March 14, 2024
President Tim Paulson
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
525 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
Re: Resolution Adopted by the SFPUC Citizens’ Advisory Committee Dear President Paulson,
This letter is to inform you that the SFPUC Citizens’ Advisory Committee voted at their February 20, 2024, meeting to pass a Resolution Regarding Emergency Authorizations and Power Outages on Treasure Island. Please see the attached adopted resolution.
The SFPUC Citizens’ Advisory Committee was established by ordinance to publicly discuss and make recommendations to the General Manager of the Public Utilities Commission, the Public Utilities Commission, and the Board of Supervisors on the agency's long-term strategic, financial, and capital improvement plans. Our seventeen members are appointed by each of the Supervisors, with additional appointments by the Board President and the Mayor.
We appreciate the opportunity to comment on this important topic and look forward to having staff report back on the progress made towards the recommendations.
Sincerely,
Em
ily Algire
Full CAC Secretary
cc: Denn
is Herrera, SFPUC General Manager
Ronald Flynn, SFPUC Deputy General Manager
Masood Ordikhani, Assistant General Manager, External Affairs
RESOLUTION REGARDING EMERGENCY AUTHORIZATIONS AND POWER OUTAGES
ON TREASURE ISLAND
Sponsors: Barklee Sanders, Jodi Soboll
WHEREAS, Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island have experienced an average of 18 power outages per year since 1997 averaging approximately four to five hours each incident, totaling at least 487 power outages (as of February 20, 2024), at a rate that is four time s higher than PG&E power in San Francisco, highlighting a significant disparity in the frequency of power disruptions experienced by Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island inhabitants; and
WHEREAS, Census tract 6075017902, encompassing a portion of Treasu re Island, is characterized by a demographic in which 60% of its residents are classified as low -income households struggling with high housing expenses, and also ranks within the top 25% of the CalEnviroScreen 4.0 for SB 535 Disadvantaged Communities data , meaning these residents bear a disproportionate burden when it comes to power outages in San Francisco; and
WHEREAS, Residents of Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island are entitled to safe and reliable electric service and under CHAPTER 99: PUBLIC POWER as detailed in SEC. 99.1. FINDINGS, the City's provision of electricity not only ensures the delivery of clean, reliable, and safe electric service but also bestows economic benefits to both the City and the customer; and
WHEREAS, The Treasure Island De velopment Authority (TIDA), a nonprofit, public -benefit corporation, is tasked with the supervision of development within the Development Plan Area.
TIDA manages the property under the purview of the Tidelands Trust, adhering to the land use constraints outlined in the Treasure Island Conversion Act of 1997, which amended Section 33492.5 of the California Health and Safety Code and introduced Section 2.1 to Chapter 1333 of the Statutes of 1968. TIDA has the authority and responsibility to take reasonable ac tions to address issues related to the power grid on Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island, and has failed to take sufficient action to address the ongoing power outages; and
WHEREAS, Neither the SFPUC, the Mayor, nor the Board of Supervisors possesses the authority to compel TIDA to stabilize the grid; and
WHEREAS, On July 25, 2017, under File Number: 170649, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed Resolution Number R0307- 17 approving an emergency replacement of two generators on Treasure Island; and
WHEREAS, While the SFPUC and Treasure Island Community Development LLC are constructing new electrical infrastructure on Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island new development customers; while there are no improvements planned for the existing system which will remain operational for current residents for another 10 to 15 years creating an even greater disparity between these communities; and
WHEREAS, The City Charter (under Article III, section 3.100(14)) and Administrative Code (under Chapter 7, section 7.1(b), Chapter 21, section 21.15, Chapter 6, section 6.60, Chapter 10, sections 10.03 and 10.62) authorize the Mayor, Board of Supervisors, TIDA and SFPUC to take
immediate emergency action to protect the public that might be applicable to the situation at Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island;
WHEREAS, on May 3
rd, 2023, Mayor London Breed declared that “the safety and wellbeing of our residents and businesses is our first priority, and as a fundamental principle of good government, its our duty to deliver services San Franciscans deserve” in response to a power outage in north eastern San Francisco.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Citizens’ Advisory Committee of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commissioner hereby requests the Board of Supervisors, and The Mayor to endorse the emergency declaration for the immediate inspections and deployment of the new grid.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the SFPUC Citizens’ Advisory Committee requests the Board of Supervisors recommend that, by July 20 24, TIDA conduct a comprehensive inspection of the electrical distribution system in accordance with the relevant utility industry standards and practices for inspections, as set forth in California Public Utilities Commission General Order 165, General Order 128, and General Order 95; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the SFPUC Citizens’ Advisory Committee requests the Mayor, and the Board of Supervisors identify a public agency that has authority and responsibility for oversight of The Treasure Island Development Authority (TIDA) to assure it is meeting all its obligations and responsibilities related to the existing performance, health and safety, current and future maintenance of the power grid on Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the SFPUC Citizens’ Advisory Committee requests the mayor, and the board of supervisors to obtain a detailed accounting from The Treasure Island Development Authority (TIDA) of all spending activities from the $15M Funds allocated to TIDA for providing reliable, healthy, and safe power to the existing residents of Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island. This report should be provided by TIDA within two weeks of the Mayor and B.O.S. request.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the SFPUC Citi zens’ Advisory Committee requests the SFPUC, using past maintenance reports and data, provides a complete analysis and report (referred to as the TREASURE ISLAND AND YERBA BUENA ISLAND FAILURE MODE ANALYSIS REPORT) characterizing and quantifying all past outages on Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island, including but not limited to; 1) Quantity and Types of Failure Modes, 2) Quantity and Type of Corrective Actions, 3) Failure rates over time, for no less than the past 15 years, for total failures and each failure mode, 4) Total cost of corrective action for total failures and for each Failure Mode, 5) Number of repeat failures for any location, 6) Map showing locations of all failures and by each failure mode, and 7) Total outage time (customer impact including time of outage, time to respond, and time for corrective action) for total failures and for each failure mode. Believing this data should be readily available in SFPUC records, the SFPUC Citizens’ Advisory Committee requests the SFPUC provide this analysis and report within 12 weeks of this Resolution.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the SFPUC Citizens’ Advisory Committee requests the SFPUC, upon review of the complete the TREASURE ISLAND AND YERBA BUENA ISLAND FAILURE MODE ANALYSIS REPORT, provides a re commended Corrective Action Plan and Preventative Maintenance Action Plan (referred to as RECCOMENDATIONS FOR TREASURE
ISLAND AND YERBA BUENA ISLAND POWER GRID CONFORMANCE TO CALIFORNIA CODES AND REGULATIONS) to prevent further outages impacting Treasure Island and Yerba Buena residents. Implementation of these recommended measures should bring the TREASURE ISLAND AND YERBA BUENA ISLAND power grid performance (based primarily on, but not limited to, outages) to the same levels as the City of San Francisco. Each recommendation should have a comprehensive description, note which failure modes are addressed, and provide an estimated cost of the measure and emergency maintenance savings. The SFPUC Citizens’ Advisory Committee requests the SFPUC provide this analysis and report within 6 weeks of the TREASURE ISLAND AND YERBA BUENA ISLAND FAILURE MODE ANALYSIS REPORT.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the SFPUC Citizens’ Advisory Committee requests the Mayor, the Board of Supervisors, and SFPUC to work with the public agency that has been identified as having authority and responsibility for oversight of The Treasure Island Development Authority (TIDA), TIDA, and the SFPUC CAC and Power Subcommittee to review the
TREASURE ISLAND AND YERBA BUENA ISLAND FAILURE MODE ANALYSIS REPORT and RECCOMENDATIONS FOR TREASURE ISLAND AND YERBA BUENA
ISLAND POWER GRID CONFORMANCE TO CALIFORNIA CODES AND REGULATIONS findings with the goal of assuring TIDA is meeting all its obligations and responsibilities related to the existing performance, health and safety, current and future maintenance of the existing power grid on Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the SFPUC Citizens’ Advisory Committee urges the Board of Supervisors to request that TIDA im mediately inspect the overhead and underground electric distribution system and to develop, by July 2024, a capital improvement plan for replacing the aging electrical infrastructure, ensuring that the plan addresses the need for resilience and sustainability in the face of extreme weather events and climate change; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the SFPUC Citizens’ Advisory Committee requests that the Board of Supervisors work with TIDA and the SFPUC to identify and secure funding to ensure the long- term sustainability and reliability of the power infrastructure on Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island , and mitigation of the continuing health and safety crisis affecting existing residents pending implementation of long-term corrective action.
RESOLVED, That the Citizens’ Advisory Committee urges the Mayor and Board of Supervisors to abolish institutional racism within its own borders.
PROPOUNDED BY: Barklee Sanders