Staff Report Item 4
Staff Report Item 4:
To: Ava Community Energy Authority
From: Sam Sadle, Principal Legislative Manager
Subject: 2026 Legislative Platform Update
Date: April 10, 2026
__________________________________________________________________ Summary/Recommendation
This Staff Report proposes updates to the Legislative Platform in order to ensure it accurately reflects the Agency’s priorities and current staffing model. This recommendation will be formally considered at the upcoming April 15 Board meeting.
Financial Impact
• N/A
Analysis and Context
Ava staff has worked to implement the Board approved Legislative Platform since its initial adoption in July of 2019. The Legislative Platform provides a framework for the Ava legislative team to identify, assess, track, and (with Board approval) take advocacy-related action regarding proposed legislation. Furthermore, the Legislative Program guides staff in identifying which of the more than 1,800 bills per year that are introduced in Sacramento are important to Ava and relevant to our services.
As part of the Legislative Team’s efforts to ensure coordination, clarity, and timeliness of our legislative work, we undertake an annual review of the Legislative Platform and present an updated version to the Board for their consideration. This annual review helps us ensure that Staff Report Item 4
the Agency’s priorities are properly reflected, and the current state of our staffing and third-party partners are correctly documented. This year, we have proposed to the Board several changes:
1. Clarified and simplified descriptive language in the Legislative Platform to ensure it properly matches Agency priorities;
2. Added Autonomy as a standalone entry in the list of Ava Public Policy Positions. In previous iterations, Autonomy was embedded within the other positions listed; and
3. Retitled the Legislative Program to the Legislative Platform – a name staff believes more appropriately reflects its role in our internal deliberative process and better matches industry standards.
Attachments
A. Resolution adopting the updated April 2026 Ava Legislative Platform B. Updated text of the 2026 Ava Legislative Platform
Attachment Staff Report Item 4A
RESOLUTION NO. R-2026-XX
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF THE AVA COMMUNITY ENERGY AUTHORITY ADOPTING THE AVA
LEGISLATIVE POLICY PLATFORM – APRIL 2026 UPDATE
WHEREAS Ava Community Energy Authority (“Ava”) was formed as a community choice aggregation agency (“CCA”) on December 1, 2016, under the Joint Exercise of Powers 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 was added as a member to Ava in September of 2022. The city of Lathrop was added as a member to Ava in October of 2023. San Joaquin County was added as a member to Ava in July 2024. On October 24, 2023, Ava 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 federal and state governments consider numerous legislative proposals throughout the year that can have either a beneficial or negative impact on Ava Community Energy and its customers;
WHEREAS Ava Community Energy’s Legislative Program was first adopted in 2019 and has been updated frequently since then;
WHEREAS Ava Community Energy must from time to time update its Legislative Program to include new staff and advocates, simplify language, and address changes in Sacramento and Washington, DC; and
WHEREAS Ava Community Energy seeks to advance policy positions on a variety of issues including nonbypassable charges; disadvantaged communities; environmental sustainability; finance; education, neighborhood and social services; distributed energy resources; clean energy tax credits; streamlining energy permitting and regulatory compliance; and Community Choice Aggregator autonomy.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF AVA COMMUNITY ENERGY AUTHORITY DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Board of Directors hereby adopts the staff proposed “Ava Legislative Policy Platform – April 2026,” attached hereto.
Attachment Staff Report Item 4A
Section 2. The Board of Directors authorizes Ava Community Energy staff to advocate on behalf of the principles and objectives outlined in the Ava Legislative Platform – April 2026 before relevant governmental bodies.
ADOPTED AND APPROVED this 15th day of April, 2026.
Betsy Andersen, Chair
ATTEST:
Adrian Bankhead, Clerk of the Board
+1 833.699.3223 [email protected]
AvaEnergy.org
Legislative Platform
State and Federal Policy Legislative Priorities
Updated April 2026
LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM—updated April 2026
Contents
Introduction .....................................................................................................................2 Ava Board of Directors.....................................................................................................3 Contact Information.........................................................................................................4 Mailing Address...........................................................................................................................................................5 Program Staff..............................................................................................................................................................5 Legislative Advocates.......................................................................................................5 State Legislative Advocate ..........................................................................................................................................6 Federal Legislative Advocate ......................................................................................................................................6 General Policy Principles..................................................................................................6 Making Electricity More Affordable............................................................................................................................7 Protecting Community Choice ....................................................................................................................................7 Accelerating Decarbonization.....................................................................................................................................7 Promoting Local Development ...................................................................................................................................7 Increasing Bill Transparency and Understanding .......................................................................................................7 Ava Public Policy Positions...............................................................................................7
1.1 Nonbypassable Charges........................................................................................................................................8
1.2 Disadvantaged Communities................................................................................................................................8
1.3 Environmental Sustainability ................................................................................................................................8
1.4 Finance ..................................................................................................................................................................8
1.5 Educational, Neighborhood, and Social Services..................................................................................................8
1.6 Distributed Energy Resources...............................................................................................................................9
1.7 Clean Energy Tax Credits.......................................................................................................................................9
1.8 Streamlining Energy Permitting and Regulatory Compliance ..............................................................................9
1.9 Autonomy..............................................................................................................................................................9 Legislative Program Coordination..................................................................................10
LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM—updated April 2026
Introduction
The Ava Community Energy (“Ava”) Legislative Policy Platform outlines the priorities and positions that guide Ava’s engagement and advocacy with leaders and key decisionmakers across the legislative policy landscape. These priorities are intended to support our Agency’s core purpose of providing clean, reliable, and affordable electricity to the communities we serve.
Ava has five major policy priorities: Making Electricity More Affordable, Protecting Community Choice, Accelerating Decarbonization, Promoting Local Development, and Increasing Bill Transparency and Understanding. Ava’s decision to support legislation is contingent upon the legislation supporting one or more of these priorities.
This document provides direction to Ava leadership, staff, and legislative advocates in Sacramento and Washington, DC, and serves as the foundation for any action taken by the Ava Board of Directors regarding State or Federal legislation. It empowers Ava staff to draft letters, direct our legislative advocates, propose legislation or legislative language, or otherwise speak on behalf of the Agency regarding the priorities this document outlines.
Any correspondence signifying Ava’s support for or opposition to a given bill must be approved by the Ava Board of Directors, the Board’s Executive Committee, or the CEO in accordance with the delegation of authority provided by the Board to the CEO on time-sensitive matters.
Any questions regarding this Legislative Policy Platform should be directed to Sam Sadle, Principal Legislative Manager, at 510.753.5248 or [email protected].
Sincerely,
Howard Chang
Chief Executive Officer, Ava
LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM—updated April 2026
Ava Board of Directors
Alameda County
Supervisor Elisa Márquez
Albany
Mayor Robin López
Berkeley
Councilmember Igor Tregub
Dublin
Councilmember John Morada
Emeryville
Vice Mayor Sukhdeep Kaur
Fremont
Councilmember Teresa Keng
Hayward
Councilmember Julie Roche
Lathrop
Councilmember Minnie Diallo
Livermore
Councilmember Ben Barrientos
Newark
Councilmember Julie Del Catancio
Oakland
Councilmember Rowena Brown
Piedmont
Mayor Betsy Andersen (Chair)
Pleasanton
Mayor Jack Balch
San Joaquin County
Supervisor Robert Rickman
San Leandro
Mayor Juan González III (Vice Chair)
Stockton
Mayor Christina Fugazi
Tracy
Councilmember Dotty Nygard
Union City
Vice Mayor Scott Sakakihara
Community Advisory Committee (non-voting)
Lorraine “Micky” Souza, Chair
LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM—updated April 2026
Contact Information
Mailing Address
1999 Harrison Street, Suite 2300
Oakland, CA 94612
Program Staff
Chief Executive Officer
Howard Chang
510.809.7458
[email protected]
Principal Legislative Manager
Sam Sadle
510.753.5248
[email protected]
LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM—updated April 2026
Legislative Advocates
State Legislative Advocate
Omni Government Relations
Mandy Isaacs-Lee
1121 L Street, Suite 408
Sacramento, CA 95814
916.425.8481
[email protected]
Federal Legislative Advocate
Townsend Public Affairs
Joseph Melo
600 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Suite 207
Washington, DC, 20003
202.546.8696
[email protected]
LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM—updated April 2026
Guiding Policy Principles
Ava has five guiding policy principles that serve as the foundation for the legislative platform and all legislative actions Ava will take, including advocating for legislation, initiatives, or regulatory proposals that promote those same guiding priorities.
Public policy encompasses a myriad of subject and topic areas. As these policies intersect at the local level, they have the potential to impact Ava’s finances, customers, local programs, and/or administrative discretion and control. Ava will support policies that make electricity more affordable, protect community choice, accelerate decarbonatization, promote local development, increase bill transparency and understanding, or that accomplish any combination thereof. If a given policy does not meet these criteria, Ava will oppose, support if amended, or in some cases take no stance on that policy or legislation.
The General Legislative Principles for Ava are:
Making Electricity More Affordable
• Ava supports policies that put downward pressure on electricity rates, reducing the financial burden on ratepayers and lowering barriers to electrification.
Protecting Community Choice
• Ava supports policies that bolster the stability and competitiveness of the Community Choice model and opposes policies that undermine Ava’s ability to achieve our mission.
Accelerating Decarbonization
• Ava supports policies that incentivize and accelerate decarbonization, including those that improve energy efficiency, reduce barriers to clean energy and storage development, and increase the adoption of impactful behind-the-meter distributed energy resources.
Promoting Local Development
• Ava supports policies that enhance local environmental and economic resilience, empower disadvantaged communities, invest in workforce training programs, and create a cleaner, more robust, and more equitable economy for everyone.
Increasing Bill Transparency and Understanding
• Ava supports policies that make it easier for customers to understand what they’re paying for and why.
Ava also supports increased transparency in the utility ratemaking process so that customers can meaningfully participate in decisions affecting their daily lives.
LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM—updated April 2026
Ava Public Policy Positions
Based on the above Guiding Policy Principles, Ava has identified the following specific policy positions to more clearly articulate the Agency’s stance on several priority issues The list of policy positions below is by no means exhaustive, and Ava reserves the right to add to or amend this list at any time, subject to approval by the Board of Directors.
1.1 Nonbypassable Charges
A. Support policies that promote a level playing field between community choice aggregators and other market participants, including those that ensure a fair and just calculation of the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment.
B. Oppose policies that increase or are likely to lead to an increase in nonbypassable charges.
1.2 Disadvantaged Communities
A. Support policies and initiatives that increase funding for and access to bill credits, energy projects, and electrification programs that serve disadvantaged communities and low-income customers within Ava’s service territory.
B. Support policies and initiatives that reduce local air pollution, health outcome disparities, and other negative impacts associated with energy production and consumption.
C. Support policies that enhance the stability and impact of programs that reduce energy bills for low-income customers and assist them with paying their energy bills.
D. Oppose policies that have the potential to disproportionately and negatively impact disadvantaged communities and/or low-income customers, especially those within Ava’s service territory.
1.3 Environmental Sustainability
A. Support policies and initiatives that increase and/or stabilize funding for the creation of sustainable energy infrastructure, innovative renewable energy sources, and energy efficiency programs.
B. Support policies and initiatives that encourage efficient energy consumption and the overall conservation of energy resources.
C. Support policies and initiatives that reduce and mitigate the effects of climate change and enhance local resiliency.
1.4 Finance
A. Support policies that enhance the financial standing of Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) and their ability to receive a positive credit rating.
B. Oppose policies that remove the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds or otherwise interfere with CCAs’ ability to leverage bond markets to secure customer savings.
C. Oppose any policies that would divert Community Choice energy revenues to the State or other governmental entities.
LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM—updated April 2026
1.5 Educational, Neighborhood, and Social Services
A. Support policies that aid or help Ava’s mission to provide energy support services, electric bill and home electrification education, and opportunities for reducing energy costs to people who are low-income, seniors, veterans, and/or people with disabilities.
B. Support policies that enhance ratemaking transparency and customer energy bill transparency and understanding.
1.6 Distributed Energy Resources
A. Support policies that increase funding for and facilitate the adoption and deployment of distributed energy resources (DERs), including batteries, electric heat pump water heaters, thermostats, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
B. Support policies and initiatives that encourage the effective development and deployment of dynamic load-shifting capabilities and technology, including managed charging.
C. Oppose policies that threaten CCA autonomy over DER program implementation and virtual power plant (VPP) configuration and cost-recovery.
1.7 Clean Energy Tax Credits
A. Support policies that maintain and/or expand financial incentives for investing in and developing clean energy projects, including renewable energy component manufacturing and electricity generation.
B. Support policies that maintain and/or expand financial incentives for households and property owners to install effective clean energy technologies and invest in energy efficiency home upgrades.
C. Support policies that maintain and/or expand financial incentives for consumers, businesses, and local governments to purchase new or used zero emission vehicles and charging infrastructure.
D. Oppose policies that reduce, repeal, or create barriers to accessing clean energy tax incentives.
1.8 Streamlining Energy Permitting and Regulatory Compliance A. Support policies that reduce administrative and regulatory barriers to developing renewable energy generation and transmission projects, including through implementing more efficient permitting processes, without jeopardizing environmental standards and local community and stakeholder input.
B. Support policies that reduce and/or streamline certification requirements and permitting processes necessary to install energy efficient electric appliances and home battery systems, making it easier and more affordable for Ava customers to electrify their homes.
C. Support policies that eliminate outdated and duplicative compliance reporting requirements that save administrative overhead costs and increase customer savings.
D. Oppose policies that unjustifiably increase burdensome regulatory requirements, including for energy project development and load serving entity compliance.
1.9 Autonomy
A. Support policies that enhance the autonomy and flexibility of CCAs to meet procurement goals and targets, develop local programs, and set rates that best serve our communities and customers.
B. Oppose policies that restrict, limit, or otherwise interfere with Ava’s ability to procure energy products to meet state policy goals, budget for local programs and initiatives, or set rates to serve any customer class.
LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM—updated April 2026
Legislative Program Coordination
Legislation can be brought to the attention of Ava through a variety of channels:
• State and federal legislative advocates
• Elected representatives
• CalCCA
• LEAN Energy US
• Ava Board members
• Ava Staff
• Ava Community Advisory Committee members
• Ava customers and community members
• Other associations and partners
All legislative position requests will be directed toward Ava’s Public Policy department. Ava staff will then review the legislation in coordination with relevant departments to analyze whether the legislation aligns with Ava’s guiding legislative priorities. Staff will then monitor and track the legislation, providing updates when necessary.
Concurrent with this evaluation, Ava’s Public Policy department will recommend a position and course of action.
Legislative Review Process and Timeline
The California state legislature routinely introduces thousands of bills during each legislative session, approximately half of which are passed by both chambers and sent to the Governor’s desk. Although the exact number fluctuates year to year, typically one hundred bills or so each session are related to energy, utilities, or local governance – the policy areas in which Ava takes a particular interest.
Bringing every energy or local government-related bill to the Board of Directors for a position vote each year would be unfeasible and inefficient. Ava’s Public Policy department, in partnership with Ava’s legislative advocates and trade associations, is therefore responsible for tracking this full suite of legislative activity, identifying bills that have or could have an impact on Ava’s operations, and ultimately selecting a smaller subset of bills to prioritize and bring to the Board of Directors for a position vote, based on the following general criteria:
1. Taking action (for, against, or neutral) on this legislation will align with Ava’s legislative principles;
2. Ava has a unique interest in this legislation;
3. Should Ava take no action, it is unlikely that other relevant stakeholders will lead the push for or against this legislation; and/or
4. The impacts of this legislation on Ava are substantial/existential.
Ava staff typically spends the first few months of the legislative session (January-March) monitoring bill introductions and tracking all relevant legislation. As bills are amended in March and April, staff will conduct deeper bill analyses and determine the final slate of bills that is brought to subcommittees and the full Board of Directors for input and feedback. Starting in April, staff will recommend the Board take a specific position on each bill included in the previously identified slate. (Support, Support if Amended, Oppose, Oppose Unless Amended, Neutral)
Ava staff will follow a similar set of criteria when evaluating federal legislation. However, because the Congressional legislative cycle is generally less predictable than California’s and the volume of bills passed each
LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM—updated April 2026
year by Congress is typically much smaller, federal bill position recommendations will be brought to the Board on an ad-hoc basis.
Legislative Action
There are six primary actions, which may be taken independently or in combination, all of which are coordinated by the Principal Legislative Manager or their designee:
1. Direction to lobbyists to advocate in support, support if amended, oppose unless amended, or opposition to legislation
a. Pursuant to direction from the Ava Board of Directors, the Board’s Executive Committee, or the CEO in accordance with the delegation of authority provided by the Board to the CEO on time-sensitive matters, Ava staff will notify advocates of Ava’s stance on legislation and direct them to take appropriate action with legislators.
2. Ava correspondence with relevant legislators
a. In conjunction with providing direction to lobbyists once Ava has determined its stance on legislation, Ava staff will correspond with appropriate policymakers.
3. Ava Board-approved resolution
a. Ava staff will draft a staff report and resolution for consideration by the full Ava Board of Directors. Approved resolutions will be forwarded along with a letter signed by the Chief Executive Officer or his/her designee to the appropriate legislators.
4. Ava Board outreach
a. Ava staff will draft talking points and other relevant information for individual Board Members to personally contact appropriate legislators to advocate on behalf of Ava.
5. Travel to Sacramento or Washington, D.C
a. Ava staff and/or Board Members may decide to advocate in person. Staff will coordinate with the appropriate advocates to organize meetings or attend other advocacy events.
6. Draft or Sponsor Specific Legislation
a. Ava staff and legislative advocates will work with Ava’s legislative representatives to articulate Ava’s stance and work to ensure said stance is codified in statute.