EBCE is committed to protecting our environment and is proud to be a Certified California Green Business
Marketing, Regulatory and Legislative Subcommittee
Meeting
Friday, June 16, 2023
12:00 pm
In Person:
EBCE Conference Room 1
1999 Harrison Street
Suite 800
Oakland, CA 94607
Or from the following remote locations:
• Wells Fargo Building - 2140 Shattuck Avenue, Floor 6, Berkeley, CA 94704 • 33349 9th Street Union City, CA 94587
• ABLE Charter School Administrative Office F2 - 6529 Inglewood Ave Stockton, CA 95207
Zoom:
https://ebce-org.zoom.us/j/88008124818
Or join by phone:
+Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 669 444 9171 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 719 359 4580 or +1 253 205 0468 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 309 205 3325 Webinar ID: 880 0812 4818
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) 707-1764 or [email protected].
If you have anything that you wish to be distributed to the Marketing, Regulatory and Legislative Subcommittee (MRL), please email it to the clerk by 5:00 pm the day prior to the meeting.
1. Welcome & Roll Call
2. Public Comment
This item is reserved for persons wishing to address the MRL Subcommittee on any EBCE-related matters that are not otherwise on this meeting agenda. Public East Bay Community Energy
Board of Directors Page | 2
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 subcommittee are customarily limited to three minutes per speaker and must complete an electronic speaker slip. The MRL Chair may increase or decrease the time allotted to each speaker.
3. Approval of Minutes from November 4, 2022
4. Regulatory Update (Informational Item)
Update on EBCE regulatory proceedings and processes
5. Legislative Update (Informational Item)
Update on the bills EBCE took a position on in our last board meeting
6. EBCE Name Proposal (Informational Item)
Present the process and proposed new name for EBCE
7. Committee Member and Staff Announcements including requests to place items on future Subcommittee Agendas
8. Adjourn
The next meeting of the Marketing, Regulatory and Legislative will take place on:
Friday, October 13, 2023
EBCE Conference Room 1
1999 Harrison Street
Suite 800
Oakland, CA 94607
EBCE is committed to protecting our environment and is proud to be a Certified California Green Business
Draft Minutes
Marketing, Regulatory and Legislative Subcommittee
Meeting
Friday, November 4, 2022
12:00 pm
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82375344642
Or join by phone by dialing: +1 669 900 6833 or 888 475 4499 (Toll Free) Webinar ID: 823 753 4642
Consistent with the provisions of Assembly Bill 361, the East Bay Community Energy Board of Directors and standing committee meetings will be held via teleconference/videoconference during the current State of Emergency. Any interested member of the public can participate via Zoom by utilizing the link listed above or telephonically by utilizing the dial-in information listed on this agenda.
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 Marketing, Regulatory and Legislative Subcommittee, please email it to the clerk by 5:00 pm the day prior to the meeting.
1. Welcome & Roll Call
Directors: Tiedemann (Albany), Munro (Livermore) and Chair Patino (Union City) Excused: Harrison (Berkeley) and Kumagai (Dublin)
2. Public Comment
This item is reserved for persons wishing to address the Marketing, Regulatory and Legislative Subcommittee on any EBCE-related matters that are not otherwise on this meeting agenda. Public comment 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 Marketing, Regulatory and Legislative Subcommittee are customarily limited to three minutes per speaker. The MRL Chair may increase or decrease the time allotted to each speaker.
East Bay Community Energy
Board of Directors Page | 2
Vaughn shared insights from the Renewable Energy Plus 2022 conference, emphasizing the future potential of microgrids and home battery technologies. Vaughn suggested that as renewable technology becomes more affordable, more people may opt for off-grid energy solutions. Vaughn called attention to the challenges that microgrids could present to companies like PG&E and Sun Anderson and suggested that EBCE should proactively explore policies and strategies around this technology. Vaughn mentioned that Sunnova, Inc, and energy services provider, petitioned the California Public Utilities Commission to establish a town-wide microgrid, signaling a shift from large-scale power distribution to more local, decentralized energy generation. Vaughn predicted that microgrids could become a primary source of power in the next ten to fifteen years, replacing traditional, larger scale power plants.
The clerk read Audrey Ichinose’s written public comment, summarized below, into the record. The full public comment letter is provided as Exhibit A:
Audrey Ichinose, representing East Bay Clean Power Alliance and the California Alliance for Community Energy, provided a written public comment commending EBCE's mission to provide clean, affordable electricity, local economic development and equitable climate justice outcomes. Audrey Ichinose highlighted various initiatives with similar goals to inspire EBCE. These initiatives include the City of San Leandro's 2022-23 Resilience Hubs Initiative which focuses on disaster preparedness and community care, Peninsula Clean Energy's investment in a 3-MW solar project to benefit disadvantaged customers, and a UK-based electricity retailer, Octopus Energy, which pays its customers for reducing their electricity usage in order to maintain grid reliability.
3. Approval of Minutes from September 16, 2022
Member Tiedemann (Albany) motioned to approve the minutes. Member Munro (Livermore) seconded the motion which passed 3/0.
Excused: Members Harrison (Berkeley) and Kumagai (Dublin)
4. Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Informational Item) Update on Inflation Reduction Act programs most relevant to EBCE There was no Committee discussion about this item.
Beth Weinberger asked for staff to provide information about the process of applying for Home Energy Efficiency rebates. Beth Weinberger inquired if she is eligible for receive rebates for equipment that she had previously installed and how she might apply for them.
Jennifer West representing Stop Waste, asked about the prevailing wage under investment tax credits and if other electrification funding will also be tied to prevailing wage in terms of workforce.
East Bay Community Energy
Board of Directors Page | 3
5. Marketing and Account Services Update (Informational Item) Update on Marketing and Account Services
There was no Committee discussion about this item.
There was no public comment for this item.
6. Committee Member and Staff Announcements including requests to place items on future Board agendas
Member Munro praised staff for the quality of their presentations. Member Munro’s sentiment was reflected by Chair Patino and Member Tiedemann.
7. Adjournment to date: TBD
___________________________________
Julie Roche, Chair
Attest:
___________________________________
Raïssa Ngoma, Assistant Clerk of the Board
Exhibit A
Public Comment submitted by Audrey Ichinose for 11/4/22 EBCE MRL Subcommittee meeting To: Marketing Subcommittee, Community Advisory Committee, Board of Directors, Appropriate Staff
From: Audrey Ichinose
East Bay Clean Power Alliance, California Alliance for Community Energy Re: Public Comment for 11/4/22 Marketing Subcommittee meeting Members and Staff,
Thank you for taking this written public comment. I cannot attend “in person.” The East Bay Clean Power Alliance is one of the many groups and individuals that helped to establish EBCE. We support its pursuit of clean and affordable electricity, local economic development and climate justice and equitable outcomes for all.
Given today’s extraordinary circumstances, I wanted to alert the Marketing Subcommittee to the actions of other entities that pursue similar goals to EBCE’s. Here are just a few examples of the many efforts being made locally, and internationally, to mobilize ratepayers on behalf of their programs.
• Hopefully you did not miss this important initiative launched by the City of San Leandro. The City of San Leandro’s 2022-23 Resilience Hubs Initiative will support the development of a network of resilience hubs, spaces and blocks, centering the most vulnerable populations while integrating disaster preparedness, climate solutions and community care into neighborhoods and community-serving sites - from places of worship to community centers. • A sister CCA, Peninsula Clean Energy, recently invested in a new 3-MW solar project to benefit disadvantaged customers. The Dos Palos Clean Power project includes inland service territory, affording over 1,000 income-qualified ratepayers in San Mateo County and the City of Los Banos emissions-free electricity at a 20% bill discount. Renewable America is developing, financing, constructing and maintaining operation of the project in Merced County. It is expected to be online in August 2023. Read more:
https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2022/10/peninsula-clean-energy-new-3- mw-solar-project-disadvantaged-customers/
• Octopus Energy, the UK’s 4th largest electricity retailer, has just started a program to pay its customers for collectively curtailing their electricity. The program resembles the Flex Alerts called in August that enabled CA to avoid rolling blackouts, but pays customers for participating! Especially appealing is its low-cost approach to grid reliability. For more (and to see its promotional pink plush octopuses: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/utilities/this-winter-uk-households-can-get-paid-to-help-prevent-grid-blackouts?utm_campaign=canary&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=232214481&_hs enc=p2ANqtz-9eSpvhYCCHtA3Pyg2ecOGG1bmjKpx0YEnWmjGpg1b01Xcznx4SRJrFo4U0gC ogRRGhUJHZbxZNij4UzIz1v2cIjuIk7w&utm_source=newsletter
Regulatory
Update
JUNE 16. 2023
2 Key Regulatory Activities
Resource Portfolio Related
Resource Adequacy
Integrated Resource Planning
Renewable Portfolio Standard
Demand-Side Procurement
Related
High DER
Key Regulatory Deadlines for 2023
• 7/17 2023 RPS Procurement Plan (forward looking)
• 8/1 IRP Procurement Compliance Report (demonstrating progress towards assigned procurement targets)
• 8/1 2023 RPS Compliance Report (backward looking)
• 10/31 Resource Adequacy (RA) 2024 Year Ahead Showing
• 11/30 RA 2024 Slice of Day Showing (practice year)
Legislative
Update
JUNE 16. 2023
Key Deadlines for the 2023 Legislative Year
• 1/4: Legislature reconvened
• 1/10: Governor submitted budget
• 2/17: Bill introduction deadline
• 4/28: Policy cmtes to move fiscal bills to fiscal cmtes (1st house) • 5/5: Policy cmtes to move nonfiscal bills to floor (1st house) • 5/19: Fiscal cmtes must move bills to floor (1st house) • 6/2: Last day for bills to be passed out of 1st house • 6/15: Budget bill must be passed
• 7/14: Policy cmtes to meet and report bills (2nd house) • 9/1: Fiscal cmtes to move bills to floor (2nd house)
• 9/14: Last day for each house to pass bills
• 10/14: Last day for Governor to sign/veto bills
Recommended Bill Positions
Bill # Author Description Sponsor(s)
Recommended
EBCE Position
BUDGET TRAILER
AB 1373 Garcia
Establishes a Central Procurement Entity for long-lead time resources, penalizes LSEs for missing RA targets, and expands CPUC control over CCA resource mix
OPPOSE UNLESS
AMENDED
INTERCONNECTION
AB 50 Wood Requires CPUC to create an IOU shot-clock on interconnection for new and upgraded load, as well as increased reporting and transparency SUPPORT AB 643 Berman
Requires CPUC to create an IOU shot-clock on interconnection for distributed energy resources, consider penalties, reduce administrative burden, and increase reporting and transparency California Solar and
Storage Association
(CalSSA)
SUPPORT
SB 83 Weiner Requires CPUC to create an IOU shot-clock on new development, issue penalties for missed deadlines, and increase reporting SUPPORT SB 410 Becker
Requires CPUC to create an IOU shot-clock on interconnection for new and upgraded load, consider remedial actions for misses, increase reporting, and ensure adequate staffing
International
Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers
SUPPORT
Recommended Bill Positions
Bill # Author Description Sponsor(s)
Recommended
EBCE Position
BROWN ACT
AB 557 Hart
Permits local agencies, like EBCE’s board, to indefinitely continue the teleconference flexibilities given during the COVID state of emergency CA Special Districts
Assoc., League of CA
Cities, CA State
Assoc. of Counties
SUPPORT
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
SB 529 Gonzalez Requires CEC to create a grant program to facilitate EV sharing services at affordable, multifamily housing properties
Los Angeles
Cleantech Incubator
SUPPORT
BUILDING DECARBONIZATION
SB 527 Min
Establishes an Neighborhood Zonal Decarbonization Program for 15 communities and authorizes gas corporations to cease service if the CPUC determines an area is better suited for electrification Building
Decarbonization
Coalition
SUPPORT
Next Steps
• Review and analyze new amendments
• Monitor bills on our watch list; determine when EBCE should formally take a position
• Send position letters for bills once EBCE formally takes a position • Engage with CalCCA on legislative efforts
Staff Report Item 6
Staff Report Item 6
TO: East Bay Community Energy Marketing, Regulatory, & Legislative Committee
FROM: Annie Henderson, Vice President of Marketing & Account Services; Theresa McDermit, Head of Brand
SUBJECT: New Brand Name Proposal
DATE: June 16, 2023
__________________________________________________________________ Recommendation
Provide feedback on the proposal of Ava Community Energy as the market-facing brand name for our agency.
Background and Discussion
In recent years, EBCE has dramatically increased its focus on actively promoting and enabling electrification, decarbonization, and efficiency initiatives while maintaining its ongoing commitment to the delivery of clean power at low prices. Since early 2022, staff have led an effort to define and articulate an updated brand strategy in support of this broadening mandate.
In December of 2022, an RFP was issued for a partner to support the evolution of our brand identity. And in February of this year, the Board approved the request to move forward with a preferred supplier. Since that time, we have worked swiftly to build out our evolved brand identity, beginning with the recommended brand name.
To arrive at this naming recommendation, we followed this detailed process:
Strategic Alignment and Naming Criteria: We established a framework for evaluating potential names to guide subsequent steps in the process. These guardrails helped ensure that an eventual name fulfill our objectives for a name change which broadly fall into two categories:
Staff Report Item 6
1) Ease of use, memorability; ability to support our expanded engagement efforts 2) Inclusivity; welcoming to all constituents including those outside of the “East Bay.”
Ideation: In the initial phase, over 150 names were generated and reviewed.
Promising candidates were screened for availability at a high level.
Feedback: In an iterative process, the most promising candidate names were shared with agency leadership, select staff, and members of the ad hoc committees of the Board of Directors and Community Advisory Committee. Several rounds of feedback and review yielded a small set of finalist names.
Clearance and Protection: We’ve taken care to ensure the appropriateness and availability of our recommended name with the following actions:
• A full trademark search was conducted by our counsel, DWT. They found no relevant competing claims on the name
• Native speakers of the most frequently spoken languages in our territory are reviewing the name to ensure there are no unintended linguistic or cultural associations
• Relevant URLs and social media handles were secured
• A placeholder trademark filing was prepared to signal our intent to use and protect the recommended name upon approval.
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal impact is driven by the need to communicate any changes to our brand identity and the creation / recreation of branded materials. Actual costs will be determined once the full extent and timing of changes are known. The funding for implementation and outreach on a new brand identity is included in the amount presented to the board for approval as part of the FY23/24 budget.
Committee Recommendation
Ad hoc committees of the Board of Directors and CAC have stated their support for adoption of the recommended name. The Executive Committee discussed this proposal on June 7, 2023. Feedback was generally supportive. Comments from board members and members of the public centered on focusing the name and messaging on our role as a public agency and regions served, while avoiding personification.
Attachments
A. New Name Proposal ppt.
New Brand Name
Proposal
Marketing, Regulatory,& Legislative Committee
JUNE 16, 2023
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Overview
2 ● Background & Rationale
● Insights
● Stakeholder Engagement & Timelines
● Process & Considerations
● New Brand Name Proposal
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Background &
Rationale
3 Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
EBCE Brand Evolution
2020
Updates to Look & Feel
Website update to give a more modern
look and feel to the brand. Logo and
key messaging remain unchanged.
First customer program offering.
2022
Program Marketing with Calls to Action
Multiple programs launched or in
planning; specific calls to action,
expanding on an educational focus
2016
Original Brand and Logo Development
County hired consultants to develop initial
website, collateral, and logos.
2018
Initial Enrollment and Launch of Service
Enrollment marketing and outreach
campaign including customer notifications
and key messaging.
4 Begin service to Stockton
2025
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
5 In the Beginning…
When we launched EBCE, our primary
objective was to educate:
• What is a CCA?
• How does your bill work?
• EBCE is not a scam…
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Our brand expression is:
● Very literal; we have a highly
descriptive name and logo
● Self-referential; our messaging
has traditionally focused on what
we do (as opposed to what that
means for the consumer)
● Familiar; our “look” is similar to
many other CCAs or IOUs
A Brand Expression to Support Education and Trust
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
$19 million annual
customer savings vs.
what would have been
paid for PG&E service
$21 million spent on
local programs like
battery energy
storage, induction
cooking, and electric
heat pump water
heaters 1,015 megawatts of
new wind, solar, and
battery storage,
including projects in
Alameda County
95% average
retention rate across
our service area
Steady expansion
of our service area;
Pleasanton, Newark +
Tracy 2022;
Stockton 2024
On track to implement
the strategy for
100% clean by 2030
2022 National Notable Achievement
Award for Land Revitalization Team
Excellence
We’ve Been Successful
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
We Continue to Mature and Evolve to Better Serve our Communities ● We are moving from simply
filling demand to creating it
● Growing capacity and expertise
to stand up consumer- and
commercial-facing programs
that expose customers to
electric alternatives and speed
their adoption, accelerating
decarbonization
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Insights
9 Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Our Name is a Barrier to Success in San Joaquin County* *n=400; 57.5% of sample from Stockton
Q12. Which one of these names is your least favorite?
East Bay Community Energy
EBCE
Placeholder Name
Placeholder Name
Placeholder Name
Placeholder Name
Placeholder Name
Q13: Why?
EBCE
• Acronyms are off-putting;
hard to remember
East Bay Community Energy
• San Joaquin County not part
of East Bay; East Bay too
expensive / doesn’t represent
my values
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Unaided Awareness
Question: PG&E manages the electricity system in your area. You also have an option for generation service (power plants). Is that…
11 May 2022
22.25%
46.5%
October 2022
46.5%
22%
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Stakeholder
Engagement &
Timelines
12 Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
• 4/1/22 - Presented brand refresh concept to
MRL Subcommittee
• 10/19/22 - BOD meeting CEO Report notes
hiring of Head of Brand
• 12/14/22 - BOD meeting CEO Report provides
update on brand efforts
• 12/15/22 - RFP posted for partner to support
Brand Identity Evolution
• 2/15/23 - BOD meeting consent agenda for
approval of contract for Brand & Visual
Identity Services
Meetings and Public
Information - 2022 to early
2023
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
• February
○ Ad Hoc Committees of the Board and CAC
established; initial meetings
• March
○ Survey of stakeholders, customers, and staff
○ Presentation to MuniPals
• April
○ Ad Hoc Committee meetings
○ Presentation to Exec Comm, CAC, and
Board
• May
○ Ad Hoc Committee meetings
○ Update in CEO Report to Board
○ Presentation on brand at Marketing &
Account Services Special Board Retreat
○ Special meeting of the MuniPals
Winter/Spring 2023
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
• June 7
○ Executive Committee
• June 16
○ Marketing, Regulatory, & Legislative
Committee
• June 20
○ Community Advisory Committee
• June 21
○ Board of Directors Meeting
June 2023
Info and discussion
Discussion and vote
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Ahead: Implementing our Evolved Name & Brand (tentative schedule) Plan, Prepare, Build
● Catalog / update all
branded assets
● Build launch plan x
audience
● Create toolkits x
audience (e.g. logo,
guidelines, FAQ,
messaging, social
posts, newsletter
content)
Now - Aug
Stakeholder Enablement
September
Soft Launch
● Notice customers
● Reskin website
● Apply brand to
external touchpoints
● Social media
campaign
● Outreach at events
Oct - Dec
Robust Comms
● Integrated campaign to
inform and build
excitement among our
constituents (e.g.
radio, buses, BART,
OOH)
● Launch evolved
website
● Measure awareness
Jan - Mar
Transition to
Steady State*
● Begin messaging shift
from introduction to
steady state
● Continue elevated level
of outreach with
programs focus
● Integrate tracking data
and stakeholder input
to drive additional
activities
Apr - Jun
● Communications and
training for internal
and external
stakeholders (e.g. all
employees, MuniPals,
sponsored entities,
program partners)
* Timing influenced by results of tracking survey
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
17 Reference: Ad Hoc Committees
Name EBCE Role Jurisdiction Role
Elisa Márquez Current Chair Supervisor, Alameda County
Dan Kalb Former Chair Councilmember, Oakland
Jaime Patiño Former Chair of MRL Subcommittee Councilmember, Union City Matt Bedolla Director Councilmember, Tracy
Dan Wright Director Councilmember, Stockton
Anne-Olivia Eldred Chair of CAC Oakland resident
Ed Hernandez Vice Chair of CAC San Leandro resident
Jim Lutz At-Large Member of CAC Oakland resident
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
18 Committee Feedback
Ad Hoc Committees Support from both Board and CAC members for new name Executive Committee Feedback was generally supportive. Comments from board members and members of the public centered on focusing the name and messaging on role as a public agency and regions served, while avoiding personification.
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Process &
Considerations
19 Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Naming Process
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Naming Criteria 1. Signals energy, community, or progress
2. Evokes momentum, positivity, and togetherness
3. Flexible for business and service area expansion
4. Balances uniqueness with reliability
5. Based on easy-to-understand words
6. Sounds and looks interesting; ideally also wearable
7. Stands out from clean tech/smart home innovators
8. Works in connection with “Community Energy” but without creating negative acronyms
9. Ownable as URL and available as trademark
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Name Proposal
26 Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Considerations ● Legal check is complete and clear - name is available for use ○ Other top contenders did not pass initial legal review, presenting risk of litigation
● Trademark registration submitted
● Social media handles and URLs have been secured in
advance of revealing the name publicly
● Name proposal is the outcome of many months of working with the ad hoc committees, public engagement, consultant engagement, internal staff analysis, and legal review
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Ava
Ava Community Energy
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Ava Community Energy
Origin Coined from Alameda County + Valley
Rationale Signals approachability
Evokes humanity and optimism
Short, warm, and memorable
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Ava Community Energy
Language “East Bay Community Energy is now Ava”
“We’d like to thank Ava Community Energy
for being the Climate Justice Sponsor of the
Oakland Roots.”
“The next speaker is from Ava Community
Energy, servicing Alameda County to the
Central Valley.”
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
32 We are Ava Community Energy
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Ava
Ava Community Energy
Attachment Staff Report Item 6A
Thank you for your consideration.
We welcome your feedback.
34 Attachment Staff Report Item 6A