2075 Woodside Road | Redwood City, CA 94061
(650) 260-0005 | peninsulacleanenergy.com
1 Regular Meeting of the Executive Committee of the
Peninsula Clean Energy Authority (PCEA)
AGENDA
Monday, January 10, 2022
10:00 a.m.
Zoom Link: https://pencleanenergy.zoom.us/j/83834724993 Meeting ID: 838-3472-4993 Passcode: 2075 Phone: +1(253)215-8782 NOTE: Please see attached document for additional detailed teleconference instructions.
In accordance with AB 361, the Committee will adopt findings that meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees of in-person meetings. Consistent with those findings, this Committee Meeting will be held remotely. PCEA shall make every effort to ensure that its video conferenced meetings are accessible to people with disabilities as required by Governor Newsom’s March 17, 2020 Executive Order N-29-20. Individuals who need special assistance or a disability-related modification or accommodation to participate in this meeting, or who have a disability and wish to request an alternative format for the meeting materials should contact Nelly Wogberg, Board Clerk, at least 2 working days before the meeting at [email protected]. Notification in advance of the meeting will enable PCEA to make best efforts to reasonably accommodate accessibility to this meeting and the materials related to it.
If you wish to speak to the Executive Committee, please use the “Raise Your Hand” function in the Zoom platform or press *6 if you phoned into the meeting. If you have anything that you wish to be distributed to the Executive Committee and included in the official record, please send to [email protected].
CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL
PUBLIC COMMENT
This item is reserved for persons wishing to address the Committee on any PCEA-related matters that are not otherwise on this meeting agenda. Public comments on matters listed on the agenda shall be heard at the time the matter is called. Members of the public who wish to address the Committee are customarily limited to two minutes per speaker. The Committee Chair may increase or decrease the time allotted to each speaker.
ACTION TO SET AGENDA AND TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
1. Approval Adopt Findings Pursuant to AB 361 to Continue Fully Teleconferenced Committee Meetings Due to Health Risks Posed by In-Person Meetings
2. Approval of the Minutes for the December 6, 2021 Executive Committee Meeting
REGULAR AGENDA
3. Chair Report (Discussion)
4. CEO Report (Discussion)
1 5. E-Bikes Updates and Additional Budget Approval (Action)
6. Approval of Revised 2022 Executive Committee Schedule of Meetings (Action)
7. Committee Members’ Reports (Discussion)
ADJOURNMENT
Public records that relate to any item on the open session agenda are available for public inspection. The records are available at the Peninsula Clean Energy offices or on PCEA’s Website at: https://www.peninsulacleanenergy.com. 2 Instructions for Joining a Zoom Meeting via Computer or Phone Best Practices:
• Please mute your microphone when you are not speaking to minimize audio feedback • If possible, utilize headphones or ear buds to minimize audio feedback • If participating via videoconference, audio quality is often better if you use the dial-in option (Option 2 below) rather than your computer audio
Options for Joining
A. Videoconference with Computer Audio – see Option 1 below B. Videoconference with Phone Call Audio– see Option 2 below C. Calling in via Telephone/Landline – see Option 3 below Videoconference Options:
Prior to the meeting, we recommend that you install the Zoom Meetings application on your computer by clicking here https://zoom.us/download.
If you want full capabilities for videoconferencing (audio, video, screensharing) you must download the Zoom application.
Option 1 Videoconference with Computer Audio:
1. From your computer, click on the following link that is also included in the Meeting Calendar Invitation : https://pencleanenergy.zoom.us/j/83834724993
2. The Zoom application will open on its own or you will be instructed to open Zoom.
3. After the application opens, the pop-up screen below will appear asking you to choose ONE of the audio conference options. Click on the Computer Audio option at the top of the pop-up screen.
4. Click the blue, “Join with Computer Audio” button.
5. In order to enable video, click on “Start Video” in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. This menu bar is also where you can mute/unmute your audio.
3 Option 2 Videoconference with Phone Call Audio:
1. From your computer, click on the following link that is also included in the Meeting Calendar Invitation: https://pencleanenergy.zoom.us/j/83834724993
2. The Zoom Application will open on its own or you will be instructed to Open Zoom.
3. After the application opens, the pop-up screen below will appear asking you to choose ONE of the audio conference options. Click on the Phone Call option at the top of the pop-up screen.
4. Please dial +1 (669) 900-9128
5. You will be instructed to enter the meeting ID: 838-3472-4993 followed by #
6. You will be instructed to enter in your participant ID. Your participant ID is unique to you and is what connects your phone number to your Zoom account.
7. After a few seconds, your phone audio should be connected to the Zoom application on your computer.
8. In order to enable video, click on “Start Video” in the bottom left hand corner of the screen. This menu bar is also where you can mute/unmute your audio.
Audio Only Options:
Please note that if you call in/use the audio only option, you will not be able to see the speakers or any presentation materials in real time.
Option 3: Calling in via Telephone/Landline:
1. Dial +1 669 900 9128.
2. You will be instructed to enter the meeting ID: 838-3472-4993 followed by #.
3. You will be instructed to enter your Participant ID followed by #. If you do not have a participant ID or do not know it, you can press # to stay on the line.
4. You will be instructed to enter the meeting passcode 2075 followed by #. 4 Item No. 1
PENINSULA CLEAN ENERGY AUTHORITY
JPA Board Correspondence
DATE: January 5, 2022
COMMITTEE MEETING DATE: January 10, 2022
SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING: None
VOTE REQUIRED: Majority Present
TO: Honorable Peninsula Clean Energy Authority Executive Committee FROM: Jan Pepper, Chief Executive Officer, Peninsula Clean Energy Authority SUBJECT: Resolution to Make Findings Allowing Continued Remote Meetings Under Brown Act
RECOMMENDATION: ..titl e
Adopt a resolution finding that, as a result of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic state of emergency declared by Governor Newsom, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees.
..body
BACKGROUND:
On June 11, 2021, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-08-21, which rescinded his prior Executive Order N-29-20 and set a date of October 1, 2021 for public agencies to transition back to public meetings held in full compliance with the Brown Act. The original Executive Order provided that all provisions of the Brown Act that required the physical presence of members or other personnel as a condition of participation or as a quorum for a public meeting were waived for public health reasons. If these waivers fully sunset on October 1, 2021, legislative bodies subject to the Brown Act would have to contend with a sudden return to full compliance with in-person meeting requirements as they existed prior to March 2020, including the requirement for full physical public access to all teleconference locations from which committee members were participating.
On September 16, 2021, the Governor signed AB 361, a bill that formalizes and modifies the teleconference procedures implemented by California public agencies in response to the Governor’s Executive Orders addressing Brown Act compliance during shelter-in-place periods. AB 361 allows a local agency to continue to use teleconferencing under the same basic rules as provided in the Executive Orders when certain circumstances occur or when certain findings have been made and adopted by the local agency. On January 5, 2022, Governor Newsom extended the sunset provision of AB361 and Government Code Section 11133(g) from January 31, 2022 to April 1, 2022 due to the surge in Omicron variant related COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. 5 Item No. 1
AB 361 requires that, if the state of emergency remains active for more than thirty (30) days, the agency must make findings by majority vote to continue using the bill’s exemption to the Brown Act teleconferencing rules. The findings are to the effect that the need for teleconferencing persists due to the nature of the ongoing public health emergency and the social distancing recommendations of local public health officials.
Effectively, this means that agencies, including PCEA, must agendize a Brown Act meeting and make findings regarding the circumstances of the emergency on a thirty (30) day basis. If at least thirty (30) days have transpired since its last meeting, the Committees must vote whether to continue to rely upon the law’s provision for teleconference procedures in lieu of in-person meetings.
AB 361 allows for meetings to be conducted virtually as long as there is a gubernatorially-proclaimed public emergency in combination with (1) local health official recommendations for social distancing or (2) adopted findings that meeting in person would present risks to health. AB 361 is effective immediately as urgency legislation and will now sunset on April 1. 2022.
On September 25, 2021, the Peninsula Clean Energy Board of Directors approved a thirty (30) day extension of remote meetings in accordance with AB 361. Out of an abundance of caution given AB 361’s narrative that describes each legislative body’s responsibility to reauthorize remote meetings, staff and counsel brings this memo and corresponding resolution to the attention of the Executive Committee.
On September 29, 2021, the Peninsula Clean Energy Executive Committee approved a thirty (30) day extension of remote meetings in accordance with AB 361.
On October 12, 2021, the Peninsula Clean Energy Executive Committee approved a thirty (30) day extension of remote meetings in accordance with AB 361.
On November 8, 2021, the Peninsula Clean Energy Executive Committee approved a thirty (30) day extension of remote meetings in accordance with AB 361.
On December 6, 2021, the Peninsula Clean Energy Executive Committee approved a thirty (30) day extension of remote meetings in accordance with AB 361.
DISCUSSION:
Because local rates of transmission of COVID-19 are in the “high transmission” ” tier as measured by the Centers for Disease Control, it is recommended that the Peninsula Clean Energy Executive Committee avail itself of the provisions of AB 361 allowing continuation of online meetings by adopting findings to the effect that conducting in-person meetings would present an imminent risk to the health and safety of attendees. A resolution to that effect, and directing staff to agendize the renewal of such findings in the event that thirty (30) days has passed since the Committee’s last meeting, is attached hereto.
6 28637147v1
RESOLUTION NO. _____________
PENINSULA CLEAN ENERGY AUTHORITY, COUNTY OF SAN MATEO,
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
* * * * * *
RESOLUTION FINDING THAT, AS A RESULT OF THE CONTINUING COVID-19
PANDEMIC STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED BY GOVERNOR NEWSOM,
MEETING IN PERSON FOR MEETINGS OF THE PENINSULA CLEAN ENERGY
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WOULD PRESENT IMMINENT RISKS TO THE HEALTH
OR SAFETY OF ATTENDEES
______________________________________________________________ WHEREAS, on March 4, 2020, the Governor proclaimed pursuant to his authority under the California Emergency Services Act, California Government Code section 8625, that a state of emergency exists with regard to a novel coronavirus (a disease now known as COVID-19); and
WHEREAS, on June 4, 2021, the Governor clarified that the “reopening” of California on June 15, 2021 did not include any change to the proclaimed state of emergency or the powers exercised thereunder, and as of the date of this Resolution, neither the Governor nor the Legislature have exercised their respective powers pursuant to California Government Code section 8629 to lift the state of emergency either by proclamation or by concurrent resolution in the state Legislature; and WHEREAS, on March 17, 2020, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-29-20 that suspended the teleconferencing rules set forth in the California Open Meeting law, Government Code section 54950 et seq. (the “Brown Act”), provided certain requirements were met and followed; and
7 28637147v1
WHEREAS, on September 16, 2021, Governor Newsom signed AB 361 that provides that a legislative body subject to the Brown Act may continue to meet without fully complying with the teleconferencing rules in the Brown Act provided the legislative body determines that meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees, and further requires that certain findings be made by the legislative body every thirty (30) days; and,
WHEREAS, on January 5, 2022, Governor Newsom extended the sunset provision of AB361 and Government Code Section 11133(g) from January 31, 2022 to April 1, 2022 due to the surge in Omicron variant related COVID-19 cases; and,WHEREAS, California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) caution that the Omicron variant of COVID-19, currently the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the country, is more transmissible than prior variants of the virus and that even fully vaccinated individuals can spread the virus to others resulting in rapid and alarming rates of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations ; and,
WHEREAS, the CDC has established a “Community Transmission” metric with 4 tiers designed to reflect a community’s COVID-19 case rate and percent positivity; and,
WHEREAS, the County of San Mateo currently has a Community Transmission metric of “”High Transmission” which is the most serious of the tiers; and, WHEREAS, the Committee has an important governmental interest in protecting the health, safety and welfare of those who participate in its meetings; 8 28637147v1
WHEREAS, on September 25, 2021, the Peninsula Clean Energy Board of Directors approved a thirty (30) day extension of remote meetings in accordance with AB 361. Out of an abundance of caution given AB 361’s narrative that describes each legislative body’s responsibility to reauthorize remote meetings, staff and counsel bring this resolution to the attention of the Executive Committee, and; WHEREAS, on September 29, 2021, the Peninsula Clean Energy Executive Committee approved a thirty (30) day extension of remote meetings in accordance with AB 361, and;
WHEREAS, on October 12, 2021, the Peninsula Clean Energy Executive Committee approved a thirty (30) day extension of remote meetings in accordance with AB 361, and;
WHEREAS, on November 8, 2021, the Peninsula Clean Energy Executive Committee approved a thirty (30) day extension of remote meetings in accordance with AB 361, and;
WHEREAS, on December 6, 2021, the Peninsula Clean Energy Executive Committee approved a thirty (30) day extension of remote meetings in accordance with AB 361, and;
WHEREAS, in the interest of public health and safety, as affected by the emergency caused by the spread of COVID-19, the Committee deems it necessary to find that meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees, and thus intends to invoke the provisions of AB 361 related to teleconferencing.
9 28637147v1
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY DETERMINED AND ORDERED that
1. The recitals set forth above are true and correct.
2. The Committee finds that meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees.
3. Staff is directed to return no later than thirty (30) days, or, alternatively, at the next scheduled meeting of the Committee, after the adoption of this resolution with an item for the Committee to consider making the findings required by AB 361 in order to continue meeting under its provisions.
4. Staff is directed to take such other necessary or appropriate actions to implement the intent and purposes of this resolution.
* * * * * *
10 Item No. 2
Regular Meeting of the Executive Committee of the
Peninsula Clean Energy Authority (PCEA)
Minutes
Monday, December 6, 2021
10:00 a.m.
Zoom Video Conference and Teleconference
REGULAR AGENDA
1. Chair Report
Chair DeGolia reported that he will be appointing a board nominating committee to select the new Chair and Vice Chair and to let him know of any interest in serving on that committee. Chair DeGolia also reported positive feedback on the 24/7 White Paper presented at the CalCCA Meeting.
2. CEO Report
Jan Pepper, CEO, provided a report that covered the following topics: staffing updates including an update on identifying a search firm for the COO position, an update on the expected timeline for the California Community Power (CCPower) Long Duration Storage Project.
CALL TO ORDER
Meeting was called to order at 10:15 a.m. in virtual teleconference.
ROLL CALL
Participating Remotely:
Rick DeGolia, Atherton, Chair
Julia Mates, Belmont
Giselle Hale, Redwood City
Marty Medina, San Bruno
Jeff Aalfs, Portola Valley
Pradeep Gupta, Director Emeritus
John Keener, Director Emeritus
Absent:
Dave Pine, San Mateo County
Donna Colson, Burlingame, Vice Chair
Laura Parmer-Lohan, San Carlos
Rick Bonilla, San Mateo
Staff: Jan Pepper, Chief Executive Officer
Andy Stern, Chief Financial Officer
Eric Hall, Interim Chief Financial Officer
11 Item No. 2
Rafael Reyes, Director of Energy Programs
KJ Janowski, Director of Marketing
Marc Hershman, Director of Government Affairs
Leslie Brown, Director of Customer Care
Siobhan Doherty, Director of Power Resources
Jennifer Stalzer, Deputy County Counsel
Shayna Barnes, Operations Specialist
Blake Herrschaft, Building Electrification Programs Manager Chelsea Keys, Power Resources Manager
Phillip Kobernick, Programs Manager
Nelly Wogberg, Board Clerk
A quorum was established.
ACTION TO SET AGENDA AND TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS MOTION: Director Hale moved, seconded by Director Aalfs to set the Agenda and approve Agenda Item Number 1.
3. Approval of the Minutes for the November 8, 2021 Meeting
4. Adopt Findings Pursuant to AB 361 to Continue Fully Teleconferenced Committee Meetings Due to Health Risks Posed by In-Person Meetings MOTION PASSED: 5-0 (Absent: San Mateo County, Burlingame, San Carlos, San Mateo)
JURISDICTION BOARD MEMBER YES NO ABSTAIN ABSENT
San Mateo County Director Pine X
Atherton Director DeGolia X
Belmont Director Mates X
Burlingame Director Colson X
Redwood City Director Hale X
San Bruno Director Medina X
San Carlos Director Parmer-LohanX
San Mateo Director Bonilla X
Portola Valley Director Aalfs X
Totals 5 4
REGULAR AGENDA
2. CEO Report, Continued
Jan Pepper, CEO, continued her CEO report with an update on the Disadvantaged Community Solar (DAC-GT, CS-GT) program.
Board Members discussed outreach plans for the communities, the eligibility criteria, and the solar facility resource.
12 Item No. 2
Rafael Reyes, Director of Energy Programs, explained that this program has a limited availability and that it would not be broadcast broadly. The limited availability is determined by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) allocation. The total San Mateo County allocation would be approximately 600-700 customers. Rafael also explained the eligibility criteria for the program.
Jan explained that the solar facility would be done through a developer and be similar to how Peninsula Clean Energy contracts with a larger scale resource. Jan also reported that there will be no rate change on January 1, 2022 but will likely take place on March 1, 2022.
Pradeep Gupta took a moment to recognize Jan and Peninsula Clean Energy staff for the 24/7 presentation given at the CalCCA Annual Conference and a well written paper.
PUBLIC COMMENT
None.
REGULAR AGENDA
5. Update on Reach Codes and 2022 Reach Codes (Discussion) Rafael Reyes, Director of Energy Programs, gave an update on the Reach Code Initiative including an update on San Mateo County reach code adoptions. Rafael also discussed 2022 Reach Codes including the 2022 state update covering buildings and electric vehicle (EV) readiness.
Board members discussed EV power management and how EV retrofits are unnecessary as the 2019 Reach Codes require every large, multi-family residential unit to already have a functioning electrified parking space. The board members also discussed that Reach Codes will need to be re-adopted with the next building code cycle.
Rafael explained how power management functioned by balancing power between multiple electric vehicles charging simultaneously. He also explained that cities will need to re-up their reach codes in order to keep them enforced as the California Energy Commission (CEC) will also be adopting an updated energy code in 2022.
Phillip Kobernick, Programs Manager, further explained that CalGreen relies on future retrofits in order to make EV capable spaces useable.
6. Update on Schedule and Activities for the Los Banos Enrollment (Discussion) Leslie Brown, Director of Customer Care, gave a presentation on the schedule and activities for the Los Banos enrollment which begins in April of 2022. Leslie detailed the team effort required for the Los Banos enrollment including assistance from the Power Resources, Programs, Legislative and Government Affairs, Marketing and Community Relations, and the Account Services teams. Leslie also shared the enrollment process and timeline, information on Net Energy Metering (NEM) Phased Enrollment, participation rate projections, and information on past and upcoming community outreach.
13 Item No. 2
Board Members expressed gratitude for the amount of work it takes to complete an enrollment and inquired if there was anything the board can do to assist.
Leslie responded that the most important piece is increasing customer awareness and helping to ensure that customers are properly informed if incorrect information is shared.
7. Update on the 24/7 White Paper (Discussion)
Jan Pepper, CEO, gave an update on the 24/7 White Paper which was published on December 1, 2021. It discusses why this goal is important, our progress, strategies and challenges as well as information that a Part 2 will be released in early 2022. Jan noted that she is scheduled to give talks over the next few months on this topic and share the work that Peninsula Clean Energy is doing.
8. Committee Members’ Reports
None.
ADJOURNMENT
Meeting was adjourned at 11:16 a.m.
14 Item No. 5
PENINSULA CLEAN ENERGY
JPA Board Correspondence
DATE: Dec. 15, 2021
BOARD MEETING DATE: Jan. 10, 2022
SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING: None
VOTE REQUIRED: Majority Present
TO: Honorable Peninsula Clean Energy Authority Executive Committee FROM: Jan Pepper, Chief Executive Officer, Peninsula Clean Energy Rafael Reyes, Director of Energy Programs
SUBJECT: E-Bikes Update and Additional Budget Approval (Action)
RECOMMENDATION
Executive Committee recommendation of approval to the Board for an increase in budget of $300,000 for the e-bikes program.
BACKGROUND
Peninsula Clean Energy’s mission is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and support the target of carbon neutrality by 2035, which Peninsula Clean Energy aims to support through investment in local community programs. Transportation emissions are one of the most significant challenges to decarbonization in San Mateo County, accounting for about 50% of direct emissions.
To support decarbonization efforts, the Board approved the Peninsula Clean Energy Program Roadmap in September 2018. As part of the implementation of the Roadmap in July 2020, the Board approved $300,000 in funds for a low-income e-bike rebate program, named the “E-Bikes for Everyone” program, including $240,000 in incentives (up to 300 e-bikes) and $60,000 for a partnership with Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition to provide bike safety workshops and outreach. 5 local bike shops, including Sports Basement, Summit Bicycles, Mike’s Bikes, Pedego, and RidePanda (online retailer) entered into contract with Peninsula Clean Energy to provide the rebate as a point-of-sale discount. Residents were required to apply prior to purchase to be eligible for a rebate.
The “E-Bikes for Everyone” rebate program formally opened on May 26, 2021 and over 450 applications were received. This exceeded the 3-year target of 300 units for the program. After the initial 300 applications were received, new applications were put onto a waitlist and reviewed once earlier applications were rejected or if earlier rebates weren’t 15 Item No. 5
utilized. Due to the ongoing high volume of applications, the waitlist was closed and the application was removed from the Peninsula Clean Energy website in mid-June.
However, the program also has had a large number of cancellations or rejected applications (175), which has allowed the entire waitlist to be served. The majority of the rebate cancellations (82) were from people who didn’t purchase their e-bike within the 30- day window allotted. As of the end of 2021, 276 bikes have been purchased, leaving 24 unused rebates. Staff is proposing to include the 24 unused rebates with the additional funding in this request for a second offering of the program, totaling $320,000 for the second round of rebates.
The section below provides key performance metrics from the program.
1. Rebate Distribution: 276 rebates were given, with rebate distribution tracking to overall county population, as shown below.
City Total Rebates (% of
Total Rebates)
City Population, as %
of County Population
Daly City 43 (16%) 14%
Redwood City 39 (14%) 11%
San Mateo 32 (12%) 14%
South SF 29 (11%) 9%
Menlo Park 21 (8%) 4%
Millbrae 15 (5%) 3%
Pacifica 15 (5%) 5%
San Bruno 14 (5%) 6%
Burlingame 11 (4%) 4%
San Carlos 10 (4%) 4%
Foster City 9 (3%) 4%
East Palo Alto 8 (3%) 4%
Belmont 7 (3%) 4%
Half Moon Bay 5 (2%) 2%
All Others 18 (7%)
Total 276
2. Customer Satisfaction (customers answering 4 or 5 on a 1-5 scale):
• From application (pre-approval and pre-purchase): 92% • Trailing survey (post-purchase): 93%
16 Item No. 5
3. E-Bike Utilization (from trailing survey, 24% response rate):
• 38% overall decline in car trips among rebate recipients • 50% of e-bike trips replace car trips (figure below)
• Average e-bike ride: 10-11 miles
• Average e-bike length: ~40 minutes
• 55% of e-bike trips are utilitarian, 45% are recreational (figure below) 17 Item No. 5
4. Customer Demographics:
• Average household income: $39,000 per household
• Average age range (detailed table below):
• 18 – 55: 60%
• 55+: 40%
• Gender (from trailing survey only)
• Male: 69%
• Female: 29%
• Non-Binary: 2%
• Race/ethnicity (from trailing survey only, detailed table below):
18 Item No. 5
• Education (from trailing survey only, detailed table below):
5. Purchase Details
• Average e-bike purchase price (pre-rebate): $1,284
• Average e-bike purchase price (after rebate): $487
• Rebate utilization:
• Point of sale with participating bike shop: 85%
• Post-sale rebate with a non-participating bike shop:15% • Customers using financing for their e-bike purchase: 6%
6. Customer Testimonials
19 Item No. 5
“I want to thank Peninsula Clean Energy so much for making it possible to get this e-bike. I will be thinking of how grateful I am as I go about my daily chores and activities on my new Clean Energy transportation.”
“I’ve wanted to order an ebike for years now… and this put me over the top”
DISCUSSION
Due to the high demand and popularity of the E-Bikes for Everyone program, staff are proposing a second round of the program for the spring of 2022, with some minor modifications. This request is for the approval of additional funds, totaling up to $300,000, to support approximately 300 additional bikes. With approximately $20,000 in unspent funds from the first round of the program, this next round would provide approximately 320 rebates.
Key modifications to the program include:
1. Requiring that e-bike purchases are made at participating bike shops
2. Increasing the rebate amount from $800 to $1,000
3. Increasing the e-bike price cap from $1,800 to $3,000 These proposed modifications are intended to address the current e-bike market and also encourage a more diverse usage of e-bikes, including cargo bikes. Requiring e-bike purchases to be made at participating bike shops will further support local businesses and is expected to have an overall limited impact on the program as 85% of sales in the first round of the program were at participating bike shops already. Increasing the rebate amount and overall e-bike price cap is a reflection of the limited bike models that are available at the previous e-bike price cap of $1,800. There are no cargo bikes at this price point at participating bike shops, which is an increasingly popular use case for e-bikes.
Cargo bikes have a wider utility and can enable owners to replace even more car trips with their e-bike, such as grocery store runs and dropping of children at school. Further, even non-cargo bikes are much more limited at the previous price cap than when the program first launched. Therefore, staff are recommending an increase in the overall price cap to expand the number and variety of bikes that are eligible in the program. As the overall price cap would increase in the proposal, staff are also proposing a slight increase in the rebate amount from a maximum of $800 to $1,000 per bike1. Customers are still required to pay 20% of the purchase price, which is unmodified from the previous round.
The next round of the program would use the same income eligibility guidelines as the previous round (household income of less that 400% of the Federal Poverty Level, see table below). In the previous round of the program, staff accepted proof of enrollment in several programs such as residency in affordable housing, CARE/FERA, CalFresh (Food Stamps), Supplemental Social Security (SSI), etc. or a filed household tax return to satisfy the proof of income requirement. In the first round of the e-bike program, approximately 1/3 of applications used enrollment in CARE or FERA, 1/3 used a filed tax return and 1/3 used other forms of proof of income (such as enrollment in California Unemployment 1 $1,000 is the rebate amount in Sonoma Clean Power’s “Bike Electric” program. 20 Item No. 5
Insurance, Supplemental Social Security, etc.). Staff are proposing to eliminate Unemployment Insurance as an eligible proof of income as it was a burdensome pathway for both customers and staff, often requiring multiple submissions and corrections. Staff are also reviewing and updating application processes to better serve Spanish speakers and residents who are unable to utilize an online application and will have these changes implemented prior to the relaunch of the program.
Federal Poverty Level Table
Staff are proposing a staged rollout of the second launch of the E-Bikes for Everyone program. The e-bikes program has substantially outpaced uptake expectations in the first round, and as a result, the marketing process did not run as planned. The two key communities targeted by the program as originally designed were residents of affordable housing developments and Los Banos. However, engagement of affordable housing had only barely begun when all the funds were reserved and the program had to be closed. It was anticipated that Los Banos would be served in 2022 when service began in that community. To address this, staff are proposing a “soft launch” of the program to begin around March and involve targeted outreach with affordable housing providers and organizations in Los Banos2. The program would launch more generally in May 2022, as part of “Bike Month” locally.
A contract amendment with RidePanda, increasing the contract value by $225,000 to a total amount of $550,600, is also included in this request. RidePanda was a key participating bike shop in the previous round of the e-bikes program, providing nearly 80% of sales. RidePanda is a Bay Area based online retailer that specializes in more affordable e-bikes and has an equity focus, contributing to their popularity in the program.
Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition remains on contract with Peninsula Clean Energy to provide outreach and education events. This contract would continue without modifications.
FISCAL IMPACT: The requested additional funding for the E-Bikes for Everyone program is within the already approved FY22 Community Energy Programs budget. 2 Los Banos customers will be eligible as they become PCE customers, occurring throughout April 21 1
Revised 2022 Executive Committee Meeting Schedule
Location: Please see posted Agenda for location or teleconference options Meeting Date: Time: Location:
_________________________________________________________________________________ January 10, 2022 10:00 am Video/Teleconference
February 14, 2022 10:00 am Video/Teleconference
March 14, 2022 10:00 am Video/Teleconference
April 11, 2022 10:00 am Video/Teleconference
May 9, 2022 10:00 am Video/Teleconference
June 13, 2022 10:00 am Video/Teleconference
July 11, 2022 10:00 am Video/Teleconference
August 8, 2022 10:00 am Video/Teleconference
September 12, 2022 10:00 am Video/Teleconference
October 12, 2022 (Wednesday) 10:00 am Video/Teleconference November 7, 2022 10:00 am Video/Teleconference
December 5, 2022 10:00 am Video/Teleconference
22