CEO Report Item 9
CEO Report Item 9
TO: Ava Community Energy Board of Directors
FROM: Howard Chang, Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: CEO Report (Informational Item)
DATE: February 18, 2026
________________________________________________________________________ Recommendation
Accept Chief Executive Officer (CEO) report on update items below.
Executive Committee Meeting
The February 4, 2026 Executive Committee Meeting was canceled. The next Executive Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at 3pm.
Financial, Administrative and Procurement Subcommittee Meeting A Financial, Administrative and Procurement Subcommittee Meeting was held on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. Members received a preview of the FY 2025-26 Mid-Year Budget Review and an overview of Contracts Entered Into. The next Financial, Administrative and Procurement Subcommittee meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 3:30pm.
Unincorporated San Joaquin County Enrollment
Ava will begin providing electricity generation service to unincorporated San Joaquin County’s 60,000 customers starting in May 2026. Most customers will start service in May and will see Ava on their PG&E bill starting in June 2026. Customers with solar will be enrolled closer to their true-up date, with enrollment occurring throughout the year.
Ava is required by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to send a total of four customer notifications, two notifications prior to enrollment and two notifications following enrollment. Mailers will be sent via mail, and email, when available.
CEO Report Item 9
Images of notices that will be sent to new customers in unincorporated San Joaquin County, starting in March 2026
Marketing & Outreach
To further ensure that these new customers are aware that their electricity generation provider is changing, Ava’s Marketing team will begin outreach at the end of February, starting with digital ads to raise awareness before notices go out. Additional marketing efforts during the enrollment period will include:
• Billboards, streaming TV, and print ads
• Targeted micro-campaigns to reach specific neighborhoods • Community partnerships with municipal partners, agricultural and business organizations, and other trusted community leaders
• Social media, newsletters, and local press
• Webinars and in-person presentations
Ava in the Community - February
To raise awareness of our service, support our community, and stay close to our customers, Ava sponsors and staffs events throughout our service territory all year long. Stop by to say hello at any of these upcoming events between 02/18 and 03/18. Learn more at https://avaenergy.org/about-ava/meetings-events/events/ Date Event Location
3/14/26 - 3/15/26 Dublin St. Patrick’s Day Dublin
3/14/26 Oakland Roots vs New Mexico United Oakland Coliseum Evaluating the Drivers of PG&E’s Electricity Rate Increases California consistently ranks among the top three states with the highest residential electricity rates in the nation. Adjusted for inflation, PG&E’s average electricity rate increased by approximately 49% from 2019 to 2024, followed by a decrease of 16% from 2024 to 2026. Rate increases drive household electricity bills higher, worsening affordability challenges for families already burdened by high housing, healthcare, and food costs. High rates also threaten the CEO Report Item 9
state’s clean energy transition by eroding the financial advantages customers receive from electrification.
Although rising rates are largely driven by the costs of adapting to climate impacts like extreme wildfires, rising electricity bills may make the public more receptive to claims blaming California’s climate policies for high energy costs. This study makes clear that the largest driver of recent electricity cost, rate, and bill increases in California is responding to climate change (e.g., wildfire mitigation) rather than preempting it (e.g., clean energy procurement).
To investigate the drivers of rising electricity rates, Ava Community Energy analyzed PG&E costs and rates as published in state and federal regulatory filings. Read the full report for Ava’s key findings and recommendations for helping to address the identified challenges. https://avaenergy.org/insight/report-evaluating-the-drivers-of-pge-electricity-rate-growth/ Local Development Update
Given the high number of local development activities and varied status of design, implementation, and operations, we will aim to provide a summary update of all programs and services on a quarterly basis via the CEO report. The purpose is to keep the Board appraised of Local Development Programs and activities at a summary level. Action items and deep dives will continue to be brought forth on an as needed basis.
CEO Report Item 9
Program Name Status Description Key Metrics Key Upcoming Dates Planning
Customer
Programs
Roadmap On Hold
Define Ava's customer
programs roadmap for 2027-
2032 N/A
Ava evaluating options to
progress the Roadmap
Transportation
Electrification
Ava Charge Operational
Developing EV fast charging
sites on City lots and garages
across Ava's service territory
with a focus on locating near
multi-family dwellings
Oakland City Center West
garage with 31 chargers is now
in operation
Ava negotiating with developers
currently under contract to
deliver the next four Ava Charge
projects
Ava SmartHome
Charging Operational
Program to shift home EV
charging away from peak
hours while helping customers
lower their cost of home EV
charging.
>2,700 EVs enrolled, Virtual
Power Plant performance
metrics are being met
Refining customer engagement
and dispatch strategy to
increase participation and
optimize performance
Ava Bike Electric Operational
Program to provide incentives
for customers to purchase
electric bikes, CARE
customers receive higher
incentives and 40% of
allocated funds
over 19,000 applications
received, 2,746 e-bikes
purchased from 29 participating
bike shops. CARE customers
have redeemed 51% of rebates
Drawing on 4th Tuesday of each
month.
Building
Electrification
Health-e
Communities Pilot Operational
Direct installation program to
replace gas stoves with
induction for CARE customers
and complete indoor air quality
monitoring to evaluate air
quality impacts. Installed 162 induction cooktops
Ava is reviewing the results of
the pilot and will come back to
the Board with a
recommendation. Applications
closed in September
CEO Report Item 9
Building Efficiency
Accelerator Operational
CPUC funded program to
complete energy efficiency
and building electrification
projects on commercial and
industrial customers, like LED
lighting and heat pump water
heaters
On target to reduce
consumption by 12 GWh, 14
customers engaged in 100
unique projects
Program enrollment ends April
2026
SolarApp Heat
Pump Water
Heater (HPWH)
permitting Canceled
Contract with SolarApp to add
heat pump water heaters to
their online permitting
application
SolarApp will deliver lessons
learned from permitting
departments, HPWH installers,
and manufacturers on the value
of expedited permitting
Contract cancelled do to
Federal withdrawal of IRA
funding and SolarApp needing
to focus on core solar permitting
business
Resilience
Critical Municipal
Facilities
In
Development
Program to provide resilience
on critical municipal sites.
Eight projects across four
cities will provide bill savings
Installing 258kW of PV and
1.34MWh of batteries
generating 778,000 kWh of
clean energy in year 1.
Permits received on target and
construction started on first
Livermore project. Ava is on
target to achieve mechanical
completion on NEM 2.0 projects
by the April 15, 2026 deadline.
SmartHome
Battery +
Resilience Hubs
In
Development
Program to provide $15M in
upfront and ongoing incentives
for residential solar and
storage projects and
community resilience hubs
Manage 21MW of solar paired
batteries for residential and low
income customers and
community resilience hubs.
SmartHome Battery Program
launch planned in March.
Resilience Hub technical
assistance launching in Q2 '26
Community
Grants
Community Grant
Program Operational
$7.05M budgeted for
Community Grants to work
with Community Based
Organizations across four
strategic focus areas Award ~24 grants through 2033
Staff hosted Community Grants
public workshop to solicit ideas
for next round of community
grants. Staff compiling results
and will develop next round of
grant RFPs for issuance in 2026
with community input
CEO Report Item 9
EV Charging Operational
Both parties have identified
multiple sites and are
evaluating feasibility studies.
Two grants of $300k over 3
years
Green the Church has installed
their first project at Glad Tidings
Church in Hayward
Interfaith Power and Light and
Green the Church continue to
work on identifying sites to build
community-owned level 2 EV
charging stalls.
Youth Training Operational
Empowering young individuals
through education and
exposure to employment
opportunities and hands-on
training in clean energy
technologies through
partnerships with Rising Sun
Center for Opportunity and
AGAPE (a partnership
between Cypress Mandela
Training Center and
Revalue.io)
Two grants of $300k over 3
years
trained over 150 youth in
electrification trades
Students are beginning to
matriculate into the job market.
Rising Sun is developing an
online jobs platform to help
graduates find work in the
trades.
Community
Resilience Hubs Operational Emerald Cities Collaborative Grant of $300k over 1.5 years,
completed three community
workshops with over 170
participants and 26 unique
community based organizations
ECC delivered first of three
Community Workshops to
engage potential Resilience Hub
sites. Will continue outreach per
the grant agreement