MINUTES
Executive Committee of the
Clean Power Alliance of Southern California
Regular Meeting
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
1:30 p.m.
Meeting videos are available on CPA's YouTube Channel.
http://www.youtube.com/@CPApublicmeetings
Committee Members participated in this meeting from the following locations:
Agoura Hills City Hall
Planning Conference Room
30001 Ladyface Court
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
CPA Office
801 S. Grand Ave., Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Beverly Hills City Hall
Council Office, 4th Floor
455 N. Rexford Drive
Beverly Hills, 90210
Camarillo City Hall
Administrative Conference Room
601 Carmen Drive
Camarillo, CA 93010
South Bay Cities Council of Governments
Conference Room
2355 Crenshaw Blvd., Suite 125
Torrance, CA 90501
Ojai City Hall
Conference Room
401 S Ventura St.
Ojai, Ca 93023
Sierra Madre City Hall
Council Chambers
232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.
Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Ventura County Government Center
Point Mugu Conference Room, 4th Floor
Hall of Administration
800 South Victoria Avenue
Ventura, CA 93009
Los Angeles County Hall of Administration
Sybil Brand Conference Room, Room 372
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Carson City Hall
Executive Conference Room
701 East Carson Street
Carson, CA 90745
CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL
Chair Gold called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. and Gabriela Monzon, Clerk of the Board, conducted roll call.
Roll Call
Agoura Hills Deborah Klein Lopez Committee Member Remote Beverly Hills Julian Gold Chair Remote
Camarillo Susan Santangelo Committee Member Remote
Carson Cedric Hicks Committee Member Remote
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June 21, 2023 Minutes
Hawthorne Alex Monteiro Committee Member Absent
Los Angeles County Lindsey Horvath Vice Chair Remote
Ojai Betsy Stix Committee Member Absent
Sierra Madre Robert Parkhurst Committee Member Remote
South Pasadena Diana Mahmud Immediate Past Chair Remote Ventura County Vianey Lopez Vice Chair Remote
All votes are unanimous unless otherwise stated.
GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT
There was no public comment.
CONSENT AGENDA
1. Approve Minutes from May 17, 2023, Executive Committee Meeting Motion: Committee Member Hicks, Carson
Second: Committee Member Mahmud, South Pasadena
Vote: The consent agenda was approved by a roll call vote.
REGULAR AGENDA
2. Oral Update from the CEO on CPA Operations
Ted Bardacke, CEO, reported that CPA will achieve full compliance with all month-ahead Resource Adequacy (RA) obligations. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) announced a proposal to disallow Community Choice Aggregators (CCA) that fail to meet month-ahead RA obligations from filing expansion plans for two years. Subsequently, the Administrative Law Judge expanded this prohibition to year-ahead RA obligations. Staff filed comments opposing the suggested penalty. In response to Chair Gold’s question about the response of other CCAs, Mr. Bardacke confirmed that CPA filed joint comments with Peninsula Clean Energy.
3. Review Draft Agenda for the July 6, 2023, Board of Directors Meeting Mr. Bardacke discussed several items on the Board consent agenda, including proposed amendments to the Energy Risk Management Policy (ERMP), bill positions that would impact the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process, the new Net Energy Metering (NEM) tariff, and a contract for communications and marketing.
Committee Member Mahmud suggested forming an ERMP subcommittee comprised of Executive Committee members or Committee Chairs, which could allow the Board to provide input while providing flexibility. Committee Member Hicks expressed concerns about transparency and suggested that multi-year contracts should be presented to the Board for review; sought clarification on director authority thresholds. Mr. Bardacke explained that the limit for non-energy contracts is set at $125,000, and all such contracts are reported to the Board monthly. Mr. Bardacke noted that these adjustments would enable CPA to be Clean Power Alliance Executive Committee Page 3 of 4
June 21, 2023 Minutes
nimble in a market with resource shortages. Committee Member Horvath asked about the amendment to the communications and marketing contract. Mr.
Bardacke clarified that the duration of the contract, scope, and rate remain unchanged, but the workload has increased.
Mr. Bardacke discussed the Board’s regular agenda items, which included long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) approaching termination, funding for phase two of workforce development, and an update on Local Programs.
4. Receive Presentation on Local Programs Mid-Cycle Refresh and Provide Feedback
Joanne O’Neill, Director, Customer Programs, provided a presentation on the mid-cycle refresh of the Local Programs. In 2020, the Board adopted the Local Programs for a Clean Energy Future plan, focusing on three pillars: resilience and grid management, building and transportation electrification, and local procurement. Staff will develop separate “action plans” to expand and enhance approaches under each program pillar. Ms. O’Neill provided an overview of the action plan, discussed new programs and improvements to existing ones within the three Local Program pillars and a “cross cutting program,” and shared the next steps for the Local Programs refresh.
Committee Members Mahmud and Parkhurst asked questions about the resilience & grid management programs, Reach Codes, and the customer energy advisor. Ms. O’Neill explained that the Power Response program focuses on demand response, while the rate-based approach places customers on significantly low rates throughout the year with a higher rate during peak events.
Additionally, Ms. O’Neill indicated that there is interest in the Reach Code program, but no member agencies are currently enrolled. The customer energy advisor role would target residential and small commercial customers, utilizing various communication methods to address diverse needs. Committee Member Mahmud inquired about the need for contract amendments for existing solar customers; Ms.
O’Neill clarified that existing solar customers typically operate under NEM 2.0 and would not experience any tariff changes with the addition of storage. Chair Gold asked if staff had considered implementing storage independently, and Ms. O’Neill indicated that it would hold no monetary value for CPA.
Vice Chair Horvath suggested that providing a description of programs, their impact, and popularity would benefit new Board members. Vice Chair Horvath suggested adding incentives for electric heat pumps for individual property owners, and for transitions to all-electric appliances for residential buildings. Ms. O’Neill explained that the program aims to assist customers in navigating the process and accessing existing incentives required to adopt these energy-efficient measures.
Committee Member Parkhurst added that incentivizing electric heat pumps holds innovative potential. Ms. O’Neill noted that the customer energy advisor is designed to help customers access the state funds allocated for this category. In response to Committee Member Mahmud’s question, Ms. O’Neill clarified that SCE’s programs primarily focus on energy efficiency while CPA’s programs are focused on connecting customers with existing funding sources. Committee Member Parkhurst shared that the Power Ready program allowed the City of Clean Power Alliance Executive Committee Page 4 of 4
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Sierra Madre to receive a new roof and solar panels for its public safety building.
In response to Chair Gold’s questions about staffing and program distribution, Ms.
O’Neill clarified that for the first three years, each member agency has one budgeted menu option, and additional funding can be authorized by the Board if the programs prove successful. With regard to staffing, Ms. O’Neill explained that one new employee would be hired, and several experienced technical consultants would assist with customer engagement across jurisdictions.
COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS
Committee Member Mahmud thanked staff for the five-year anniversary celebration.
ADJOURN
Chair Gold adjourned the meeting at 2:51 p.m.