MINUTES
Board of Directors of the
Clean Power Alliance of Southern California
Regular Meeting
Thursday, April 3, 2025, 2:00 p.m.
Meeting videos are available on CPA's YouTube Channel.
http://www.youtube.com/@CPApublicmeetings
Board members participated from the following locations:
Calabasas City Hall
Council Conference Room
100 Civic Center Way
Calabasas, CA 91301
Clean Power Alliance
Diana Mahmud Board Room
801 S. Grand Ave., Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Whittier City Hall
Admin Conference Room
13230 Penn Street
Whittier, CA 90602
Ventura County Government Center
Point Mugu Conference Room, 4th Floor
Hall of Administration
800 South Victoria Avenue
Ventura, CA 93009
South Bay Cities Council of Governments
Conference Room
2355 Crenshaw Blvd., Suite 125
Torrance, CA 90501
CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL
Chair Klein Lopez called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. and Annie Mendoza, Deputy Clerk of the Board, conducted roll call.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Director Newman led the Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call
1 Agoura Hills Deborah Klein Lopez Chair Present
2 Alhambra Jeff Maloney Director Present
3 Arcadia Absent
4 Beverly Hills Julian Gold Alternate Present
5 Calabasas Ed Albrecht Director Remote
6 Camarillo Susan Santangelo Director Remote
7 Carson Reata Kulcsar Alternate Present
8 Claremont Corey Calaycay Director Present
9 Culver City Yasmine-Imani McMorrin Director Present
10 Downey Horacio Ortiz Director Remote
11 Hawaiian Gardens Absent
12 Hawthorne Alex Monteiro Director Present
13 Hermosa Beach Raymond Jackson Director Remote
14 Los Angeles County Lindsay Horvath Vice Chair Present 15 Lynwood Juan Muñoz-Guervara Director Present
16 Malibu Absent
17 Manhattan Beach David Lesser Director Remote
18 Monrovia Edward Belden Director Present
19 Moorpark Chris Barrett Director Remote
20 Ojai Michelle Ellison Alternate Remote
21 Oxnard Bert Perello Director Remote
22 Paramount Michelle Muller Alternate Remote
23 Port Hueneme Absent
24 Redondo Beach Absent
25 Rolling Hills Estates Debby Stegura Director Remote
26 Santa Monica Absent
27 Santa Paula Jenny Crosswhite Director Present
28 Sierra Madre Robert Parkhurst Director Present
29 Simi Valley Rocky Rhodes Director Present
30 South Pasadena Omari Ferguson Director Present
31 Temple City Ed Chen Director Present
32 Thousand Oaks David Newman Director Present
33 City of Ventura Absent
34 Ventura County Vianey Lopez Vice Chair Present
35 West Hollywood Chelsea Byers Alternate Present
36 Westlake Village Kristopher Galvez Alternate Remote
37 Whittier Mary Ann Pacheco Director Remote
All votes are unanimous unless otherwise stated.
GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT
There was no public comment.
CONSENT AGENDA
1. Approve Minutes from the March 6, 2025, Board of Directors Meeting
2. Approve and Authorize the Chief Executive Officer to Execute Task Order No. 07 with Ascend Analytics for 2025 Clean Energy and Reliability Request for Offer Support Services for a Not-to-Exceed Amount of $220,000
3. Receive and File Monthly Bill Positions Report
4. Receive and File Monthly Community Advisory Committee Report Director Newman commented on Item No. 3, the Monthly Bill Positions Report, that the California League of Cities’ Environmental Quality Committee voted to oppose AB 306.
Motion: Director Parkhurst, Sierra Madre
Second: Director Byers, West Hollywood
Vote: The consent agenda was approved by roll call vote.
REGULAR AGENDA
5. Approve Stage 1 of Fire Response Initiatives, Consisting of:
1. Expansion of Energy Team Services to Include Advice on Fire Resiliency Measures
2. Creation of a Resiliency Adder of $1,250 for the Sun Storage Rebate Program for Customers in Communities with “High” or “Very High” Fire Hazard Severity Zones
3. Funding for the U.S. Green Building Council California to Provide for Sustainable Wildfire Recovery Resources and Training Programs for Building Contractors and Construction Workers in the Amount of $50,000 Using Community Benefit Funds from Executed Power Purchase Agreements Joanne O'Neill, Director of Customer Programs, presented CPA’s Fire Response program stages and initiatives. CPA’s initial focus will be customers in high fire risk areas or those that experience frequent Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events. Stage 2 emphasizes new program offerings for customers in the burn areas, while Stage 3 will concentrate on long-term community resiliency. Stage 1 includes adding fire resiliency to the Energy Team’s advising function, an added incentive for the Sun Storage Program, and funding training for construction contractors through the U.S. Green Building Council California. Potential Stage 2 programs include Zero Bill Homes, resiliency for renters and homeowners, support for small businesses, and marketing support for the state’s Wildfire and Natural Disaster Resilience Rebuild Program. Stage 3 programs are under development.
Vice Chair Horvath praised CPA for participating in rebuilding efforts and noted that Los Angeles County has partnered with UCLA to form a Blue Ribbon Commission on Climate Action and Fire Safe Recovery, which Ted Bardacke, CPA’s CEO has joined. Vice Chair Horvath encouraged staff to create CPA toolkits so member agencies can help promote these programs. In response to Director Parkhurst’s question about rebuilding and recovery information, staff noted that they are creating a catalogue of resources for customers. Director Parkhurst encouraged collaboration with the Fire Safe Councils; voiced concern that the State might eliminate the requirement to include solar in rebuilding efforts, so CPA should promote it whenever possible. Director Newman echoed suggestions to collaborate with community groups and public agencies that may serve as good allies in these efforts. Director Crosswhite shared that her colleagues at the Southern California Association of Governments want to meet with CPA staff regarding microgrids. Mr. Bardacke responded that microgrids require collaboration with SCE, who has agreed to share lists of public agency buildings that could benefit from CPA’s programs.
Director Gold suggested that CPA publicize its fire response programs and encouraged CPA to find ways to participate in redeveloping public safety infrastructure. Director Ferguson remarked that insurance companies should acknowledge fire mitigation efforts that homeowners make, and that utilities and government agencies involved in rebuilding should also explore undergrounding.
Mr. Bardacke responded that the Blue Ribbon Commission is discussing insurability and how it affects customers as well as looking at how to prepare customers for future undergrounding efforts. In response to Director Lesser’s question about fiscal implications of battery rebates, Ms. O’Neill responded that CPA has budgeted for 1,000 customers, though only 200 applications have been received. Staff clarified for Director Perello that the Sun Storage program is available for existing homes and those under construction and that eligibility for the new resiliency adder includes all communities with high or very high fire threat zones even if the customer in that community resides outside that threat zone.
Motion: Director Ferguson, South Pasadena
Second: Director Parkhurst, Sierra Madre
Vote: Item 5 was approved by a roll call vote.
6. Approve Resolution 25-04-082 to Amend the CPA Reimbursements for Board of Directors Policy to Offer Stipends to the Board of Directors and Community Advisory Committee Members for Meeting Attendance Beginning July 1, 2025.
Ted Bardacke, Chief Executive Officer, discussed the proposed stipends policy.
The Board had a lengthy discussion about the policy at its March meeting. Later in March, the Executive Committee reviewed the proposed amendments and directed staff to proceed with the item for the Board's consideration.
Director Crosswhite asked for clarification regarding eligibility. Staff noted that a Director must be present for all the action items to be eligible for compensation.
To provide clarity, Nancy Whang, General Counsel, suggested an amendment to the policy allowing for a Director to register with the Clerk of the Board the Director's vote if they were not present during roll call. Regarding Director Ortiz’s comment about the timing, Ms. Whang explained a Director would have to publicly register their vote before the meeting adjourns; notifying the Clerk after the meeting would not comply with the Brown Act.
Staff clarified for Director Ferguson that action items are at the top of the agenda and that Board meetings typically do not go longer than two hours. Director Perello expressed concern about abuse of the policy in cases where Directors may attempt to register votes at the beginning of the meeting; Ms. Whang clarified that a vote could not be registered until a motion and a second is placed on the record and a roll call vote occurs. Chair Klein Lopez noted that the Board may direct staff to bring revisions to the stipend policy if adjustments are needed. Director Muñoz-Guevara noted that the Board may also delegate to the Chair or appropriate officer to confirm attendance for each meeting. Director Pacheco stated that members of the Board are all people of goodwill and the policy is meant to acknowledge their valuable service to the organization. Ms. Whang clarified for Director Newman that the Board meetings follow Robert's Rules of Order but the Rules of Order are not codified in CPA’s bylaws.
Ms. Mendoza read the amendment language into the record: Under section II(B)(1), the definition of action item is revised to include “provided that the vote is registered at any point prior to the adjournment of that meeting” to the end of the second sentence of that paragraph.
Motion: Director Monteiro, Hawthorne
Second: Director Muñoz-Guevara, Lynwood
Vote: Item 6 was approved as amended by a roll call vote, with No votes from Directors Calaycay and Rhodes, and abstentions from Vice Chair Horvath and Director Belden.
7. Receive Presentation on FY 2025-26 Rates Outlook
Karen Schmidt, Senior Director of Rates and Strategy, explained that CPA expects to maintain competitive rates and continue building reserves in the next fiscal year.
Ms. Schmidt presented information on the price spread among CPA’s three rate products, competitiveness with SCE, reserves accumulation, SCE’s rate volatility, as well as the budget schedule. Communities beginning CPA service in October 2025 will maintain competitive rate comparisons throughout the next fiscal year.
Subset customers will be at or below July 2024 levels throughout FY 2025-26. CPA will assume PCIA and competitiveness risks, if any, from January to June 2026 for the new communities joining in October 2025. Subset rates may be adjusted for the new cities.
Staff clarified for Director Belden that delivery charges are not directly correlated to the PCIA or generation rates. Director Parkhurst asked how CPA would assume the new communities’ PCIA competitive risks, and Mr. Bardacke answered that CPA will adjust its rates to accommodate any change in their PCIA, and that staff anticipate their PCIA will be lower than that of member agencies that joined in 2018, at least through the end of calendar 2025. Director Lesser asked if any CPUC orders related to fire resiliency will result in higher rates; staff responded that delivery rates may increase, and those will be charged equally to all customers. Director Ellison inquired if staff has a plan to increase renewable energy content in Lean and Clean, noting that those percentages were higher in the past. Staff anticipates that the Clean product will likely have a higher percentage of renewable energy than the targeted 25% because of favorable market factors and that the long-term product content of the Lean and Clean rates will be on the agenda for discussion at the upcoming Board retreat.
COMMITTEE CHAIR UPDATES
Mr. Bardacke reported on behalf of Director Hicks, Chair of the Legislative Committee, stating that the Committee received a primer on the PCIA as the CPUC may make changes to it, a process that may take up to three years. Mr. Bardacke also reported that the Committee discussed anticipated modifications to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, with a focus on how those monies should be spent.
Director Parkhurst, Chair of the Energy Committee, announced CPA will be launching several RFOs, including the Innovation Solicitation, the Clean Energy and Reliability RFO, followed by Power Share in the summer. CPA has 12 contracts for the Power Share Program, two of which are already online.
MANAGEMENT REPORT
Mr. Bardacke reported that a new clean energy diorama is available for display at upcoming Earth Day events, and staff is looking forward to communicating with customers about CPA’s work.
Chair Klein Lopez shared that she and CPA staff met with federal legislators and trade associations in Washington DC to discuss how changes to tax credits and other federal policies could affect CPA’s operations and customers. Mr. Bardacke reported that they focused on renewable energy tax credits and tax-exempt municipal debt bonds, which CPA uses for pre-paid bonds. Lawmakers believe debt bonds won’t be affected during reconciliation because they are used in all 50 states for infrastructure. If the investment and production tax credits used by clean energy developers are repealed, it is expected that rates would rise on electricity, even production related to natural gas. Chair Klein Lopez added that CPA asked local members of Congress for earmarks to expand the Power Ready and Energized Communities programs.
BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
Director Muñoz-Guevara thanked staff and the Board for their warm welcome, and Director Gold and City of Paramount officials for helping the City of Lynwood become a CPA member agency.
Director Ferguson asked if staff could prepare talking points for Board meetings that are aligned with CPA’s messaging so that Directors can report back to their city councils. Staff acknowledged his request.
REPORT FROM THE CHAIR
None.
ADJOURN
Chair Klein Lopez adjourned the meeting at 4:03 p.m.