What Spurr Joint Powers Authority does

Spurr Joint Powers Authority (SPURR, legal name School Project for Utility Rate Reduction) is a California Joint Powers Authority formed in 1989 under the California Joint Exercise of Powers Act. SPURR operates as a procurement cooperative that aggregates the purchasing power of more than 330 member public agencies — primarily K-12 school districts, community college districts, county offices of education, municipalities, and special districts — to negotiate master contracts for utility, energy, telecom, and electrification services. The organization does not develop proprietary technology; instead it runs competitive statewide RFP processes, awards Master Contracts to qualified vendors, and makes those contracts available to members free of charge.

SPURR delivers seven distinct program areas: Telecom and Internal Networking (including E-Rate consortium bidding), Solar and Energy Storage (REAP Program, established 2014), EV Charging and Infrastructure (PAVE Program, launched November 2023), Low Carbon Fuel Standard Credits for CNG station operators, Natural Gas and Electricity Supply aggregation, LED Lighting and Controls (currently closed to new orders), and Energy Data Management for utility invoice analytics. Vendors such as DSD Renewables and ForeFront Power are awarded Master Contracts and deliver the underlying solutions to members. Revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed; the JPA structure suggests administrative fees, vendor rebates, or member assessments rather than direct program revenue.

SPURR is governed by a board of directors drawn from member institutions and operates with a small staff led by Managing Director Michael Rochman, Deputy Managing Directors Alethea Rollins and Thad Malit, and program heads Kevin Flanagan and Jeremy Seng. Lozano Smith serves as general counsel. SPURR is exclusively a California entity, with no disclosed expansion into other states and no parent company, private equity ownership, or external funding rounds.

Name

Spurr Joint Powers Authority

Legal name

School Project for Utility Rate Reduction

Website

https://spurr.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Spurr Joint Powers Authority is a California Joint Powers Authority, formed in 1989, that aggregates purchasing power for over 330 public agencies — primarily school districts, community colleges, and municipalities — by negotiating master contracts for utility, energy, telecom, and electrification services through competitive RFPs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Concord

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Services: SPURR provides free membership access to public agencies including school districts, community colleges, and municipalities. Members receive access to pre-negotiated Master Contracts, competitive RFP processes, and expert consultation on utility procurement. There is no cost to members for program participation.
2. REAP Program - Solar and Energy Storage Procurement: The Renewable Energy Aggregated Procurement (REAP) Program helps public agencies procure solar and battery energy storage through SPURR's competitive statewide RFP process. Services include free project feasibility studies, savings analysis, and access to pre-negotiated pricing and terms. No upfront costs to participating agencies.
3. Natural Gas and Electricity Supply Aggregation: SPURR aggregates buying power for natural gas and electricity supply on behalf of participating public agencies. The organization helps members find the right supplier and rate plans through Direct Access programs, leveraging decades of experience and transparent services with no hidden risks or fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SPURR is a California Joint Powers Authority that aggregates the purchasing power of more than 330 member public agencies to run competitive statewide RFP processes and establish pre-negotiated Master Contracts for utility solutions. Programs cover solar and battery energy storage, EV charging infrastructure, telecom and networking, natural gas and electricity supply, LED lighting, energy data management, and low-carbon fuel standard credits. Membership is free for eligible public agencies.

Product overview

Spurr Joint Powers Authority (SPURR) is a California Joint Powers Authority formed under the California Joint Exercise of Powers Act that provides aggregated purchasing power and procurement expertise for California public agencies, public education institutions, and eligible entities. The organization operates seven distinct program offerings: Telecom and Internal Networking (for voice, WiFi, and networking equipment/services procurement), Solar and Energy Storage/REAP (for solar photovoltaic and battery storage procurement), EV Charging and Infrastructure/PAVE (for vehicle electrification planning and procurement), Low Carbon Fuel Standard Credits (for CNG station operators to monetize environmental credits), Natural Gas and Electricity Supply (for energy commodity procurement), LED Lighting and Controls (currently closed to new orders), and Energy Data Management (for utility expense tracking and management). These programs enable members to procure utility solutions faster with optimized pricing and terms through pre-negotiated master contracts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Telecom and Internal Networking Competitively procured statewide master contracts for voice, WiFi, and internal connections equipment and services for California public agencies, including E-Rate consortium bidding and vendor contract procurement support.
• Solar and Energy Storage (REAP) Renewable Energy Aggregated Procurement Program that helps California public agencies procure solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage solutions through competitively sourced master contracts, with free project feasibility studies and savings analysis.
• EV Charging and Infrastructure (PAVE) Procurement Assistance for Vehicle Electrification program that assists California public agencies in planning and procuring EV charging and site electrification infrastructure through competitively negotiated master contracts.
• Low Carbon Fuel Standard Credits Program that helps CNG station operators maximize ROI by streamlining the process of obtaining and monetizing California LCFS credits and federal RIN credits.
• Natural Gas and Electricity Supply Competitive solicitations for natural gas and electricity supply including noncore and core natural gas programs and Direct Access electricity programs on PG&E, SCE, or SDG&E systems for California public agencies.
• LED Lighting and Controls Procurement program for LED interior and exterior lighting, equipment, and controls through pre-negotiated master contracts for California public agencies (currently closed to new orders).
• Energy Data Management Online service that converts utility invoices (electricity, natural gas, solid waste, water and sewer) into management tools for cost savings, usage reduction, and sustainability goal tracking.

Quantifiable outcome

• State Center Community College District saved over $18 million by going solar through SPURR
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DSD RenewablescoreTechnology or Integration · 21 January 2025DSD Renewables was awarded the REAP Program Master Contract through a competitive statewide RFP process. DSD is a leading solar and energy storage provider that supports the REAP Program with project development and installation services for California public agencies.
• ForeFront PowercoreTechnology or IntegrationForeFront Power is a vendor partner providing solar and energy storage solutions through SPURR programs. They have completed landmark projects including the largest commercial/municipal solar and battery storage installation in the U.S. for the City of Fresno.
• Highland FleetsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHighland Fleets is the official transportation partner of the 2028 Summer Olympics and collaborates with SPURR on the Fall 2025 webinar series focused on alternative funding strategies for transitioning to electric buses.
• DGIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDGI collaborated with SPURR on a webinar titled 'Overcoming Procurement Hurdles for School Technology Infrastructure' to help schools navigate technology procurement challenges.
• CDW EducationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCDW Education partnered with SPURR to present the 'Simplifying E-Rate' virtual procurement seminar to help educational institutions navigate E-Rate requirements.
• Lozano SmithcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLozano Smith law firm serves as SPURR's general counsel, providing legal guidance on JPA matters, procurement compliance, and regulatory issues affecting SPURR programs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• CalSAVE (California Statewide Educational Technology Purchase Program): California Department of Education technology procurement program that aggregates purchasing for K-12 districts within California. Overlaps with SPURR's telecom and networking procurement mission in the same geography.
• MHEC (Midwestern Higher Education Compact): Interstate compact that provides cooperative procurement and technology contracts to higher education institutions. Mirrors SPURR's role for higher ed but operates in the Midwest and Northeast rather than California.
• HGACBuy (Houston-Galveston Area Council): Texas-based cooperative purchasing program operated by a regional council of governments, providing publicly procured contracts to government and education agencies. Operates a similar model to SPURR but serves a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• OMNIA Partners (formerly U.S. Communities): National cooperative purchasing organization serving public agencies, nonprofits, and schools with aggregated procurement contracts. Operates a much broader portfolio and geography than SPURR, but shares the same cooperative procurement model for K-12 and higher education.
• Sourcewell (formerly National Joint Powers Alliance): Minnesota-based cooperative that awards contracts for use by government, education, and nonprofit agencies nationwide. Highly comparable to SPURR's joint-powers procurement model, with a much larger vendor roster and broader geographic reach.

Direct peers

• 1Government Procurement Alliance (1GPA): Non-profit governmental purchasing cooperative that offers aggregated procurement contracts to public agencies including K-12 and higher education. Direct competitor in the cooperative purchasing space with a similar member-funded model.
• Equalis Group: Public agency cooperative purchasing organization that delivers competitively solicited contracts to municipalities, schools, and other government entities. Comparable to SPURR in mission and member-driven procurement structure.
• E&I Cooperative Services: Member-owned cooperative exclusively serving higher education and PK-12 institutions with competitively solicited contracts for software, IT, and services. Closest direct peer to SPURR's education-focused procurement mission.

Others

• ForeFront Power (Shell subsidiary): Solar and energy storage developer that holds a SPURR REAP Master Contract and delivers projects to California public agencies. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct peer — operates as a vendor partner through SPURR's procurement framework.
• DSD Renewables: Distributed solar and energy storage provider awarded the REAP Program Master Contract in 2025. Acts as a vendor delivery partner through SPURR's aggregated procurement, not a cooperative peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/11862103
• Instagraminstagram.com/spurrpave

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spurr Joint Powers Authority