Consent Item 7
Consent Item 7
TO: Ava Community Energy Authority
FROM: Heidy Ramirez, Local Programs Reporting Analyst
SUBJECT: Award of Community Investment Grants for Clean Energy Jobs and Training for Youth Awareness and Delegation of Authority to CEO to Enter Into Grant Agreements with Advancing Green Apprenticeship Pathways (AGAPE) Initiative and Rising Sun Center for Opportunity DATE: May 15, 2024
__________________________________________________________________ Recommendation
Approve recommendation awarding Clean Energy Jobs and Training for Youth Awareness Grants to Advancing Green Apprenticeship Pathways (AGAPE) Initiative (“AGAPE”) and Rising Sun Center for Opportunity (“Rising Sun”) and authorizing the CEO, in consultation with staff and legal counsel, to negotiate and execute Grant Agreements of $300,000 each with AGAPE and with Rising Sun.
Background and Discussion
The Local Development Business Plan identified the opportunity for Ava to create a Community Investment Fund, as a multi-faceted grant program to accelerate innovative products, services, or programs.
Ava staff completed a community workshop in June of 2023 to solicit ideas for community grants that foster program enrollment, education, awareness, and workforce development. One outcome of the workshop was the need to develop early career pathways into the clean energy sector.
Consent Item 7
Ava staff developed a request for proposals (“RFP”) for local organizations to complete Clean Energy Jobs and Training for Youth Awareness work across the service territory.
The RFP was issued in December, and intent to award notifications were sent in April.
Ava received three proposals, which were evaluated by staff using the following criteria:
• Quality of Proposed Plan: Meeting Grant Program Goals (35%) • Organizational Capacity: Budget & History of Meeting Grant Deliverables (20%) • Demonstrated Capacity of Delivering: Local Community Benefits (20%) • Prioritizing Equity Priority Communities (12.5%)
• Ava Energy Special Procurement Preferences (12.5%)
The proposals from AGAPE and Rising Sun were very strong and serve different regions and constituencies within the Ava service territory. Considering the need for this important work and the current funding in the Community Investment Grant budget, staff recommends issuing two grants from this solicitation to the following organizations:
AGAPE:
AGAPE's mission is to bridge the gap between education and employment for young adults aged 15-24, specifically targeting those in at-risk communities. By leveraging the collective expertise of its partners - Cypress Mandela Training Center (Cypress), Revalue.io, Youth Alive!, Berkeley Youth Alternatives, the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC), and the Construction Resource Center (CRC), AGAPE will provide hands-on training, mentorship, and real-world project exposure, paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable clean energy transition within our community.
Rising Sun:
Rising Sun will conduct outreach through schools, youth organizations, and other means to recruit Alameda and San Joaquin County youth for summer employment with Climate Careers. The youth will receive training in clean energy, energy efficiency, and climate awareness. They will gain hands-on experience conducting home energy assessments, educating residents, and installing efficiency measures. Then, they will gain additional workplace experience and career exploration through fall green career externships, hosted by partner employers.
Fiscal Impact
The two grants will be $300,000 each for a total of $600,000 from the previously approved Local Development - Community Investment grant budget.
Consent Item 7
Attachments
A. Rising Sun, Clean Energy Jobs and Training for Youth Awareness Community Investment Grant Resolution
B. AGAPE, Clean Energy Jobs and Training for Youth Awareness Community Investment Grant Resolution
Attachment Consent Item 7A
RESOLUTION NO. R-2024-XX
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF AVA COMMUNITY ENERGY AUTHORITY AWARDING A
CLEAN ENERGY JOBS AND TRAINING FOR YOUTH AWARENESS COMMUNITY
INVESTMENT GRANT AND AUTHORIZING THE CEO TO NEGOTIATE AND
EXECUTE A GRANT AGREEMENT WITH RISING SUN
WHEREAS the Ava Community Energy Authority (“Ava”) was formed as a community choice aggregation agency (“CCA”) on December 1, 2016, Under the Joint Exercise of Power Act, California Government Code sections 6500 et seq., among the County of Alameda, and the Cities of Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Piedmont, Oakland, San Leandro, and Union City to study, promote, develop, conduct, operate, and manage energy-related climate change programs in all of the member jurisdictions. The cities of Newark and Pleasanton, located in Alameda County, along with the City of Tracy, located in San Joaquin County, were added as members of Ava and parties to the Joint Powers Agreement (“JPA”) in March of 2020. The City of Stockton, located in San Joaquin County was added as a member of Ava and party to the JPA in September of 2022. The City of Lathrop, located in San Joaquin County, was added as a member to Ava and party to the JPA in October of 2023. On October 24, 2023, the Authority legally adopted the name Ava Community Energy Authority, where it had previously used the name East Bay Community Energy Authority since its inception.
WHEREAS The Ava Board of Directors has approved funding for community investment grants for local community based organizations working on local initiatives that support community development; and
WHEREAS community investment grants are intended to re-invest local development funds and empower communities within Ava’s service area; and WHEREAS Ava issued a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) for projects that foster Clean Energy Jobs and Training for Youth Awareness and received a strong, conforming, proposal from Rising Sun Center for Opportunity (“Rising Sun”) for the purposes of building career pathways for economic equity and climate resilience through hands-on training and the development of a centralized employee-employer resource database for Rising Sun’s students and alumni (ages 18-24), including communities in Stockton and San Joaquin County; and
WHEREAS Ava staff recommends awarding a Clean Energy Jobs and Training for Youth Awareness Community Investment Grant (“Grant”) to Rising Sun and Ava staff and Rising Sun have agreed upon the major terms of the Grant and are preparing a Grant Agreement for execution.
Attachment Consent Item 7A
NOW, THEREFORE, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF AVA COMMUNITY ENERGY AUTHORITY DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Authorize CEO, in consultation with Ava staff and legal counsel, to negotiate and execute a Grant Agreement and award a Clean Energy Jobs and Training for Youth Awareness Community Investment Grant of $300,000 over three years to Rising Sun Center for Opportunity.
ADOPTED AND APPROVED this 15th day of May, 2024.
Jack Balch, Chair
ATTEST:
Adrian Bankhead, Clerk of the Board
Attachment Consent Item 7B
RESOLUTION NO. R-2024-XX
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF AVA COMMUNITY ENERGY AUTHORITY AWARDING A
CLEAN ENERGY JOBS AND TRAINING FOR YOUTH AWARENESS COMMUNITY
INVESTMENT GRANT AND AUTHORIZING THE CEO TO NEGOTIATE AND
EXECUTE A GRANT AGREEMENT WITH AGAPE
WHEREAS the Ava Community Energy Authority (“Ava”) was formed as a community choice aggregation agency (“CCA”) on December 1, 2016, under the Joint Exercise of Power Act, California Government Code sections 6500 et seq., among the County of Alameda, and the Cities of Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Piedmont, Oakland, San Leandro, and Union City to study, promote, develop, conduct, operate, and manage energy-related climate change programs in all of the member jurisdictions. The cities of Newark and Pleasanton, located in Alameda County, along with the City of Tracy, located in San Joaquin County, were added as members of Ava and parties to the Joint Powers Agreement (“JPA”) in March of 2020. The City of Stockton, located in San Joaquin County was added as a member of Ava and party to the JPA in September of 2022. The City of Lathrop, located in San Joaquin County, was added as a member to Ava and party to the JPA in October of 2023. On October 24, 2023, the Authority legally adopted the name Ava Community Energy Authority, where it had previously used the name East Bay Community Energy Authority since its inception.
WHEREAS The Ava Board of Directors has approved funding for community investment grants for local community based organizations working on local initiatives that support community development; and
WHEREAS Community Investment Grants are intended to re-invest Local Development funds and empower communities within Ava’s service area; and WHEREAS Ava issued a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) for projects that foster Clean Energy Jobs and Training for Youth Awareness and received a strong, conforming, proposal from the Advancing Green Apprenticeship Pathways for Efficiency (AGAPE) Initiative (“AGAPE”) for the purposes of building career pathways for economic equity and climate resilience among youth (ages 18-24) through experiential learning opportunities and career pathway guidance in the East Bay; and WHEREAS Ava staff recommends awarding a Clean Energy Jobs and Training for Youth Awareness Community Investment Grant (“Grant”) to AGAPE and Ava staff and AGAPE have agreed upon the major terms of the Grant and are preparing a Grant Agreement for execution.
Attachment Consent Item 7B
NOW, THEREFORE, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF AVA COMMUNITY ENERGY AUTHORITY DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Authorize CEO, in consultation with Ava staff and legal counsel, to negotiate and execute a Grant Agreement and award for a Clean Energy Jobs and Training for Youth Awareness Community Investment Grant of $300,000 over three years to Advancing Green Apprenticeship Pathways (AGAPE) Initiative.
ADOPTED AND APPROVED this 15th day of May, 2024.
Jack Balch, Chair
ATTEST:
Adrian Bankhead, Clerk of the Board