MINUTES
Legislative & Regulatory Committee
of the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California
Regular Meeting
Wednesday, October 25, 2023, 4:00 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
Clean Power Alliance
Executive Conference Room
801 S. Grand Ave., Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90017
South Bay Cities Council of Governments
Conference Room
2355 Crenshaw Blvd., Suite 125
Torrance, CA 90501
Manhattan Beach City Hall
City Manager Conference Room
1400 Highland Avenue
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Los Angeles County Hall of Administration
Sybil Brand Conference Room 372
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL
Committee Chair Deborah Klein Lopez called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. and Gabriela Monzon, Board Clerk, conducted roll call.
Roll Call
Agoura Hills Deborah Klein Lopez Committee Chair Remote Carson Cedric Hicks Committee Member Remote
Los Angeles
County Rita Kampalath
Alternate Committee
Member Remote
Manhattan Beach Amy Howorth Committee Member Remote
West Hollywood John Erickson Committee Member Absent
All votes are unanimous unless otherwise stated.
GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT
There was no public comment.
CONSENT AGENDA
1. Approve Minutes from the June 28, 2023, Legislative & Regulatory Committee Meeting
Clean Power Alliance Legislative & Regulatory Committee Page 2 of 3 October 23, 2023 Minutes
Motion: Committee Member Howorth, Manhattan Beach
Second: Committee Member Hicks, Carson
Vote: The consent agenda was approved by a roll call vote.
REGULAR AGENDA
2. Receive Legislative and Regulatory Update
Gina Goodhill, Sr. Director, Government Affairs, and Ted Bardacke, CEO, presented on the item. 2023 was marked by substantial legislative activity, encompassing key areas such as centralized energy oversight and decision-making, regionalization, offshore wind initiatives, transmission and distribution infrastructure development, and a drive for California to assume a leadership role in clean energy initiatives. AB 1373, which passed, established a new central procurement entity; CPA took a neutral position on the bill after a number of concerns about the impact to CCA autonomy were addressed. A regionalization bill did not move forward in the legislature, but several state agencies, including the CPUC and the CEC, support the creation of a non-profit agency in 2024 to establish the foundational work for a regional western electricity grid. A new bill also aims to repurpose offshore oil production areas for offshore wind turbines, and large companies will be required to disclose all Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions starting in 2026. Staff will aid large company suppliers in CPA’s service territory to report emissions or transition to 100% Clean energy.
In response to Committee Member Hicks’ question about upcoming state elections, staff indicated they are monitoring influential changes in leadership, notably Senator Steven Bradford and Assemblymember Chris Holden. Chair Klein Lopez inquired about the CPA-sponsored AB 1538 and the GHG emissions reporting audit process. Ms. Goodhill clarified that once the CPUC finalizes the minimum requirements for new reliability, staff will reassess the concept to see if a similar bill would be viable. The California Air Resources Board will collect and verify GHG emissions data from independent auditors.
3. Provide Input on CPA’s Draft 2024 Legislative & Regulatory Policy Platform Ms. Goodhill presented suggested changes to the Legislative & Regulatory Policy Platform, which cover transmission and distribution planning, regionalization, building decarbonization, and fair rates for CPA customers. Ms. Goodhill also discussed a recently passed bill which seeks to determine electricity rates based on income; CPA is assessing how best to engage in the decision making at the CPUC level. Mr. Bardacke noted that implementation can be challenging and while the bill is intended to benefit low-income customers, it can negatively impact middle-income households in energy-efficient homes.
The Committee emphasized the importance of discussing and presenting any bill involving the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to the Board. The Committee voiced support for regionalization policy platform changes and discussed ways to strengthen safeguards in this context. In response to Chair Klein Lopez’s question about regionalization concerns, staff clarified that some concerns include a loss of local control and the involvement of an out-of-state workforce, even though regionalization would yield cost savings and increase access to reliability resources. The Committee provided input on the specific wording of the Clean Power Alliance Legislative & Regulatory Committee Page 3 of 3 October 23, 2023 Minutes
building decarbonization policy platform changes. Committee Member Kampalath emphasized the need to align decarbonization with energy efficiency goals.
Following a discussion regarding the bill mandating income-based rates, Committee Members noted concern for how the legislature passed the bill but commended staff for their knowledge of the bill and their diligent attention to the matter. Following a suggestion from Committee Member Howorth, staff agreed to reevaluate the language regarding “fair rates” and noted it will continue to monitor the bill and provide updates to the Committee and the Board.
COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS
Committee Members Howorth and Hicks thanked staff for their professionalism and hard work.
ADJOURN
Chair Klein Lopez adjourned the meeting at 5:15 p.m.