MINUTES
Energy Planning & Resources Committee
of the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California
Regular Meeting
Wednesday, December 8, 2025, 3:00 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:
Manhattan Beach City Hall
City Manager Conference Room
1400 Highland Avenue
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Clean Power Alliance Office
Executive Conference Room
801 S. Grand Ave., Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Alhambra City Hall
Conference Room A
111 S. First Street
Alhambra, CA 91802
Sierra Madre City Hall
Council Chambers
232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.
Sierra Madre, CA 91024
West Hollywood City Hall
3rd Floor Conference Room
8300 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Arcadia City Hall
Council Chambers Conference Room
240 W. Huntington Drive
Arcadia, CA 91007
Carson City Hall
Executive Conference Room
701 East Carson Street
Carson, CA 90745
Temple City City Hall
City Hall Conference Room
9701 Las Tunas Drive
Temple City, CA 91780
CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL
Chair Parkhurst called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. Annie Mendoza, Deputy Clerk of the Board, conducted roll call.
ROLL CALL
Alhambra Jeff Maloney Committee Member Absent
Arcadia Michael Cao Committee Member Absent
Carson Reata Kulcsar Committee Member Remote
Manhattan Beach David Lesser Committee Member Remote
Oxnard Kathleen Mallory Committee Member Absent
Sierra Madre Robert Parkhurst Chair Remote
South Pasadena Diana Mahmud Committee Member Remote
Temple City Ed Chen Committee Member Remote
West Hollywood Chelsea Byers Committee Member Remote
All votes are unanimous, unless otherwise stated.
GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT
There was no public comment.
CONSENT AGENDA
1. Approve Minutes from the September 24, 2025, Energy Committee Meeting
2. Receive and File October 2025 Risk Management Team Report Motion: Committee Mahmud, South Pasadena
Second: Committee Member Byers, West Hollywood
Vote: The consent agenda was approved by a roll call vote
REGULAR AGENDA
3. Oral Update from the Vice President of Power Supply
Lindsay Descagnia, Vice President, Power Supply, reported that the SunZia wind project has achieved its initial synchronization with the CAISO grid, and is currently in a testing phase, with commercial operations anticipated to start next year.
4. Approve Shortlist of Innovation Solicitation by Authorizing the Chief Executive Officer to Execute a Letter of Support for the MN8 Exowatt Proposal and a Conditional Shortlist Agreement with Photon Vault
John McNamara, Director, Structured Contracts, provided information on the Clean Energy Innovation Solicitation: Emerging Technologies and New Business Models program. Track 1 will identify emerging clean energy technologies and Track 2 will focus on new business models, programs, and procurement ideas.
CPA received four proposals for the first submission deadline: two for long-duration energy storage projects, and two for carbon capture projects. An RFO Review Team convened on August 20, 2025, to review confidential offer information. The Review Team directed staff to conduct further due diligence on the two long-duration storage projects.
On November 17, 2025, the RFO Review Team reconvened and reviewed the projects in light of the information obtained through additional due diligence. Both long-duration energy storage projects show potential, although the technologies are still in early stages of commercialization and many uncertainties remain. Mr.
McNamara stated that the Energy Committee is being asked to consider the Review Team’s recommendation to continue advancing the long-duration energy storage proposals; one for a Letter of Support for the MN8 Exowatt project and the other for a Conditional Shortlist Agreement for the Photon Vault project.
For the two chosen proposals, Mr. McNamara described the project details and summarized the evaluation criteria. Mr. McNamara closed the presentation with a timeline update of the solicitation process.
Chair Parkhurst asked staff to explain why two projects were rejected, and the response was that the Review Team and staff believed that the thermal energy storage projects were a better fit for the evaluation criteria posed in the Clean Energy Innovation Solicitation, and that the Energy Committee would benefit from a presentation on carbon capture. The Energy Committee could then determine if the technology should be pursued and if so, CPA could solicit offers in a more structured manner.
Committee Member Mahmud inquired about the projects avoiding the Ivanpah bird incineration issue. Mr. McNamara responded that both projects use mirrors and lenses to avoid adverse environmental impacts. She also suggested that economic feasibility should be considered when a product is available 24/7. Staff confirmed for Committee Member Mahmud that the MN8 project is directly connected to CAISO and not under the Imperial Irrigation District.
Chair Parkhurst noted that the appendix includes explanatory slides on these new technologies and that the companies involved offer videos on their websites.
Committee Member Kulcsar asked about the process for developers to put up collateral; staff responded that the requirements are the same as for other CPA RFOs: the project must continue to meet development milestones, after which an exclusivity agreement would be negotiated.
Committee Member Lesser asked about how staff refines the criteria for the RFOs.
Staff stated that evaluation criteria are reexamined at each RFO cycle, and factors such as market changes are considered. As this is the first Innovation Solicitation round, refinements are likely. Committee Member Lesser also asked for assurances that pursuing these new technologies is a good idea, and staff replied that Photon Vault will likely roll out a similar, larger-scale project in Texas before the CPA project goes forward. Regarding MN8, that developer is already taking orders for their product. Furthermore, companies are being held to the same CPA development milestone standards as for proven technologies.
Motion: Committee Member Mahmud, South Pasadena
Second: Committee Member Byers, West Hollywood
Vote: The item was approved by a roll call vote
COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS
Committee Member Byers remarked that she watches so many energy technology videos on YouTube that now her feed is full of helpful and interesting renewable energy content.
Chair Parkhurst noted this was the Committee’s last meeting of the year and thanked his colleagues for all the work they do reviewing proposals and studying detailed information to make their decisions. Committee Member Lesser in turn thanked Chair Parkhurst for his leadership and positivity.
ADJOURN
Chair Parkhurst adjourned the meeting at 3:40 p.m.