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Draft Minutes
Marketing, Regulatory and Legislative Subcommittee
Meeting
Friday, November 4, 2022
12:00 pm
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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.
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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.
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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