Draft Minutes
Board of Directors Meeting
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
6:00 pm
In Person
The Lake Merritt Room
Cal State East Bay - the Oakland Center
In the Transpacific Centre
1000 Broadway, Suite 109
Oakland, CA 94607
Or from the following locations:
• Wells Fargo Building - 2140 Shattuck Avenue, Floor 6, Berkeley, CA 94704 • City of Pleasanton, City Council Conference Room, 200 Old Bernal Ave., Pleasanton 94566
• City of Dublin City Hall, 100 Civic Plaza, Dublin, CA 94568 • 33349 9th Street (back office) Union City, CA 94587
• Tracy City Hall, 333 Civic Center Drive, Tracy, CA 95376 • 1651 Venice Circle, Stockton, CA 95206
Via Zoom:
https://ebce-org.zoom.us/j/87023071843
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 6833 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301 715 8592 or 888 475 4499 (Toll Free) or 877 853 5257 (Toll Free)
Webinar ID: 870 2307 1843
Meetings are accessible to people with disabilities. Individuals who need special assistance or a disability-related modification or accommodation to participate in this meeting, or who have a disability and wish to request an alternative format for the meeting materials, should contact the Clerk of the Board at least 2 working days before the meeting at (510) 906-0491 or [email protected].
If you have anything that you wish to be distributed to the Board of Directors, please email it to the clerk by 5:00 pm the day prior to the meeting.
Vice-Mayor Kimberly Warmsley was sworn in as the new EBCE Director for the City of Stockton.
Councilmember Kashef Qaadri was sworn in as the new EBCE Director for the City of Berkeley.
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Councilmember Tom Ramsey was sworn in as the new EBCE Director for the City of Piedmont.
1. Welcome & Roll Call
Present: Directors: Tiedemann (Albany), Bartlett (Berkeley), Qaadri (Dublin), Bauters (Emeryville), Roche (Hayward), Barrientos (Livermore), Jorgens (Newark), Kalb (Oakland), Ramsey (Piedmont), Gonzalez (San Leandro), Warmsley (Stockton), Bedolla (Tracy), Patino (Union City), Eldred (Community Advisory Committee), Vice-Chair Balch (Pleasanton) and Chair Marquez (Alameda County)
Excused: Directors: Cox
Director Qaadri served as the alternate for Director Hu (Dublin).
Director Ramsey served as the alternate for Director Andersen (Piedmont).
Director Warmsley served as the alternate for Director Wright (Stockton).
Presenter and Staff Attended:
Nick Chaset
Alec Ward
Michael Quiroz
Jessie Denver
Izzy Carson
Marie Fontenot
Helen Mejia
JP Ross
Brett Wiley
Karen Lee
Jason Bartlett
Howard Chang
Raïssa Ngoma
Adrian Bankhead
2. Pledge of Allegiance
Member Jorgens (Newark) led the body in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
3. Public Comment
This item is reserved for persons wishing to address the Board on any EBCE-related matters that are not otherwise on this meeting agenda. Public comments on matters listed on the agenda shall be heard at the time the matter is called. As with all public comment, members of the public who wish to address the Board are customarily limited to two minutes per speaker and must complete an electronic speaker slip. The Board Chair may increase or decrease the time allotted to each speaker.
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(5:02) Jessica Tovar from the East Bay Clean Power Alliance spoke on the Local Development Business Plan (LDBP) and its role as a roadmap for community benefits from East Bay Community Energy (EBCE). She traced the history of the plan, which was backed by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors with a half a million-dollar allocation in 2016, intended to ensure EBCE's revenues were invested in the community's energy needs and resilience. The LDBP addresses energy efficiency, demand and consumption reduction, electrification of transportation and buildings, Community Innovation Grant funds, local solar and wind development, and seed funding for community innovation.
Jessica Tovar highlighted the lack of Community Innovation Grants awarded since 2019 and the importance of replenishing funds for programs that invest in shared public transportation and shared solar. These investments can facilitate the inclusion of community members who have been excluded from the clean energy economy and are crucial for enhancing community energy resilience. Jessica Tovar emphasized that these are not mere one-time investments but continue to provide benefits over time.
The public comment letter summarized below was read into the record by the clerk:
The letter is provided in full as Exhibit A.
(7:49) Chance Cutrano, Chair of the Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter, addressed concerns about East Bay Community Energy's (EBCE) repeated violations of the CPUC's Resource Adequacy procurement requirements, resulting in approximately $6.4 million in fines over the past four years. Given the Sierra Club's commitment to supporting Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) initiatives, including EBCE, Chance Cutrano expressed concern about these substantial fines diverting ratepayer money away from energy procurement and other EBCE programs. He requested EBCE's perspective on these issues and asked for assurance about their plans to avoid such fines in 2023 and beyond.
Mr. Cutrano confirmed the Sierra Club's ongoing support for EBCE and its mission, offering help to ensure the successful implementation of EBCE's Local Development Business Plan. (11:44) The EBCE statement summarized below was read into the record by Chair Marquez: This statement is provided in full as Exhibit B.
The statement outlined two primary factors affecting the emissions of EBCE's portfolio:
unspecified power and PCC2 RECs. The majority of emissions come from unspecified power sources, which is essentially the difference between the amount of carbon-free electricity purchased (including renewable) and total sales. The other factor is the renewable content from PCC2 RECs, which have an emissions factor equivalent to unspecified system power despite being largely generated from renewable resources like solar, wind, and hydro. These factors significantly affect EBCE due to its size, demographic, regulatory changes, declining nuclear power allocation, and low hydroelectric output due to drought. Meeting EBCE's 2030 zero emissions target requires consistent annual reductions in both emissions and unspecified power, achievable through annual increases in California-produced renewable electricity and carbon-free procurement for Bright Choice. Targets are reviewed yearly to assess potential acceleration and propose increases when feasible.
(14:13) Tom Kelly spoke in opposition to CEO Chaset's comments regarding resource adequacy (RA). He noted that CEO Chaset suggested that paying fines, instead of East Bay Community Energy
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purchasing the obligated RA, was a better financial decision for EBCE, potentially saving around $10 million. However, Tom Kelly pointed out that due to these fines, the CPUC has delayed the enrollment of the City of Stockton into EBCE until January 2025 or later.
Tom Kelly expressed dissatisfaction with EBCE's justifications for not complying with its obligations under the CPUC and urged the board to scrutinize CEO Chaset’s management decisions.
4. (18:43) Closed Session
• Conference with Labor Negotiators pursuant to Government Code 54957.6. (Labor negotiators: Elisa Marquez) (Unrepresented employee)
5. (1:29:54) General Report Out of Closed Session
There were no items to report out of closed session.
CONSENT AGENDA
6. Approval of Minutes from April 19, 2023 and April 24, 2023
7. Contracts Entered into (Informational Item)
8. RPS Long-Term Market Offer Contract
Requesting Board approval of contract award for PG&E RPS Long-Term Market Offer
9. Agreement with CLEAResult for E-bike Program
Requesting the Board to delegate authority to EBCE CEO to negotiate and execute Agreement
10.Amcor Storage Contract Approval
Requesting the Board to authorize EBCE CEO to negotiate and execute a Resource Adequacy Agreement with Amcor Storage LLC
11. Second Amendment to the CSA with Maher Accountancy
To increase the NTE to allow budget portal development
12.Third Amendment to CSA between EBCE and Acterra
Requesting the Board to delegate authority to EBCE CEO to negotiate and execute a Third Amendment to the CSA
13.Fifth Amendment to the CSA between EBCE and Stantec
Requesting the Board to delegate authority to EBCE CEO to negotiate and execute a Fifth Amendment to the CSA
The Committee discussed:
• (I:31:06) Per Consent Item 9, Member Gonzalez (San Leandro) asked for the source of the $10 million in grant funding for the E-Bike program. • (1:312:04) Member Gonzalez (San Leandro) asked which agency or board priority Consent Item 9 fulfills.
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• (1:33:35) Per Consent Item 9, Member Bauters (Emeryville) commended the staff for their exceptional work on the four-million-dollar partnership between Alameda County Transportation Commission and EBCE, specifically praising staff’s thoughtful implementation of the program, which prioritizes low-income households and uses a lottery system to equitably distribute funding.
• (1:34:35) Member Roche (Hayward) asked for information about where the e-bikes will be located and tested by members of the public. • (1:35:44) CAC Chair Eldred praised the e-bike program for its innovative and future-oriented design. CAC Chair Eldred also noted her role with the Public Library Council of the Transportation Commission, emphasizing the importance of the e-bike program in their mobility plan and emissions reduction efforts.
• (1:36:27) Member Bedolla (Tracy) requested that a correction be made to the April 24, 2023 Special Board Retreat – Local Programs minutes: The following sentence – “Member Bedolla also acknowledged the Tracy Unified School District’s' work on Resilient Critical Municipal Facilities Phase Two.” should be replaced with the following sentence: “Tracy Unified School District is electrifying their own agency buildings but not through EBCE’s program.” Member Bauters (Emeryville) motioned to approve Consent Agenda, including Member Bedolla’s amendment to the April 24, 2023 minutes. Member Gonzalez (San Leandro) seconded the item which passed 14/0.
Excused: Members Cox (Fremont) and Warmsley (Stockton)
REGULAR AGENDA
14. (1:38:25) CEO Report
CEO Chaset provided an update about several items during his report:
• At the May 3, 2023 Executive Committee Meeting, the 2023/24 Budget and EBCE’s Energy Prepayment Transaction were discussed.
• On April 24, 2023, a Special Board Retreat was held where members were given an update about Local Programs activities.
• Scott Harding has been appointed as the new Director of Origination for the Power Resources team, bringing extensive public sector utility experience. • CEO Chaset discussed brand evolution and name exploration, presenting an adjusted timeline due to the deferred start date for Stockton. The proposed new name will be presented for potential board approval in June or July, with multiple informational presentations given to ensure that all board members are ready to act.
The Board discussed:
• (1:41:52) Member Tiedemann (Albany) asked about the scope of the re-branding effort.
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15. (1:42:52) CAC Report
CAC Chair Eldred reported the following items:
• The CAC submitted a letter of support for EBCE’s Power Up the People initiative to deploy microgrids in its service territory. This letter can be found at https://cdn.sanity.io/files/pc49kbjr/production/47e79637aedcfa00c267329871d d54bcba58c5d3.pdf
• Protect access to benefits of rooftop solar and batteries for California renters sign-on letter /fact sheet and additional letters to the CAC that were not included in the Board agenda packet.
https://cdn.sanity.io/files/pc49kbjr/production/8c315c78a6c843345222c827b96 0ec363f3cf8c8.pdf
• CAC members have asked for resources around what it would take to get to 24- hour renewable power that is matched to the time that it was used. We went and found some of those resources instead of having staff do it.
16. (1:45:41) Draft FY 2023-24 Budget (Informational Item) Review the draft budget for the next fiscal year
The Board discussed:
• (2:20:54) Member Barrientos (Livermore) asked for clarification about where microgrids can be placed.
• (2:25:00) CAC Chair Eldred made several comments in response to the budget presentation:
o The CAC expressed strong interest in seeing a $15 million grant and asked for greater transparency around the process.
o The CAC expressed support for the pre-apprenticeship training programs o The CAC expressed support for the $50 bill credit but also suggested that there might be more tangible and visible benefits if these credits were treated as a lump sum.
o The CAC showed great appreciation for the 3-year Community Grants program and expressed interest in a smaller Community Innovation Grants to help constituent groups develop new ideas and projects. o The CAC requested metrics on the uptake of EV charging stations, particularly when considering equity. This request was rooted in feedback from historically hard-to-reach communities who expressed concerns that the EV charging stations might lead to gentrification. The CAC supports the program but wants to measure the actual uptake of electric vehicles in these communities to inform future funding decisions. o The CAC also expressed their appreciation for the Resilience and Virtual Power Plant (VPP) projects.
• (2:28:40) Member Roche (Hayward) expressed Hayward's interest in eliminating the premium on Renewable 100, aligning it with PG&E's rates. Member Roche also advocated for educating pediatricians about indoor air pollution mitigation.
Member Roche acknowledged potential budget constraints but emphasized that East Bay Community Energy
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preventive education could be more cost-effective than dealing with asthma care post-exposure.
• (2:30:27) Member Bauters (Emeryville) expressed strong support for employing formally incarcerated individuals through the Electrification Workforce Training Program, emphasizing its potential for public safety and socioeconomic development.
• (2:32:29) Member Kalb (Oakland) spoke in approval of the Electrification Workforce Training Program electrification workforce area but stated that $1.5 million may not be enough to have a significant impact. Member Kalb suggested consideration of increasing budget increments in the second or third year. • Member Kalb proposed that the placement of resilience hubs should not be confined solely to government-owned buildings, and that faith-based locations and some NGO buildings should be considered as well.
• Regarding the budget, Member Kalb commented on the proposed increase in the Bright Choice discount from 3% to 5%. He stated that a smaller increase to
3.5% could save almost $10 million, which could be allocated to local development, heavy-duty fleet electrification or workforce training. • (2:37:53) Member Qaadri (Dublin) noted the 60% increase in staffing as compared to an 8% increase in the operating revenue, and asked if a more scaled approach to staff onboarding might be considered. • (2:43:14) Member Bartlett (Berkeley) echoed support for Member Kalb’s comments about workforce training projects.
• (2:44:09) Member Tiedemann (Albany) spoke in favor of seeking out an alternative use of the one-time bill credit, stating that those funds could be used more effectively to support programs.
• (2:45:09) Member Gonzalez (San Leandro) requested that staff provide the assumptions that it is making about PGE’s proposed rates in its models. • (2:49:36) Chair Marquez spoke in approval of budget and requested that staff provide a one- or two-page executive summary of EBCE’s history, total customer count and cities that EBCE provides service. Chair Marquez also spoke in approval of Member Bauters comments with respect to working with trades to partner with the re-entry population, and Member Roche’s comments about preventative work related to the reduction in indoor air pollution. (2:51:54) Jessica Tovar spoke in support of increased funding for community resilience, specifically highlighting the $2 million allocated for the Resilience Hubs microgrids program. Jessica Tovar suggested that such resilience should extend to various community centers, including schools, churches, affordable and senior housing, transitional housing, and shelters. Tovar advocated for the annual replenishment of Community Grants, specifically Community Innovation Grants, and pointed out that there have been no such grants since 2019. Jessica Tovar urged for increased investment in equity and for inclusion of individuals who have historically been left out of the clean energy economy and encouraged the Board to utilize its power to serve its communities better.
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17. (2:54:35) Legislative Update (Action Item)
Update on recommended bill positions and EBCE’s bill tracker The Board discussed:
• (2:56:53) Member Kalb (Oakland) requested that staff return to the practice of providing the full list of bills that the policy team is tracking in the legislative update.
• (2:59:00) CAC Chair Eldred stated that over 177 organizations oppose AB 538, and that some of those letters are included in the CAC Chair Report in the 5/17/23 agenda packet. Chair Eldred noted that AB 538 has been moved to a two-year bill today, but that means that it can come back as early as January.
Member Bauters (Emeryville) motioned to approve staff recommendations with the understanding that AB 538 will be reviewed by the CAC before it comes back to the Board. Member Gonzalez (San Leandro) seconded the item which passed 15/0.
Excused: Member Cox (Fremont)
18. (3:03:41) Load Management Standards Interim Compliance Plan (Action Item) Requesting Board approval of an interim compliance plan for the California Energy Commission’s Load Management Standards
The Board discussed:
• (3:06:05) Member Gonzalez (San Leandro) asked if there is a way to make sure that load management standards are revisited at the appropriate time.
Member Tiedemann (Albany) motioned to approve the staff recommendation, stipulating that load management standards are reviewed on an annual basis.
Member Bauters (Emeryville) seconded the item which passed 15/0.
Excused: Member Cox (Fremont)
19. Emissions Overview (Informational Item)
Informational Overview on Emissions
(3:07:59) Chair Marquez tabled the Emissions Overview item to the June 21, 2023 Board of Directors meetings.
20. Board Member and Staff Announcements including requests to place items on future Board agendas
• (3:08:56) Assistant Board Clerk Raïssa Ngoma requested that Board members complete polls to facilitate scheduling for Financial, Administrative and Procurement (FAP) and Marketing, Regulatory and Legislative subcommittee meetings.
21. Adjournment to Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at 6:00 pm.
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___________________________________
Elisa Marquez, Chair
Attest:
___________________________________
Adrian Bankhead, Clerk of the Board
1999 Harrison Street, Suite 800 Oakland, CA 94612 | 1-833-699-EBCE (3223) | ebce.org Supervisor Elisa Márquez
Alameda County
Mayor Aaron Tiedemann
Albany
Vice Mayor Ben Bartlett
Berkeley
Councilmember Sherry Hu
Dublin
Mayor John Bauters
Emeryville
Councilmember Teresa Cox
Fremont
Councilmember Julie Roche
Hayward
Councilmember Ben
Barrientos
Livermore
Councilmember Matthew
Jorgens
Newark
Councilmember Dan Kalb
Oakland
Vice Mayor Betsy Andersen
Piedmont
Vice Mayor Jack Balch
Pleasanton
Mayor Juan Gonzalez
San Leandro
Councilmember Dan Wright
Stockton
Councilmember Matt
Bedolla
Tracy
Councilmember Jaime
Patino
Union City
Anne Oliva Eldred
Community Advisory
Committee (non-voting)
May 16, 2023
Mr. Chance Cutrano
Sierra Club of San Francisco Bay
2530 San Pablo Ave, Suite 1
Berkeley, CA 94702
Dear Mr. Cutrano,
Thank you for Sierra Club of San Francisco Bay’s inquiry dated May 10, 2023. In your letter, you asked about CPUC Resolution E-5258 and the penalties EBCE incurred for under-procurement in the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Resource Adequacy (RA) program.
Before turning to the penalties described in Resolution E-5258, some background on the RA program may be helpful. RA is a form of capacity, as opposed to energy. Paying for RA means, in essence, paying for a generator to be available to generate rather than to actually generate. The RA program requires jurisdictional load serving entities like EBCE (LSEs) to procure CPUC-determined amounts of RA-qualified generation capacity. The CPUC determines these amounts annually. The CPUC will assess penalties to LSEs unable to procure their requirement of RA (whether due to market scarcity, illiquidity, or resources being economically withheld).
There are “backstop” RA procurement mechanisms that kick in when an LSE is “short” on RA, thereby ensuring a reliable grid. The grid operator can obtain additional capacity via its FERC-approved authority to obtain resources for reliability purposes. The availability of resources for CPM designation serves to demonstrate that resources had been withheld from the bilateral RA market for artificial purposes. The “CPM” price is set by regulation rather than the market.
It can be well below the market price.
2021 and 2022 saw significant tightening in the RA market. Consequently, there were times when EBCE could not buy all the RA it needed. Counter-intuitive as it may seem, though incurring these penalties actually saved EBCE customers money. The cost of penalties plus backup through the CAISO were less expensive than the alternative of buying RA at prevailing market prices.
EBCE wishes to clarify for Sierra Club of San Francisco Bay that RA penalties were in lieu of procurement of RA and therefore the costs of the penalties were equal to or less than the price EBCE would have paid for RA, and as a result the payment of penalties did not have the effect of raising EBCE’s procurement costs, nor did they have a negative impact on customer rates and funding for EBCE’s customer programs.
EBCE appreciates Sierra Club of San Francisco Bay’s continued support as we DocuSign Envelope ID: FC16D182-681B-4D13-9AC4-8F1969AE8C3F Exhibit A
1999 Harrison Street, Suite 800 Oakland, CA 94612 | 1-833-699-EBCE (3223) | ebce.org accelerate the transition to clean and renewable energy in a manner that is sustainable for our diverse customers.
Sincerely,
Marie Fontenot
Vice President, Power Resources
DocuSign Envelope ID: FC16D182-681B-4D13-9AC4-8F1969AE8C3F Exhibit A
EBCE Power Content and Forward-Looking Trajectory
There are two primary factors influencing the plan wide emissions for EBCE:
o The largest source of emissions in EBCE’s porƞolio is power content from emiƫng generaƟon sources, and for Bright Choice this is unspecified power. Unspecified electricity is not purchased for Bright Choice for content purposes but is reflecƟve of the balance of carbon free electricity purchases (which includes renewable) and total sales. o The second factor influencing the plan wide emissions is renewable content from PCC2 RECs. This is due to a change in the CA power content reporƟng and emissions counƟng methodology that adds an emissions factor equivalent to unspecified system power, despite these resources being by and large solar, wind, and hydro. These two factors (unspecified power and PCC2 RECs) have a pronounced impact on EBCE relaƟve to our unique size and demographic and largely due to:
o EBCE’s decision to decline the nuclear porƟon of the carbon free allocaƟon resulƟng in a greater porƟon of annual procurement coming from unspecified power and PCC2 RECs than would be necessary had the nuclear allocaƟon been accepted o Regulatory changes to power content reporƟng methodology, specifically AB 1110 making imported renewables from outside of California no-longer emissions free; and o historically low hydroelectric output due to drought
MeeƟng EBCE’s approved 2030 zero emissions electricity target translates to necessary annual reducƟons in both plan wide emissions and unspecified power. This is accomplished through year over year increases in California generated renewable electricity and carbon free procurement for Bright Choice. EBCE’s targets are then further reviewed on an annual basis to evaluate the potenƟal to accelerate exisƟng targets and will propose increases to approved targets whenever possible.
Exhibit B
Draft Minutes
Board of Directors Special Board Retreat –
Marketing and Account Services
Monday, May 22, 2023
12:00 pm
In person:
The Montclair Room
Cal State East Bay - the Oakland Center
In the Transpacific Centre
1000 Broadway, Suite 109
Oakland, CA 94607
Or from the following locations:
• Wells Fargo Building - 2140 Shattuck Avenue, Floor 6, Berkeley, CA 94704 • 100 Civic Plaza, Dublin, CA 94568
• San Leandro City Hall 2nd floor (835 E 14th St, San Leandro, CA 94577) • Tracy City Hall, 333 Civic Center Drive, Tracy, CA 95376 • 33349 9th Street (back office) Union City, CA 94587
• 450 Hay St, Fayetteville, NC 28301
• Balch Enterprises, Inc. 30960 Huntwood Avenue Hayward, CA 94544 Via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87023071843
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 6833 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301 715 8592 or 888 475 4499 (Toll Free) or 877 853 5257 (Toll Free)
Webinar ID: 870 2307 1843
Meetings are accessible to people with disabilities. Individuals who need special assistance or a disability-related modification or accommodation to participate in this meeting, or who have a disability and wish to request an alternative format for the meeting materials, should contact the Clerk of the Board at least 2 working days before the meeting at (510) 906-0491 or [email protected].
If you have anything that you wish to be distributed to the Board of Directors, please email it to the clerk by 5:00 pm the day prior to the meeting.
1. Welcome & Roll Call
Present: Members: Qaadri (Dublin), Kaur (Emeryville), Cox (Fremont), Roche (Hayward), Barrientos (Livermore), Gonzalez (San Leandro), Wright (Stockton), Bedolla East Bay Community Energy
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(Tracy), Patino (Union City), Eldred (Community Advisory Committee) and Vice-Chair Balch
Excused: Members: Bartlett (Berkeley), Jorgens (Newark), Kalb (Oakland), Anderson (Piedmont), Chair Marquez (Alameda County)
Member Qaadri served as the alternate for Member Hu (Dublin).
Member Kaur served as the alternate for Member Bauters (Emeryville).
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Public Comment
This item is reserved for persons wishing to address the Board on any EBCE-related matters that are not otherwise on this meeting agenda. Public comments on matters listed on the agenda shall be heard at the time the matter is called. As with all public comment, members of the public who wish to address the Board are customarily limited to two minutes per speaker and must complete an electronic speaker slip. The Board Chair may increase or decrease the time allotted to each speaker. (2:25) Claire Schoen expressed appreciation for EBCE and its Renewable100 plan, but voiced concern about EBCE’s lack of visibility in her community in Berkeley. Despite her friends and neighbors being progressive and climate-conscious, she pointed out that many are unaware of EBCE and mistakenly believe they are still receiving electricity from PG&E. This, she attributed to factors like PG&E's handling of billing, the tendency for many to pay their bills electronically without scrutinizing details, and EBCE's infrequent flyer communication, which often gets dismissed as junk mail. Consequently, few in her community have opted for the Renewable100 plan. Clair Schoen suggested that improved marketing, such as a direct mailer with a clear message about EBCE being their electricity provider, could raise awareness and stimulate interest in the program.
4. (7:07) Marketing and Account Services Update (Informational Item) Receive update on Marketing and Account Services activities.
The Board Discussed:
• (25:30) Member Qaadri (Dublin) asked how public engagement performance metrics are tracked.
• (38:21) CAC Chair Eldred asked for information about which customers have access to EBCE’s Real Time Pricing (RTP) pilot program. • (40:21 Member Qaadri (Dublin) asked about the structure of EBCE’s Arrearage Management Plan.
• (43:18) Member Gonzalez (San Leandro) asked about the dynamics of market demand that would cause a large industrial customer to leave, or return to, EBCE. • (46:03) Member Gonzalez (San Leandro) asked about the challenge of lowering rates given the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA). • (47:15) Member Roche (Hayward) asked how individual residential customers can receive help to understand their EBCE bills.
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• (57:54) Member Roche (Hayward) asked for further information about the public’s aversion to acronyms as brand names, and for guidance around how staff plans to provide Board members with options for potential brand names. • (1:00:40) Member Gonzalez (San Leandro) stated that with advertising and drive, brands take on a life of their own, so the board should move forward with a name. Member Gonzalez also stated that he approves of a name that can invoke positive feelings rather than an acronym.
5. Board Member and Staff Announcements including requests to place items on future Board agendas
There were no Board member or Staff Announcements.
6. Adjourn