan’s ability to adequately complete projects in a timely manner; Willdan’s ability to compete successfully in the highly competitive energy efficiency services market; changes in state, local, and regional economies and government budgets; Willdan’s ability to win new contracts, to renew existing contracts, and to compete effectively for contract awards through bidding processes; and Willdan’s ability to successfully integrate its acquisitions and execute on its growth strategy. Willdan’s business could be affected by a number of other factors, including the risk factors listed from time to time in Willdan’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed for the year ended January 1, 2021. Willdan cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Willdan disclaims any obligation to, and does not undertake to, update or revise any forward-looking statements in this press release.