Board of Directors
Chair: Alice Dowdin Calvillo
Vice Chair: Greg Janda
City of Auburn
Alice Dowdin Calvillo
Sandra Amara, Alternate
City of Colfax
Sean Lomen
Kim Douglass, Alternate
County of El Dorado
Lori Parlin
Brian Veerkamp, Alternate
City of Grass Valley
Tom Ivy
Jan Arbuckle, Alternate
City of Lincoln
Richard Pearl
John Reedy, Alternate
Town of Loomis
David Ring
Danny Cartwright, Alternate
Nevada City
Gary Petersen
Lou Ceci, Alternate
County of Placer
Anthony DeMattei
Suzanne Jones
Bonnie Gore, Alternate
City of Placerville
Ryan Carter
David Yarbrough, Alternate
City of Rocklin
Greg Janda
David Bass, Alternate
Pioneer Community Energy
Board of Directors
December 18, 2025
REGULAR MEETING
3:00 PM
Pioneer Community Energy Board Room
2510 Warren Drive, Suite B, Rocklin, CA 95677
This special meeting will convene in person at the address printed above, be accessible on the Zoom platform at the following link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89020017279;
and live streamed for viewing on the Pioneer website:
https://pioneercommunityenergy.org/about-us/meetings-and-agendas/.
Members of the public may participate in person or by remote audio/visual access.
Those who participated remotely and wish to comment should be prepared to use the Zoom platform via computer or telephone. Public comment will be opened for each agenda item in sequence.
How to Participate Using Zoom
You can join the meeting using the following link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89020017279.
When you join the meeting, you will be muted by default. To inform the Clerk that you would like to make a public comment, you will use the “Raise Hand” feature.
Public Comment via Computer or Smartphone
If you would like to make a comment, you will use the “Raise Your Hand” feature.
Please note that you should only raise your hand during the item to which you will comment. Instructions for using the “Raise Hand” feature when using a computer or mobile device can be found at the link:
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/205566129-Raising-your-hand-in-a-webinar Public Comment via telephone (Audio Only Option)
1. Dial 1 (699) 900-6833
2. When asked for the meeting ID, enter 890 2001 7279#
3. When asked for your participant ID, press # to continue.
You will be muted by default. To inform the Clerk that you would like to make a comment, during each agenda item, dial *9 to “Raise your hand.” When it is your turn to speak, the Clerk will identify you by the last three digits of your phone number; at that time, dial *6 to unmute yourself and state your name and comment for the record. Please note that you should only raise your hand during the item to which you will comment.
I. GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTION – PART 1
A. CALL TO ORDER
1. Roll Call
B. PRESENTATIONS BY THE PUBLIC ON MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA WITHIN THE
JURISDICTION OF THE BOARD
Persons may address the Board on items not on the agenda and within the jurisdiction of the Board.
Please limit comments to 3 minutes per person. According to State Law (the Brown Act), items must first be noticed on the agenda before any discussion or action, so the Board is prohibited from discussing issues not on the agenda brought to them at this time.
C. AGENDA REVIEW
II. CONSENT AGENDA
1) APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA
All items on the Consent Agenda have been recommended for approval by the Chief Executive Officer.
All Consent items will be approved by a single vote. Anyone may ask to address Consent items prior to the Board acting, and the item may be moved for discussion. a) ADMINISTRATION
Approve the minutes of the November 20, 2025, regular meeting. (ECKERT) b) FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Receive Fiscal Year 2025-26 Draft Monthly Financial Reports through October 2025. (KOEHN) c) FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Adopt a Resolution Approving Five Information Technology (IT) Policies and Procedures. (KOEHN) III. REGULAR AGENDA
2) MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Adopt Resolution Authorizing the Chief Executive Officer to Execute an Amendment to the Agreement with Energy Mission Control DBA Fuse Carbon Technologies (FuSE) to Include Solar Renewable Energy Credit (REC) Program Services and to Expand Eligibility of FuSE Programs to Special District Customers (Action – Stassi-Vanacore) Recommendation: Adopt Resolution Authorizing the Chief Executive Officer to Execute an Amendment to the Agreement with Energy Mission Control DBA Fuse Carbon Technologies (“FuSE”) to include Solar Renewable Energy Credit (REC) Program Services and to expand eligibility of FuSE programs to special district customers.
3) MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Adopt Resolution Approving Amendment No. 8 to the Amended and Restated Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement for Pioneer Community Energy Expanding Pioneer Community Energy’s Joint Powers Authority Membership to include the Cities of Colusa and Williams and the County of Colusa. (Action – Stassi-Vanacore)
Recommendation: Adopt Resolution Approving Amendment No. 8 to the Amended and Restated Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement (“JPA”) for Pioneer Community Energy (“Pioneer”) Expanding Pioneer’s Joint Powers Authority Membership to include the Cities of Colusa and Williams and the County of Colusa. 4) MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Adopt Resolution Approving Addendum No. 4 to the Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent (Action – Stassi-Vanacore)
Recommendation: Adopt Resolution approving Addendum No. 4 to the Pioneer Community Energy’s (“Pioneer”) Community Choice Aggregation Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent to address Pioneer’s proposed expansion into the Cities of Colusa and Williams and the County of Colusa authorizing the Chief Executive Officer to submit Addendum No. 4 to the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”).
5) POWER SUPPLY
2025 Energy Procurement Year in Review (Discussion – Kang) Recommendation: Receive an update on energy procurement activity in 2025. 6) MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Programs: 2025 Year In Review (Discussion – Stassi-Vanacore) Recommendation: Receive a presentation on Pioneer Community Energy’s (“Pioneer”) Programs 2025 Year In Review.
IV. GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTION – PART 2
A. BOARD MEMBER COMMUNICATIONS
B. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMMUNICATIONS
C. ITEMS FOR INFORMATION
1. Glossary of Terms
D. ADJOURNMENT
Upcoming Meeting of the Board:
January 15, 2026
Accommodations
Pioneer Community Energy is committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities are provided with the resources to participate fully in its public meetings. If you are hearing impaired, we have listening devices available. If you require additional disability-related modifications or accommodations, including auxiliary aids or services, please contact the Clerk of the Board. If requested, the agenda shall be provided in appropriate alternative formats for persons with disabilities. All requests must be in writing and must be received by the Clerk five business days prior to the scheduled meeting for which you are requesting accommodation. Requests received after such time will be accommodated only if time permits.
Affidavit of Posting
I, Denise Silva, Board Secretary, declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing agenda for the December 18, 2025 regular meeting of the Pioneer Community Energy Governing Board was posted and available for public review on December 12, 2025 at the offices of Pioneer Community Energy, 2510 Warren Drive, Suite B, Rocklin, CA 95677; and was on the Pioneer website at: https://pioneercommunityenergy.org/about-us/meetings-and-agendas/.
All public materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Governing Board after distribution of the agenda packet are also made available for public inspection on Pioneer’s website at:
https://pioneercommunityenergy.org/about-us/meetings-and-agendas/. Any document provided at the meeting by staff or by the public will be provided by the Board Clerk upon request by phone at (916) 758-8946, or by email at: [email protected].
PIONEER COMMUNITY ENERGY
GOVERNING BOARD
REGULAR MEETING
November 20, 2025
MINUTES
Entry No. 1
Heard General Administrative Functions – Part I
Call to Order
Pioneer Community Energy Governing Board met in open session at 3:03 PM on October 16, 2025. The Members convened in person and the meeting was accessible to the public at Pioneer Community Energy, 2510 Warren Drive, Suite B, Rocklin, California 95677; and, the meeting was accessible for viewer participation on the Zoom platform at the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89020017279; and, was live streamed for viewing on the Pioneer website:
https://pioneercommunityenergy.org/about-us/meetings-and-agendas/.
Director Petersen participated remotely from Nevada City – City Hall, Wetherall Conference Room, 317 Broad Street, Nevada City, CA 95959.
Roll Call
Present: City of Auburn (Dowdin Calvillo), City of Colfax (Lomen), County of El Dorado (Parlin), City of Grass Valley (Ivy), City of Lincoln (Pearl), Town of Loomis (Ring), Nevada City (Petersen), County of Placer (Jones), City of Placerville (Carter), City of Rocklin (Janda).
Absent: County of Placer (DeMattei).
Chair Dowdin Calvillo presided over the meeting.
No public comment was offered on items not on the agenda.
Public Report of Closed Session
1) Conference with Legal Counsel – Existing Litigation (Government Code §54956.9(d)(1)) The Governing Board finds, based on advice from legal counsel, that discussion in open session will prejudice the position of the local agency in the litigation.
Name of Case: Kolpitcke v. Pioneer Community Energy
Names of Parties: Plaintiff – Kirstin Kolpitcke; Defendant – Pioneer Community Energy Case No.: S-CV-0054062 (Placer County Superior Court)
No reportable action was taken in the matters of (1) Conference with Legal Counsel (Government Code §54956.9(d)(1)).
Agenda Review
Reviewed and made no revision to the meeting agenda for November 20, 2025.
Entry No. 2
Acted on the Consent Agenda as follows:
Approved the minutes of the October 16, 2025 regular meeting.
Adopted Resolution approving Five Information Technology Policies and Procedures.
DRAFT - ITEM 1a
DRAFT – December 18, 2025 – page 2
Adopted Resolution approving a Modified Sponsorship Program.
MOTION: Dowdin Calvillo/Pearl. Vote: 10:0:1
ROLL CALL: Carter, Dowdin Calvillo, Ivy, Janda, Jones, Lomen, Parlin, Pearl, Petersen, Ring.
No/Abstain: None.
Absent: DeMattei.
Entry No. 3
End of Legislative Session Update
Received an update on the end of the 2025 legislative session.
Chief Executive Officer Don Eckert introduced the item and invited representatives Erin and Cassandra from Niemela Pappas & Associates to present the legislative update. The presentation summarized major statewide priorities, including affordability, wildfire mitigation, infrastructure streamlining, and reauthorization of the Cap-and-Invest program.
Legislative & Regulatory Manager Lee Ewing provided a detailed review of bills tracked by Pioneer during the session, including AB 825, AB 706, AB 66, SB 88, and AB 1227, and discussed regulatory outcomes achieved through CalCCA and partner firms.
Counsel reviewed implementation of SB 827 (ethics and fiscal training requirements) and SB 707 (Brown Act changes).
No Board comments were offered.
No formal action was taken.
Entry No. 4
Presentation on Recipients of the Calpine Energy Solutions Community Benefits Program Received a presentation recognizing the 2025 recipients of the Calpine Energy Solutions Community Benefits Program.
Director of Community Relations Gina Stassi-Vanacore introduced the item and presented the 2025 Community Benefits Program awards. The recipients included Feeding the Foothills ($25,000), Silver Wishes ($10,000), and KVMR Public Radio ($25,000). Ms. Stassi-Vanacore described evaluation criteria, program participation, and the projected community impacts, including an estimated 150,000 meals facilitated by the Feeding the Foothills grant.
Board members expressed appreciation for Calpine’s partnership and acknowledged the positive outcomes for local organizations.
No formal action was taken.
Entry No. 5
Update on Microgrid Incentive Program (MIP) Applications Received an update on Pioneer’s Microgrid Incentive Program applications.
Chief Executive Officer Don Eckert introduced the item and invited Power Supply Contracts Manager Kristoffer Antigua to present the update on the four proposed microgrid projects serving Georgetown, DRAFT – December 18, 2025 – page 3
Foresthill, Grass Valley, and Nevada City. Mr. Antigua reported that PG&E confirmed all four sites qualify under the MIP program and described the selection of engineering partners PAE Engineers and Arup. He provided an overview of project design features, including biomass-plus-storage and battery-supported microgrids intended to serve schools, county buildings, water district facilities, and other critical infrastructure. Applications will be submitted by December 17, 2025, with award notifications anticipated in early 2026.
Board members discussed community reliability needs. Director Parlin commented on the challenges associated with temporary microgrids in El Dorado County, and Director Ivy noted generator reliability concerns in Grass Valley. Directors expressed support for the proposed microgrid applications.
No formal action was taken.
Entry No. 6
Adopt Resolution Authorizing the Chief Executive Officer to Execute All Documents to Modify Agreements with Columbia Bank
Adopted Resolution authorizing the Chief Executive Officer to execute all documents and agreements necessary to modify Pioneer’s Line of Credit and Letter of Credit agreements with Columbia Bank, increasing the combined authorization from $30 million to $50 million, including $20 million for Letters of Credit and $30 million for working capital.
Director of Finance & Administration Brad Koehn introduced the item and presented the proposed modification, noting the operational and strategic need for expanded credit capacity in light of potential PCIA fluctuations.
Directors expressed support for the measure.
Director of Finance & Administration Koehn presented a Resolution authorizing the Chief Executive Officer to execute all documents necessary to modify Pioneer’s agreements with Columbia Bank, increasing the combined Line of Credit and Letter of Credit structure to $50 million, with $20 million allocated for Letters of Credit and $30 million for working capital.
MOTION: Ring/Carter. Vote: 10:0:1
ROLL CALL: Carter, Dowdin Calvillo, Ivy, Janda, Jones, Lomen, Parlin, Pearl, Petersen, Ring.
No/Abstain: None.
Absent: DeMattei.
Entry No. 7
Receive Draft Fiscal Year 2025–26 Quarterly Financial Reports Received the draft Fiscal Year 2025–26 quarterly financial reports through September 30, 2025.
Received the draft Fiscal Year 2025–26 quarterly financial reports through September 30, 2025. Staff provided an overview of year-to-date revenue and expenditure variances, operating margin, and reserve position, and discussed anticipated PCIA impacts pending final January rate updates.
Director of Finance & Administration Brad Koehn introduced the item and invited Senior Financial Analyst Eric Acedo to present the quarterly financial update. Mr. Acedo summarized year-to-date revenues and expenditures, major variances, operating margin trends, and Pioneer’s reserve position. He also discussed anticipated impacts to the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA) pending final rate updates in January.
DRAFT – December 18, 2025 – page 4
No Board comments were offered.
No formal action was taken.
Entry No. 8
Heard General Administrative Function – Part II
Board Member Communications
None.
Chief Executive Officer Communications
Chief Executive Officer Eckert expressed appreciation to Calpine for hosting the recent Geysers geothermal facility tour, noting Board and staff participation. He also provided brief updates on ongoing agency operations and upcoming Board calendar items.
Items for Information
Received the Glossary of Terms.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 4:26 PM.
Staff Report – Item 1b
To: The Governing Board
From: Linda Praseudsuk, Sr. Financial Analyst
Item 1b: Receive Fiscal Year 2025-26 Draft Monthly Financial Reports Through October 2025 Date: 12/18/2025
RECOMMENDATION
Receive Fiscal Year 2025-26 Draft Monthly Financial Reports through October 2025.
BACKGROUND
Maher Accountancy produces the Year-To-Date (YTD) financial reports for Board members and management review. Although these reports are unaudited, they provide the most up-to-date financial data for Pioneer Community Energy. The mPOWER program accepted its last application in August 2021, and mPOWER activity is now limited to administering the outstanding mPOWER Bonds. Financials for the mPOWER program will be included in the audited year-end reports. For October 2025, the financial reporting package includes the following reports for the CCA Fund only:
• Statement of Net Position (Balance Sheet) – Accounting of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Position as of the reporting period end date for the CCA program. • Statement of Revenues, Expenses, and Changes in Net Position (P&L) – Accounting of all revenues, expenses, and changes in net position on a YTD basis through the reporting period end date for the CCA program.
• Budgetary Comparison Schedule (Budget to Actuals) – Comparison of budget to actuals on a YTD basis through the reporting period end date for the CCA program.
STRATEGIC PLAN
Strategic Priority: Be Fiscally Strong and Resilient
FISCAL IMPACT
The YTD change in net position through four months of the fiscal year is $4.6 million.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Financial Reports through October 31, 2025
1 ACCOUNTANTS’ COMPILATION REPORT
Management
Pioneer Community Energy
Management is responsible for the accompanying financial statements of the CCA Fund of Pioneer Community Energy (a California Joint Powers Authority) which comprise the statement of net position as of September 30, 2025, and the related statement of revenues, expenses, and changes in net position for the three months then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. We have performed a compilation engagement in accordance with Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services promulgated by the Accounting and Review Services Committee of the AICPA. We did not audit or review the accompanying statements nor were we required to perform any procedures to verify the accuracy or completeness of the information provided by management. Accordingly, we do not express an opinion, conclusion, nor provide any assurance on these financial statements.
Management has elected to omit substantially all of the disclosures and the statement of cash flows required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America in these interim financial statements. Pioneer Community Energy’s annual audited financial statements include the note disclosures and statement of cash flows omitted from these interim statements. If the omitted disclosures and the statement of cash flows were included in these financial statements, they might influence the user’s conclusions about Pioneer Community Energy’s financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. Accordingly, these financial statements are not designed for those who are not informed about such matters.
We are not independent with respect to Pioneer Community Energy because we performed certain accounting services that impaired our independence.
Maher Accountancy
San Rafael, CA
November 5, 2025
1101 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200 San Rafael, CA 94901 415 459 1249 mahercpa.com CCA Program
ASSETS
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents 39,618,644 $
Investments 132,955,835
Accounts receivable, net of allowance 21,661,904
Accrued revenue 9,787,244
Other receivables 2,904,199
Interest receivable 270,000
Prepaid expenses 1,860,350
Deposits 432,606
Total current assets 209,490,782
Noncurrent assets
Capital assets, net of depreciation and amortization 1,036,233 Deposits 794,793
Total noncurrent assets 1,831,025
Total assets 211,321,807
LIABILITIES
Current liabilities
Accrued cost of electricity 19,421,316
Accounts payable 522,715
Other accrued liabilities 1,243,139
Lease liability 128,508
Note payable 888,315
Interest payable 4,290
Deposits 282,000
Total current liabilities 22,490,283
Noncurrent liabilities
Lease liability 724,189
Note payable 405,575
Total noncurrent liabilities 1,129,764
Total liabilities 23,620,047
NET POSITION
Net investment in capital assets 183,536
Unrestricted net position 187,518,224
Total net position 187,701,760 $
PIONEER COMMUNITY ENERGY
STATEMENT OF NET POSITION
As of October 31, 2025
CCA PROGRAM
See accountants' compilation report. 2
CCA Program
OPERATING REVENUES
Electricity sales, net 89,517,350 $
Other income 6,000
Total operating revenues 89,523,350
OPERATING EXPENSES
Cost of electricity 82,577,966
Contract services 2,029,225
Staff compensation 1,664,461
Other operating expenses 827,893
Depreciation and amortization 62,898
Total operating expenses 87,162,443
Operating income (loss) 2,360,907
NONOPERATING REVENUES (EXPENSES)
Investment income 2,271,197
Interest and financing expense (29,732)
Nonoperating revenues (expenses), net 2,241,465
CHANGE IN NET POSITION 4,602,372
Net position at beginning of period 183,099,388
Net position at end of period 187,701,760 $
Four Months Ended October 31, 2025
AND CHANGES IN NET POSITION
STATEMENT OF REVENUES, EXPENSES
CCA PROGRAM
PIONEER COMMUNITY ENERGY
See accountants' compilation report. 3
Participation Rates – October 2025
Participation Rate October 2025 October 2024 AUBURN INC 85.69% 85.34% COLFAX INC 87.74% 88.33% GRASS VALLEY INC 96.20% 95.23% LINCOLN INC 82.91% 82.49% LOOMIS INC 87.24% 86.86% NEVADA CITY INC 98.04% 96.47% PLACERVILLE INC 85.83% 85.42% ROCKLIN INC 90.43% 90.19% UNINC EL DORADO CO 79.86% 79.66% UNINC PLACER CO 84.85% 84.64% Grand Total 84.42% 84.13% 1 ACCOUNTANTS’ COMPILATION REPORT
Board of Directors
Pioneer Community Energy
Management is responsible for the accompanying special purpose budgetary comparison schedule for the CCA Program of Pioneer Community Energy, a California Joint Powers Authority, for the three months ended September 30, 2025, and for determining that the budgetary basis of accounting is an acceptable financial reporting framework. We have performed a compilation engagement in accordance with Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services promulgated by the Accounting and Review Services Committee of the AICPA. We did not audit or review the accompanying statement nor were we required to perform any procedures to verify the accuracy or completeness of the information provided by management. Accordingly, we do not express an opinion, a conclusion, nor provide any assurance on this special purpose budgetary comparison statement.
The special purpose statement is prepared in accordance with the budgetary basis of accounting, which is a basis of accounting other than accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. This report is intended for the information of the Board of Directors of Pioneer Community Energy.
Management has elected to omit substantially all of the note disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America in these interim financial statements.
Pioneer Community Energy’s annual audited financial statements include the note disclosures omitted from these interim statements. If the omitted disclosures were included in these financial statements, they might influence the user’s conclusions about Pioneer Community Energy’s financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. Accordingly, these financial statements are not designed for those who are not informed about such matters.
We are not independent with respect to Pioneer Community Energy because we performed certain accounting services that impaired our independence.
Maher Accountancy
San Rafael, CA
November 5, 2025
1101 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200 San Rafael, CA 94901 415 459 1249 mahercpa.com 2025/26 YTD
Amended
Budget
2025/26 YTD
Actual
2025/26 YTD
Variance
(Under) Over
2025/26
YTD
Actual/
Amended
Budget %
2025/26
Amended Budget
2025/26
Amended
Budget
Remaining
ENERGY REVENUES
Energy Sales $ 96,227,374 $ 90,715,928 $ (5,511,446) 94% $ 234,389,000 $ 143,673,072 Green100 Sales 72,333 26,444 (45,889) 37% 217,000 190,556 Congestion Revenue Rights and Battery Optimization 2,139,674 1,760,966 (378,708) 82% 10,000,000 8,239,034 Less Uncollectible Accounts (1,300,046) (1,225,022) 75,024 94% (3,167,181) (1,942,159) Total Operating Revenues 97,139,335 91,278,316 (5,861,019) 241,438,819 150,160,503
ENERGY EXPENSES
Power Supply 97,207,151 84,338,932 (12,868,219) 87% 221,145,000 136,806,068 OPERATING MARGIN 6,939,384 (67,816) 7,007,200 20,293,819 13,354,435
OPERATING EXPENSES
Administration
Compensation 334,067 258,194 (75,873) 77% 1,002,200 744,006 Contract services 105,067 47,636 (57,431) 45% 730,830 683,194 Operating expenses 401,630 282,535 (119,095) 70% 891,770 609,235 Total Administration expenses 840,763 588,365 (252,398) 70% 2,624,800 2,036,435 Finance
Compensation 396,915 344,283 (52,632) 87% 1,190,745 846,462 Contract services 209,878 91,939 (117,939) 44% 641,550 549,611 Operating expenses 91,180 46,072 (45,108) 51% 349,625 303,553 Total Finance expenses 697,973 482,294 (215,679) 69% 2,181,920 1,699,626 Power Procurement
Compensation 416,531 317,870 (98,661) 76% 1,249,593 931,723 Contract services 916,053 448,261 (467,792) 49% 3,349,187 2,900,926 Operating expenses 373,833 78,214 (295,619) 21% 447,500 369,286 Total Power Procurement expenses 1,706,417 844,345 (862,072) 49% 5,046,280 4,201,935 Customer Care
Compensation 268,891 211,073 (57,818) 78% 806,672 595,599 Contract services 956,667 986,119 29,452 103% 2,870,000 1,883,881 Operating expenses 87,017 90,617 3,600 104% 129,050 38,433 Total Customer Care expenses 1,312,574 1,287,809 (24,765) 98% 3,805,722 2,517,913 Marketing & Communications
Compensation 317,533 209,072 (108,461) 66% 952,599 743,527 Contract services 166,667 32,456 (134,211) 19% 500,000 467,544 Operating expenses 310,801 112,424 (198,377) 36% 852,400 739,976 Total Marketing & Communications expenses 795,000 353,952 (441,048) 45% 2,304,999 1,951,047 Legislative & Regulatory
Compensation 314,033 249,663 (64,370) 80% 942,100 692,437 Contract services 118,237 103,325 (14,912) 87% 337,807 234,482 Operating expenses 8,867 5,640 (3,227) 64% 30,600 24,960 Total Legislative and Regulatory expenses 441,137 358,628 (82,509) 81% 1,310,507 951,879 Programs
Compensation 153,856 74,308 (79,548) 48% 461,568 387,260 Contract services 475,556 - (475,556) 0% 1,460,000 1,460,000 Operating expenses 582,714 448,647 (134,067) 77% 2,707,208 2,258,561 Total Programs expenses 1,212,125 522,955 (689,170) 43% 4,628,776 4,105,821 Total Operating Expenses 7,005,990 4,438,348 (2,567,642) 63% 21,903,004 17,464,656 OPERATING INCOME (LOSS) 2,501,036 (7,073,805) 9,574,841 (1,609,185) (4,110,221)
NON-OPERATING REVENUES (EXPENDITURES)
Investment gains (losses) 1,204,336 2,271,197 1,066,861 189% 4,150,000 1,878,803 Miscellaneous income - 6,000 6,000 - (6,000)
Term Loan Debt Service (320,000) (381,727) (61,727) 119% (950,000) (568,273) Additional Term Loan Principal - - - 0% (700,000) (700,000) Line/Letter of Credit Fees (750,000) (75,000) 675,000 10% (750,000) (675,000) Nonoperating revenues (expenditures), net 134,336 1,820,470 1,686,134 1,750,000 (70,470) Contribution to/(from) Reserves (6,939,469) $ 4,321,506 $ 11,260,975 $ 140,815 $ (4,180,691) $
BUDGETARY COMPARISON SCHEDULE
Four Months Ended October 31, 2025
PIONEER COMMUNITY ENERGY
CCA PROGRAM
Staff Report – Item 1c
To: The Governing Board
From: Eric Ponce, Information Technology Analyst
Item 1c: Adopt a Resolution Approving Five Information Technology Policies and Procedures Date: 12/18/2025
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution approving five Information Technology (IT) Policies and Procedures.
BACKGROUND
Pioneer Community Energy (Pioneer) increasingly depends on information systems to support day-to-day operations and strategic objectives. These systems enhance Pioneer’s ability to collect and analyze data, communicate effectively with external parties, and deliver responsive customer service. As these tools become more integral to staff workflows and external engagement, it is critical that staff follow established IT protocols to ensure the security and integrity of Pioneer’s digital infrastructure and information resources.
ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION
In March of 2024, Pioneer hired MGT Impact Solutions, LLC to perform an independent assessment of the organization’s cybersecurity maturity, focusing on the IT and security environment for the 2023 calendar year.
The assessment was conducted using the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF, V2.0).
The purpose of the assessment was to help IT staff understand Pioneer’s current cybersecurity maturity level and identify opportunities for improvement. The findings indicated that Pioneer would benefit from updates to existing IT policies and procedures, as well as the development of new ones, to strengthen overall cybersecurity posture and align more closely with best practices outlined in the NIST CSF.
Following the assessment, the results and recommendations were shared with Pioneer’s managed IT service provider, Capital Network Solutions, Inc. (CNS). Pioneer and CNS collaborated to update existing policies and develop a comprehensive set of new IT policies and procedures, fifteen in total, aimed at improving cybersecurity controls, operational consistency, and compliance with industry standards.
The fifteen IT policies and procedures were divided into three batches. The first batch of five policies was presented to the Board for review and approval during the October 2025 Board of Directors meeting and the second batch of five was presented at the November 2025 meeting. This report presents the final batch of five policies and procedures.
The following five IT Policies and Procedures were prepared:
Cybersecurity Governance Policy
The purpose of this policy is to establish a cybersecurity governance framework that aligns with business goals, incorporates risk management, and integrates cybersecurity into decision-making at all levels.
Agenda Item: 1c Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
IT Business Continuity Policy
The purpose of this policy is to ensure the continuous availability and rapid recovery of Pioneer’s IT systems, data, and services during disruptions, supporting organizational resilience and minimizing operational, financial, and reputational impact.
IT Business Continuity Plan
The purpose of this IT Business Continuity Plan is to ensure Pioneer can maintain or quickly restore critical IT services and infrastructure during and after a disruption, supporting the continuity of essential business functions.
IT Disaster Recovery Plan
The purpose of this IT Disaster Recovery Plan is to outline the strategies, resources, and procedures needed to ensure prompt response and recovery of critical IT services following emergencies or disasters that disrupt normal operations.
IT Incident Response Plan
The purpose of this IT Incident Response Plan is to protect the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of information by providing a structured process for identifying, investigating, and responding to security incidents.
STRATEGIC PLAN
This development of IT Policies and Procedures supports the Strategic Goal of Achieving Operational Optimization.
FISCAL IMPACT
The approval and implementation of these IT policies and procedures does not have a fiscal impact.
ATTACHMENTS
1) Resolution Establishing Information Technology Policies and Procedures:
a. Cybersecurity Governance Policy
b. IT Business Continuity Policy
c. IT Business Continuity Plan
d. IT Disaster Recovery Plan
e. IT Incident Response Plan
Before the Governing Board of
Pioneer Community Energy
Resolution No.: ____________
The following Resolution was duly passed by the Governing Board of Pioneer Community Energy at a regular meeting held December 18, 2025, by the following vote on roll call:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Signed and approved by me after its passage.
______________________________
Chair of the Governing Board
Attest:
_______________________
Secretary
WHEREAS, Pioneer Community Energy (“Pioneer”) increasingly relies on Information Technology (IT) systems to support daily operations and strategic initiatives, including customer service, data management, and external communications.
WHEREAS, in March 2024, Pioneer hired MGT Impact Solutions, LLC to conduct an independent cybersecurity assessment using the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF, V2.0) to evaluate Pioneer’s IT and cybersecurity maturity for the calendar year 2023.
WHEREAS, the assessment findings recommended strengthening Pioneer’s cybersecurity posture through updates to existing IT policies and development of new policies and procedures aligned with industry best practices.
WHEREAS, Pioneer and its managed IT service provider, Capital Network Solutions, Inc. (“CNS”), collaborated to update and develop a comprehensive set of IT Policies and Procedures In the matter of: A RESOLUTION APPROVING FIVE
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES
Resolution No. ___
2 designed to improve cybersecurity controls, operational consistency, and compliance with the NIST CSF.
WHEREAS, Pioneer desires to adopt these five IT Policies and Procedures as part of its ongoing commitment to operational optimization, cybersecurity resilience, and best practices.
BE IT RESOLVED, the Governing Board of Pioneer Community Energy, State of California, hereby finds, declares, and resolves as follows:
1. The above recitals are true and correct.
2. The Governing Board hereby approves the adoption of the five Information Technology Policies and Procedures developed in collaboration with CNS in response to the 2024 cybersecurity assessment and attached hereto.
3. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
Exhibit A: IT17 - Cybersecurity Governance Policy
Exhibit B: IT18 - IT Business Continuity Policy
Exhibit C: IT19 - IT Business Continuity Plan
Exhibit D: IT20 - IT Disaster Recovery Plan
Exhibit E: IT21 - IT Incident Response Plan
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CYBERSECURITY GOVERNANCE POLICY
I. PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to establish a framework for cybersecurity governance for Pioneer. This framework ensures that cybersecurity objectives align with business goals, are risk-informed, and are embedded into decision-making processes at all levels.
II. SCOPE
This policy applies to all Pioneer Staff that have access to the organization’s Information Resources.
III. POLICY
Governance Framework
The organization shall implement and maintain a cybersecurity governance framework based on the NIST CSF 2.0. Governance should integrate cybersecurity into enterprise risk management, business continuity planning, vendor management, and strategic planning.
Roles and Responsibilities
Cybersecurity governance roles are assigned as follows:
Role Responsibilities
Governing Board/
Director of Finance and
Administration and
Chief Executive Officer
Approve the cybersecurity strategy and receive
regular reports on risks and performance.
IT Support Develop, maintain, and enforce cybersecurity policies, lead risk assessments, and report metrics.
Implement technical controls, monitor systems, and
ensure policy compliance.
All Employees &
Contractors
Follow cybersecurity policies, complete training, and
report security incidents.
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Policy Management
Pioneer shall develop and implement cybersecurity policies. These policies must be:
• Documented and version controlled
• Reviewed at least annually by IT Support
• Approved by the Director of Finance and Administration and/or the Chief Executive Officer/Governing Board if needed.
All cybersecurity policies must align with regulatory, contractual, and business requirements of the organization. The organization will identify and comply with relevant cybersecurity and data protection laws. Annual and Triennial IT Audits and assessments shall be conducted to verify compliance with internal and external requirements.
Risk Management
Risk must be treated as a core component of the organization’s Risk Management program. Cyber risks shall be managed using
structured, repeatable processes aligned with the organization’s risk appetite and business objectives.
Risks will be identified through multiple sources, including:
• Vulnerability assessments and penetration tests
• Threat intelligence feeds
• Audit and compliance findings
• Incident reports and root cause analysis
• Business Impact Assessments (BIA)
Risk Assessment
Risk assessments shall evaluate the likelihood and impact of threats exploiting vulnerabilities across the organization’s systems, processes, and people. A standardized risk rating methodology (ex. qualitative vs quantitative scoring) must be used to ensure consistency.
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Assessments shall be:
• Conducted at least annually
• Performed before major IT deployments, acquisitions, or changes in infrastructure
• Updated when significant new threats, vulnerabilities, or infrastructure changes are made
Risk Register
IT support should maintain a centralized risk register to track cybersecurity risks and their status. The risk register should include:
• Description and category of the risk (Technical, operational, 3rd-party, etc.)
• Risk owner
• Risk rating
• Control gaps and mitigation plan
Continuous Improvement
Lessons learned from incidents, near misses, or industry events should feed back into the risk management process. Risk metrics and trends shall be used to assess the effectiveness of controls and guide future plans. Where necessary, meetings and reports of lessons learned shall be disseminated to the appropriate staff.
Awareness and Culture
Pioneer is committed to fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness and shared responsibility across all roles and business functions. Cybersecurity is not solely an IT function, but rather it is a core business tenant that must be understood and actively managed by all personnel.
The organization shall implement a formal Security Awareness and Training program. The training program should include:
• Recognizing phishing and social engineering attacks
• Secure use of email, internet, and mobile devices
• Password hygiene and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) IT17
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• How to report suspected security incidents
All personnel should complete cybersecurity training:
• Upon hire
• Yearly thereafter
• Upon failed phishing tests
• Or when significant threats, changes to organization policy, or roles demand additional training
Performance and Reporting
The organization will establish a structured and transparent approach to measuring the effectiveness of its cybersecurity governance program. This ensures informed decision making, accountability, and alignment with business objectives and compliance requirements.
Performance Measurement
A structured cybersecurity performance measurement framework is important to an organization’s success as it ensures that security objectives are being met, risks are being effectively managed, and the cybersecurity program is continuously improving. This framework supports evidence-based decision making by linking performance outcomes to business goals.
The organization will define and track a set of quantitative and qualitative key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect operational efficiency, control effectiveness, and compliance.
Reporting to Executive Leadership
To ensure strategic alignment, cybersecurity program performance and risk exposure must be communicated regularly and
transparently to executive leadership.
Quarterly cybersecurity reports will be prepared and presented by IT support to the organization’s Director of Finance and Administration.
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Ad hoc briefings will be delivered as needed in response to:
• Significant incidents or breaches
• Emerging threats with material business impact
• Regulatory or legal developments
• Notable changes in risk posture or policy violations
IV. DISTRIBUTION
This policy is to be distributed to all Pioneer staff who use Information Resources.
V. POLICY REVISIONS
The Chief Executive Officer is authorized to make minor modifications, clarifications, or administrative updates to this policy, provided that such changes do not alter the policy’s intent, scope, or underlying principles.
VI. HISTORY
Version Date Description Approved By
2025.1 12/18/2025 Initial policy release
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IT BUSINESS CONTINUITY POLICY
I. PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to ensure the protection and continuous availability of Pioneer’s Information Technology (IT) systems, data, and digital services in the event of a disaster, cyberattack, or critical IT component failure. This policy supports the resilience of Pioneer’s IT infrastructure, enabling the organization to maintain essential operations and recover swiftly from disruptions.
Effective business continuity in the IT context requires proactive risk assessment, the implementation of appropriate technological safeguards, and the regular testing and updating of contingency plans. An up-to-date IT business continuity plan positions Pioneer to rapidly adapt to environmental or technological changes, reducing downtime and reserving data integrity.
By ensuring continuity of IT operations, Pioneer supports its broader business goals - facilitating growth, enhancing customer service, and maintaining a competitive advantage in a digital landscape.
II. BACKGROUND
Business continuity ensures that Pioneer can maintain or rapidly resume critical services and operations during and after disruption, with strong emphasis on the availability and resilience of its IT systems. Since IT underpins nearly all business functions, from communication and data access to customer service, protecting IT assets is vital to overall organizational resilience.
Business continuity plans are no longer a luxury, but an essential element of the organization’s risk management program. The decision to invest in business continuity is required by legislation, third parties (e.g., insurers), and the realistic view that IT18
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management must minimize the operational, financial, and reputational impact of IT service disruptions.
III. SCOPE
This policy applies to all Pioneer Staff that have access to the organization’s Information Resources.
IV. POLICY
Pioneer’s IT support team shall ensure:
• The organization has established, and implemented as
needed, procedures to restore any loss of sensitive data stored electronically.
• A disaster recovery plan addresses issues specific to the operating environment.
• A disaster recovery plan addresses the data that is to be restored.
• A copy of the disaster recovery plan is readily accessible at more than one location.
• The organization has established, and implemented as
needed, procedures to enable continuation of critical business processes and for the protection of sensitive information while operating in emergency mode.
• The disaster recovery plan balances the need to access the data with the need to protect the data.
• The disaster recovery plan identifies alternate security measures to protect sensitive information.
• The disaster recovery plan includes contact information for all persons that need to be notified in the event of a disaster, as well as roles and responsibilities of staff involved in the restoration process.
• Procedures for periodic testing and revision of contingency plans.
• Those responsible for performing contingency planning tasks understand their responsibilities.
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• Staff performs tests of their procedures. The result of each test is documented and retained for audit purposes. The recovery plans are updated as a result of the tests.
• The organization assesses the relative criticality of specific applications and data in support of other contingency plan components.
• The organization has established, and implemented as
needed, procedures that allow facility access in support of restoration of lost data under disaster recovery and
emergency mode operations. Procedures allow facility access while restoring lost data. Procedures identify personnel that are allowed to re-enter a facility to perform data restoration. • Procedures for obtaining necessary sensitive information during an emergency. Procedures specify the staff members authorized to access sensitive information during an
emergency.
Pioneer shall develop and maintain a comprehensive Business Continuity Plan (Plan) that prioritizes the resilience and recovery of its IT systems and services. The Plan includes detailed IT contingency planning. While IT is foundational to enabling continuity across the organization, effective planning requires coordinated participation from all departments and business functions.
Pioneer’s risk assessment and Business Impact Analysis (BIA) provide the foundation for its IT-focused business continuity planning. These processes identify and prioritize the IT systems, applications, and data that support essential and critical business operations, ensuring that the most vital technology services are protected and recoverable in the event of disruption. The Business Continuity Plan shall include the following components:
• Business Resumption Plan – A coordinated strategy to
resume business operations, including IT-dependent logistics and the steps needed to mitigate technology-related risks.
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• Disaster Recovery Plan – The technical backbone of the Business Continuity Plan. This includes advance preparation and procedures to restore IT systems, applications,
infrastructure, and data, ensuring continuity of critical technology-enabled business functions following a disaster or major incident.
• Communications Plan – A structured approach to
maintaining effective communication with employees,
vendors, consultants, customers, and service providers. This includes plans for IT-driven communication platforms and protocols, supporting transparency and minimizing
reputational or operational damage.
Business continuity teams shall include a minimum of the following:
• Readiness Team – maintains this Plan and manages
business continuity activities.
• Emergency Action Operations Team - initiates recovery efforts.
The Business Continuity Plan shall be periodically tested in a simulated environment to ensure that it can be implemented in emergency situations and that the management and staff
understand how it is to be executed.
The Business Continuity Plan shall be kept up-to-date to take into account changing circumstances. All staff must be made aware of the Business Continuity Plan and their roles.
V. DISTRIBUTION
This policy is to be distributed to all Pioneer staff who use Information Resources.
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VI. POLICY REVISIONS
The Chief Executive Officer is authorized to make minor modifications, clarifications, or administrative updates to this policy, provided that such changes do not alter the policy’s intent, scope, or underlying principles.
VII. HISTORY
Version Date Description Approved By
2025.1 12/18/2025 Initial policy release
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IT BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN
I. PURPOSE
The purpose of this IT Business Continuity Plan (Plan) is to ensure that Pioneer Community Energy can maintain or quickly resume critical IT services and infrastructure during and after business disruptions. Since IT systems support nearly all essential business functions, ensuring their resilience and recoverability is vital. This Plan focuses on the continuity and recovery of the organization’s information systems, applications, networks, and data in the event of a disaster, cyberattack, or other major IT incident.
II. BACKGROUND
IT Business Continuity planning focuses on ensuring the availability and rapid recovery of critical information systems, applications, and technology infrastructure necessary to support Pioneer’s essential business functions during and after natural or man-made disruptions.
This IT Business Continuity Plan is only one component of Pioneer’s business continuity planning process. Plans are needed for all organizational units and include the logistics of establishing policy, providing guidance, ensuring staff are trained on appropriate procedures, and ensuring testing and maintenance of the plan.
Pioneer’s IT business continuity process includes the following documents:
• IT Business Continuity Plan (this document)
• IT Business Continuity Policy
• IT Disaster Recovery Plan
III. SCOPE
This policy applies to all Pioneer Staff that have access to the organization’s Information Resources.
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IV. POLICY
Pioneer’s IT Business Continuity Plan provides overall guidance and direction for IT business continuity planning and related activities, ensuring the resilience of critical information systems and technology infrastructure.
Business continuity plans are no longer a luxury, but an essential element of the organization’s risk management program. The decision to invest in business continuity is required by legislation, third parties (e.g., insurers), and the realistic view that management must minimize the operational, financial, and reputational impact of IT service disruptions.
This plan is designed to protect Pioneer’s IT environment, its information assets, applications, networks, and infrastructure, and to ensure the organization’s ability to continue business operations in the event of disasters, cyber incidents, or technology failures.
Effective IT business continuity requires IT support to identify IT risks, implement appropriate mitigating technologies, and regularly test and update continuity plans.
Maintaining an up-to-date IT Business Continuity Plan creates a competitive advantage by enabling rapid adaptation to changing technology and business environments. This proactive approach allows Pioneer to transition from simple recovery efforts to sustained operational resilience, aligned with Pioneer’s Strategic Plan goals of providing exceptional customer experience, and achieving operational optimization.
V. BUSINESS CONTINUITY - DISASTER RECOVERY
PLAN
The primary objective of IT business continuity and disaster recovery planning is to ensure Pioneer’s ability to maintain or rapidly restore critical IT operations and services in the event of a disaster, cyberattack, or other significant disruption. This capability IT19
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is essential for supporting ongoing business functions and minimizing downtime.
Pioneer management is responsible for protecting all assets of the organization. These assets include employees, physical property, information, and records relating to the conduct of the business.
Ensuring the resilience and recoverability of IT assets is fundamental to preserving business continuity and enabling Pioneer to continue serving its customers during and after disruption.
Management personnel are specifically responsible for:
• Identifying and protecting all assets within assigned areas of control
• Ensuring that all employees understand their obligation to protect the organization's assets
• Implementing/observing security practices and procedures that are consistent with generally accepted practices and with the specific guidelines stated in this Plan
• Noting any variance from established security practices and initiating corrective action
• Assigning responsibilities for establishing, maintaining, and coordinating the organization’s IT Disaster Recovery Plan The IT Disaster Recovery Plan documents the strategies, personnel, resources, and procedures required to provide immediate response and subsequent recovery from emergencies and disasters including:
• Unplanned business interruptions
• Loss of critical services (computer processing,
telecommunications)
• Loss of building access (contamination, etc.)
• Physical facility catastrophe (fire, sabotage, etc.)
Primary objectives of the IT Disaster Recovery Plan include:
• To detail the correct course of action to follow
• To minimize confusion, errors, and expense to the
organization
• To ensure a quick and complete recovery of services
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Secondary objectives of the IT Disaster Recovery Plan are:
• To reduce risks of loss of services
• To provide ongoing protection of company assets
• To ensure the continued viability of this Plan
VI. POLICY REVISIONS
The Chief Executive Officer is authorized to make minor modifications, clarifications, or administrative updates to this policy, provided that such changes do not alter the policy’s intent, scope, or underlying principles.
VII. HISTORY
Version Date Description Approved By
2025.1 12/18/2025 Initial policy release
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IT DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN
I. PURPOSE
Information systems are an important resource for Pioneer employees. This IT Disaster Recovery Plan (“Plan”) documents the strategies, personnel, resources, and procedures required to provide immediate response and subsequent recovery from emergencies and disasters, including:
• Unplanned business interruptions
• Loss of critical services (computer processing,
telecommunications)
• Loss of building access (contamination, etc.)
• Physical facility catastrophe (fire, sabotage, earthquake, etc.) II. BUSINESS CONTINUITY PHILOSOPHY
The primary objective of business continuity is to help ensure the operation of Pioneer’s business by providing the ability to successfully continue operations in the event of a disaster or emergency.
Primary objectives of the Plan relating to a disaster or emergency include:
• To detail the correct course of action to follow
• To minimize confusion, errors, and expense to the
organization
• To ensure a quick and complete recovery of service
Secondary objectives of the Plan are:
• To reduce risks of loss of services
• To provide ongoing protection of Pioneer assets
• To ensure the continued viability of this Plan
III. POLICY STATEMENT
Pioneer management is responsible for protecting all assets of the organization. These assets include employees, physical property, IT20
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information, and records relating to the conduct of the business.
Ensuring the resilience and recoverability of IT assets is fundamental to preserving business continuity and enabling Pioneer to continue serving its customers during and after disruption.
The Director of Finance and Administration/Chief Executive Officer (CEO)/IT support are specifically responsible for:
• Identifying and protecting all assets within assigned areas of control.
• Ensuring that all employees understand their obligation to protect the organization’s assets.
• Implementing/observing security practices and procedures that are consistent with generally accepted practices and with the specific guidelines stated in this Plan.
• Noting any variance from established security practices and initiating corrective action.
• Assigning responsibilities for establishing, maintaining, and coordinating the organization’s Information Technology
Disaster Recovery Plan.
IV. OVERVIEW OF THE PLAN
The Plan is a comprehensive document containing the necessary instruction, policies, organization, and information required to be prepared for an emergency or disaster that would affect Pioneer’s information systems. The Plan consists of the following major sections:
• The Readiness Team – This section establishes personnel known as the Readiness Team. This team is responsible for constructing and maintaining this Plan, managing business continuity information systems activities, and for the
continued viability of the Plan.
• Major Services, Users, and Key Considerations - This
section describes the critical applications, identification of users, and key considerations such as equipment
configurations and processing priorities.
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• General Procedures for Potential Interruptions – This section describes the service and general instructions for handling each type of interruption. Typical interruptions include fire, power outage, and telecommunications failure. • Policies for Reducing Risk – This section includes policies designed to reduce risks of emergencies or disasters
occurring, of excessive damage when they do occur, and of failing to recover from an emergency or disaster.
• Procedures for an Emergency or Disaster – This section describes the instructions and procedures to be followed in the event of an emergency or disaster.
• Maintenance of the Plan – This section contains the policies and procedures needed to ensure that the Plan remains viable as the business IT environment evolves.
V. DISASTER RECOVERY PHASES
Three Phases of Recovery
The scenario for recovery following an emergency or disaster involves three “phases”:
1. The initial response of the Readiness Team
2. Implementing recovery plans
3. Restoring normal IT operations
Although the three phases occur in every recovery situation, the asks and people involved vary according to the nature of the emergency or disaster and its severity.
VI. THE READINESS TEAM
Purpose of the Readiness Team
The purpose of the Readiness Team is to establish and direct plans of action to be followed during an interruption or cessation of information systems caused by an emergency or disaster. As the name implies, the Readiness Team maintains readiness for emergencies and disasters by means of this Information Technology Business Continuity Recovery Plan. The Readiness Team is also responsible for managing recovery activities and can be thought of IT20
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as the "recovery management team". Through the recovery plans, the Readiness Team provides for the continuation of IT business operations.
Organizing and Planning
The readiness team consists of:
• Emergency Coordinator
• Emergency Action Team Leaders
• Any other designated individuals
The list of designated members of the Readiness Team, showing names and functions, is provided in Appendix A.
The responsibilities of individuals assigned to the Readiness Team are in addition to their regular assignments and are made on the basis of familiarity and competence in their respected areas of specialties.
This Plan is administered by the Emergency Coordinator.
Emergency Action Teams are used to facilitate the response to various types of emergency and disaster situations.
The responsibilities and functions of the Coordinators and the Emergency Action Teams are discussed in the sub-sections below.
Emergency Action Teams include:
• Emergency Action Operations Team
• Emergency Action Infrastructure Team
• Emergency Action Security Team
Emergency Coordinator
The Emergency Coordinator is responsible for developing and coordinating the Readiness Team. During an emergency or disaster situation, the Emergency Coordinator will activate and direct all activities until the situation is under control. In the absence of the Coordinator, the organization’s Director of Finance and IT20
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Administration and/or CEO will assume these duties. Additionally, the Emergency Coordinator is responsible for the following:
• Reviewing, evaluating, and updating this Plan at least annually to assure that all emergency and disaster situations have been adequately considered and that appropriate
recovery plans and procedures have been prepared.
• Keeping all members of the Emergency Readiness Team fully briefed on all aspects of the recovery process.
• Evaluating the readiness and proficiency of each Emergency Action Team and the appropriateness of their assignments. • Keeping the Director of Finance and Administration and/or CEO informed of the status of the Emergency Readiness Team and the recovery.
• Communicating the status of emergency and disaster
situations to the Director of Finance and Administration and/or CEO promptly and efficiently.
The designated Emergency Coordinator is identified in Appendix A.
Use of Emergency Action Teams
Emergency Action Teams are used for specific functions during an emergency or disaster situation and subsequent recovery.
Members of Emergency Action Teams are identified in Appendix A.
In general, the Team Leader of each Emergency Action Team is responsible for the following duties:
• Periodically reviewing and evaluating the emergency and disaster planning with particular emphasis on completeness and accuracy of specific recovery procedures.
• Each Emergency Action Team’s responsibilities, assignments of and changes in personnel, and availability of equipment, facilities, and services.
• Recommending to the Emergency Coordinator any necessary changes or improvements in the Plan.
• Recruiting and training personnel for emergencies and maintaining proficiency at a high level. All Emergency Action IT20
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Team members must be capable of performing their duties quickly under stress.
• Informing the Emergency Coordinator of any additions or changes of individuals assigned to an Emergency Action
Team.
VII. MAJOR SERVICES, USERS, AND KEY
CONSIDERATIONS
It is necessary to the well-being of the organization that critical applications processed on internal (in-house) and external (outsourced) information systems be kept in service even in the event of an emergency or disaster. Critical applications include:
• Microsoft 365 (Azure, Intune, Exchange, OneDrive,
SharePoint, Teams)
• Internet Access (external)
• Backup System (Datto, Microsoft)
VIII. POLICIES FOR REDUCING RISKS
Protecting Data
Information systems data is protected by using backup procedures.
Backups copy the data from disk to removable media so that data that is lost or damaged for any reason can be restored. No business is likely to survive if its vital records are destroyed. Recovery is possible when an information system is destroyed but the data is protected at another location. See Pioneer’s Backup Policy for additional information.
Backup Procedures
The backup procedures for information systems data are as follows:
• Full or incremental backups of critical data are completed on a daily basis
• Backup synchronization to a cloud service happens
immediately after a backup completes
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Backups are cloud hosted and stored in multiple geographically distinct locations. Pioneer utilizes 3rd party backup vendors who maintain the backup equipment. All backup data will be stored securely offsite.
IX. DISTRIBUTION
Notifying the Readiness Team
The following recovery steps are for use in an emergency or disaster of a serious enough magnitude to require computer processing to be moved to a Contingency Site.
The Emergency Coordinator has established and will maintain the Emergency Notification List and will ensure that all key personnel have it available. The Emergency Notification List is contained in Appendix A.
In the event of an emergency or disaster, the following notifying procedures must be followed:
• The Emergency Coordinator should initiate the notification process as soon as possible.
• The Emergency Coordinator is at the top of the Emergency Notification List. If the Emergency Coordinator cannot be reached, the Director of Finance and Administration and/or CEO must be contacted.
Summary of Procedures for Recovery Operations
This section provides an overview of recovery operations.
Summary Of Procedures:
• All activated readiness teams will conduct briefings and coordination through digital communication platforms to discuss any identified problems and finalize recovery plans. • The Emergency Action Infrastructure Team will proceed to identify the work in progress that needs to be recovered and how that can best be accomplished. They will be responsible for notifying the user departments and coordinating their interface procedures.
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• If hardware has been destroyed, damaged, or negatively affected, the Emergency Action Infrastructure Team will proceed to take the appropriate recovery measures to repair or replace the affected hardware.
• If there is an active cybersecurity incident in progress, the Emergency Action Security Team will proceed with
containment, investigation, and remediation of the incident.
Assembly and Coordination of All Emergency Teams
These procedures address the initial meeting of the Emergency Action Teams with the Emergency Coordinator and other members of the Readiness Team.
Assembling and Coordinating Procedures:
• All assembled Action Teams will receive briefings from the Emergency Coordinator through designated communication
channels to review the incident and discuss the Readiness Team’s assessment of the status.
• Based on this information, all teams will be asked if they are aware of other information or circumstances that need to be considered.
• Before ending communication, the Emergency Coordinator will quickly review with each team leader the actions that each team will be taking.
Procedures for Returning to Normal Operations
The following procedures are for returning to normal operations after emergency (recovery) operations.
Returning To Normal Operations Procedures - The Emergency Coordinator must notify the Director of Finance and Administration and/or CEO when information systems are transferred to the original network server room or to a new replacement network server room. As information systems are transferred back to normal operations, the recovery procedure will very quickly be phased down.
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The Emergency Coordinator and Readiness Team must maintain a full state of readiness during, and particularly after, returning to normal operations.
The Emergency Action Operations Team must inform all users that the emergency or disaster is over and that operations are now or soon to be returned to normal.
The final activity of the recovery process will be a digital meeting and debriefing of the Readiness Team, all Coordinators, and Emergency Action Team Leaders concerning the activities of the recovery. The Emergency Coordinator is responsible to make sure that events, problems and solutions, etc., are documented. Once documentation is complete, the Emergency Action Teams and Readiness Team can be deactivated. During the next review of the Plan, the Emergency Coordinator will be responsible to ensure that any lessons learned are incorporated into the Plan.
X. PROCEDURES FOR TESTING
After initial acceptance of this Plan, ongoing testing on a periodic basis is necessary to ensure the continued viability of its contents.
This Plan must also be reviewed regularly and updated as necessary. This section deals with these issues by providing procedures for testing this Plan and for periodic review and update.
The tests are to be regarded as review and training exercises as much as evaluations of the Plan’s workability. However, there will always be some features of the Plan that are truly tested. This means that the tests must be observed, measured, and all successes and failures recorded. During the progress of the test, if problems are encountered, solutions will be sought at that time.
The tests will extend over a fairly limited time period so as not to have an undue impact on other business activities.
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Following the tests, the Emergency Coordinator will document the results of the tests, including any recommended changes in the Plan. The test results will then be reviewed and approved by the Director of Finance and Administration and/or CEO.
Changes to this Plan, which result from the testing process, will be incorporated along with the changes from the annual review process.
XI. APPENDIX A: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION LISTS
Description Contact Phone Number
Emergency Services
(Fire, Ambulance, etc.)
Operator 911
Emergency Coordinator Eric Ponce (PCE) 916-838-7445
Emergency Action
Operations Team
Manager
David Hecker (CNS) 916-277-8251
Emergency Action
Infrastructure Team
Manager
Brian Mayorga (CNS) 916-365-4715
Emergency Action
Security Team
Manager
Taylor Neves (CNS) 916-365-4725
Backup Administrator Nick Langley (CNS) 916-853-5330
XII. APPENDIX B: DISASTER RECOVERY SCENARIOS
In this section, we outline specific disaster recovery scenarios to provide a comprehensive and actionable guide for addressing potential threats. Each scenario is accompanied by a step-by-step walkthrough, offering a clear and strategic approach to recovery in the face of adversities.
Our goal is to empower our team with the knowledge and tools necessary to swiftly respond, mitigate risks, and ensure the resilience of our systems in challenging circumstances.
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Malware or Ransomware Breakout
Identification and Isolation
• Immediate Detection
o Utilize security software to identify and confirm the malware or ransomware attack.
o Monitor network traffic for unusual patterns or
activities.
• Isolation
o Isolate affected systems from the network to prevent
the spread of malware.
o Identify the scope of the attack and contain it to
prevent further damage.
Emergency Readiness Team Activation
• Inform the Emergency Coordinator of the situation.
• Activate the Emergency Readiness teams to lead the recovery efforts.
o The Emergency Security Team initiates the Incident
Response Plan.
Data Backup and Recovery
• Coordinate with the Backup Administrator and Emergency Infrastructure team to begin data restore onto temporary system.
• Restore systems and data from clean backups.
• Verify the integrity of backups to ensure they are free from malware.
Malware Removal & System Hardening
• Deploy updated antivirus and antimalware tools to remove the malicious software.
• Conduct thorough scans on all systems to ensure complete removal.
• Apply necessary security patches and updates.
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Documentation & User Education
• Document all actions taken during the recovery process. • Update the disaster recovery plan based on lessons learned. • Reinforce security best practices through training programs.
Continuous Monitoring and Improvement
• Implement continuous monitoring for potential threats. • Regularly update and test the disaster recovery plan to enhance effectiveness.
Data Loss (Accidental Deletion, Workstation or Server
Failure, Etc.)
Identification and Assessment
• Immediate Identification
o Upon notice, utilize monitoring tools to confirm data loss incidents.
o Analyze error logs and user reports to identify the
cause.
• Assessment
o Evaluate the extent of data loss and determine the
criticality of affected data.
o Classify data based on importance for prioritized
recovery.
Emergency Readiness Team Activation
• Inform the Emergency Coordinator of the situation.
• Activate the Backup Administrator to lead the recovery efforts.
o Coordinate with the Emergency Readiness
Infrastructure team where necessary.
Communication
• Notify relevant stakeholders, including IT staff, the Director of Finance and Administration and/or CEO, and affected users. • Establish communication channels for regular updates on the recovery process.
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Data Restoration from Backups
• Coordinate with the Emergency Infrastructure team to begin data restoration.
• If necessary, restore data onto temporary storage host. • Retrieve and restore the lost data from the most recent clean backups.
• Verify the integrity of backups to ensure data accuracy.
User Support and Communication
• Provide assistance to affected users in retrieving any data not covered by automated backups.
• Communicate the recovery progress and expected timelines to users.
Documentation
• Document the incident, actions taken, and lessons learned during the recovery process.
• Update the disaster recovery plan based on insights gained.
User Education and Awareness
• Conduct user training sessions on best practices to avoid accidental data deletion.
• Raise awareness regarding data protection measures.
Legal and Compliance
• Ensure compliance with data protection laws and regulations. • Report the incident to relevant authorities if required.
Network Equipment Failure
Identification and Analysis
• Immediate Identification
o Employ network monitoring tools to detect and confirm network equipment failure.
o Analyze errors logs and alerts generated by the affected equipment.
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• Analysis
o Evaluate the impact of the equipment failure on
network connectivity.
o Identify critical network components and affected
services.
Emergency Readiness Team Activation
• Inform the Emergency Coordinator of the situation.
• Activate the Emergency Readiness teams to lead the recovery efforts.
Communication
• Notify relevant stakeholders, including IT staff, the Director of Finance and Administration and/or CEO, and affected users. • Establish communication channels for regular updates on the recovery process.
Contingency Measures
• Emergency Infrastructure Team to implement temporary
solutions or workarounds to restore essential network
services.
• Redirect traffic or reroute connections to minimize downtime.
Replacement or Repair
• Determine if the failed equipment can be repaired on-site or if a replacement is necessary.
• Coordinate with vendors for replacement parts or equipment procurement.
Configuration Restoration
• Restore configurations on the replacement equipment to match the original settings.
• Ensure that security policies and network rules are
reconfigured appropriately.
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Testing
• Conduct thorough testing to validate the functionality of the replaced or repaired equipment.
• Test network connectivity and performance to ensure a seamless user experience.
Documentation
• Document the incident, actions taken, and resolutions during the recovery process.
• Update the disaster recovery plan based on insights gained.
Communication to Users
• Communicate the resolution to end-users, providing
information on any changes or temporary measures.
• Offer support and guidance for users experiencing
connectivity issues.
Implement Preventive Measures
• Implement preventive measures such as redundant
equipment or failover configurations.
• Review and enhance network equipment maintenance
schedules.
Continuous Monitoring and Improvement
• Implement continuous monitoring for potential network equipment failures.
• Regularly update and test the disaster recovery plan to enhance effectiveness.
Unauthorized Disclosure of Sensitive Data
Identification and Containment
• Immediate Identification
o Utilize monitoring tools and anomaly detection to
identify unauthorized data disclosure events.
o Investigate reports or alerts from users or security
systems.
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• Containment
o Isolate affected systems or data to prevent further
unauthorized access.
o Limit user access to compromised data while
investigations are ongoing.
Emergency Readiness Team Activation
• Inform the Emergency Coordinator of the situation.
• Activate the Emergency Readiness teams to lead the
recovery efforts.
o The Emergency Security Team initiates the Incident
Response Plan.
Communication
• Notify relevant stakeholders, including IT staff, the Director of Finance and Administration and/or CEO, and affected
users.
Analysis and Investigation
• Analyze the scope and impact of the unauthorized disclosure. • Conduct a thorough investigation to identify the source and method of the breach.
Data Removal and Recovery
• Remove unauthorized access and restore affected data to a secure state.
• Confirm the integrity of backups before restoring data.
Legal and Compliance
• Ensure compliance with data protection laws and regulations. • Report the incident to relevant authorities as required by law.
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Enhanced Security Measures
• Implement enhanced security measures, such as encryption or access controls, to prevent future unauthorized disclosures. • Review and update data protection policies.
Documentation
• Document the incident, actions taken, and resolutions during the recovery process.
• Update the disaster recovery plan based on lessons learned.
Communication to External Parties
• Upon authorization from Pioneer management and Legal
departments, communicate the incident to external parties affected by the unauthorized disclosure, such as clients or partners.
• Provide transparent and timely updates to maintain trust.
Continuous Monitoring and Improvement
• Implement continuous monitoring for potential security threats.
• Regularly update and test the disaster recovery plan to enhance effectiveness.
Critical Application Failure
Identification and Assessment
• Immediate Identification
o Monitor system alerts and user reports to detect critical application failures or corruption.
o Utilize application monitoring tools to identify
performance degradation or anomalies.
• Assessment
o Evaluate the impact of the failure or corruption on
business operations.
o Determine the criticality of the affected application and its dependencies.
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Emergency Readiness Team Activation
• Inform the Emergency Coordinator of the situation.
• Activate the Emergency Readiness teams to lead the
recovery efforts.
o Infrastructure team to coordinate with Backup
Administrator to start recovery process.
Communication
• Notify relevant stakeholders, including IT staff, the Director of Finance and Administration and/or CEO, and affected
users.
• Coordinate recovery with any 3rd party vendors who
administer or host the application.
Data Restoration and Recovery
• Restore data from clean backups to recover from corruption. o Restore onto temporary host if necessary.
• Validate the integrity of backups to ensure data accuracy.
Application Repair or Reinstallation
• Attempt to repair the application if feasible.
o Leverage 3rd party application support to restore
critical application data if possible.
• If repair is not possible, reinstall the application from clean installation files.
Configuration Restoration
• Restore application configurations to match the original settings.
o Leverage 3rd party application support to restore
application configurations if possible.
• Verify security settings and permissions.
Testing
• Conduct thorough testing to validate the functionality of the recovered application.
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Communication to Users
• Communicate the resolution to end-users, providing
information on any changes or temporary measures.
• Provide support and guidance for users experiencing issues with the application.
Implement Preventative Measures
• Implement preventive measures such as redundant systems or automated monitoring to detect early signs of application failure.
• Review and enhance application maintenance schedules.
Post-Recovery Evaluation
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the recovery process and identify areas for improvement.
• Conduct a thorough review to enhance future responses to similar incidents.
Cloud Platform Unavailable
Immediate Assessment
• Confirmation of Unavailability
o Monitor service status updates provided by the cloud
solution provider to confirm unavailability.
o Check for user reports or system alerts indicating
connectivity issues.
• Impact Assessment:
o Assess the impact of the unavailability on business
operations and critical functions.
o Determine the extent of the outage and its duration.
Emergency Readiness Team Activation
• Inform the Emergency Coordinator of the situation.
• Activate the Emergency Readiness teams to lead the
recovery efforts.
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Communication
• Notify relevant stakeholders, including IT staff, the Director of Finance and Administration and/or CEO, and end-users.
Evaluate Workarounds
• Identify alternative communication and collaboration
solutions to mitigate the impact of the provider's
unavailability.
• Implement temporary workarounds or contingency plans to maintain essential business functions.
Cloud Provider Communication
• Contact the cloud solution provider's support team to report the outage and inquire about the estimated time for
resolution.
• Follow up regularly for updates and progress reports on restoration efforts.
User Support and Communication
• Provide support and guidance to users experiencing
difficulties accessing cloud services.
• Communicate alternative methods for accessing essential resources during the outage where possible.
Evaluation of Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
• Review SLAs with the cloud solution provider to determine entitlements for service credits or compensation due to prolonged unavailability.
• Document outage-related expenses and losses for potential reimbursement.
Documentation
• Document the incident, actions taken, and resolutions during the recovery process.
• Update the disaster recovery plan based on lessons learned.
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Continuous Monitoring and Redundancy
• Implement continuous monitoring for cloud service
availability and performance.
• Explore redundancy options, such as multi-cloud or hybrid solutions, to mitigate risks of future outages.
Legal and Compliance
• Ensure compliance with legal or regulatory requirements related to data availability and accessibility.
• Report the incident to relevant authorities if required.
XIII. DISTRIBUTION
This policy is to be distributed to all Pioneer staff who use Information Resources.
XIV.Policy Revisions
The Chief Executive Officer is authorized to make minor modifications, clarifications, or administrative updates to this policy, provided that such changes do not alter the policy’s intent, scope, or underlying principles.
XV. HISTORY
Version Date Description Approved By
2025.1 12/18/2025 Initial policy release
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IT INCIDENT RESPONSE PLAN
I. PURPOSE
This Incident Response Plan (Plan) is established to help protect the integrity, availability and confidentiality of information, prevent loss of service, and comply with legal requirements. This Plan specifies the process for identifying and reporting an Incident, initial investigation, risk classification, documentation and communication of Incidents, responder procedures, Incident reporting, and training.
This Plan provides a well-defined, organized approach for handling any potential threat to computers and data, as well as taking appropriate action when the source of the intrusion or Incident at a third party is traced back to the organization. The Plan identifies and describes the roles and responsibilities of the Incident Response Team. The Incident Response Team is responsible for putting this Plan into action.
II. BACKGROUND
Maintaining the privacy and protection of customers’ and employees’ personal information is a risk management issue for all organizations. Research continues to show that consumers have widespread distrust of many organizations’ business practices, including how they collect, use and retain personal information.
The increase in identity theft is a concern for all of us. Business systems and processes are increasingly more complex and sophisticated and more and more personal information continues to be collected. Laws and regulations continue to place requirements on businesses for the protection of personal information.
III. SCOPE
This policy applies to all Pioneer Staff that have access to the organization’s Information Resources.
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IV. INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAM
Incident Response Team Members
• Pioneer Community Energy (PCE) - IT Department Lead
• Capital Network Solutions (CNS) – Cybersecurity Team (Chief Security Officer, Manager of Information Security,
Cybersecurity Engineers, Cybersecurity Analysts)
• Capital Network Solutions (CNS) – Engineering Team
(Director of IT, Project Engineers)
An Incident Response Team is established to provide a quick, effective and orderly response to computer related Incidents such as virus infections, hacker attempts and break-ins, improper disclosure of confidential information to others, system service interruptions, breach of personal information, and other events with serious implications. The Incident Response Team’s mission is to prevent damage to Pioneers Information Resource assets that can result in loss of revenue, negative impact on Pioneer’s image or reputation, or loss of goodwill. This Plan documents the process by which the Incident Response Team provides an immediate, effective, and skillful response to any unexpected event involving Information Resources.
The Incident Response Team is authorized to take appropriate steps deemed necessary to contain, mitigate, or resolve Information Resource Incidents. The Team is responsible for investigating suspected intrusion attempts or other Incidents in a timely, cost-effective manner and reporting findings to management and the appropriate authorities as necessary. The Chief Security Officer will coordinate these investigations.
The Incident Response Team will implement various monitoring systems and subscribe to security alert services to stay informed of relevant threats, vulnerabilities, or alerts from actual incidents.
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Incident Response Team Roles and Responsibilities
PCE IT Department Lead
• Contacts members of the Incident Response Team
• Determines which Incident Response Team members play an active role in the investigation
• Determines the nature and scope of the Incident with
assistance from other Incident Response Team members
CNS Cybersecurity Team
• Contacts qualified information security specialists for advice as needed
• Provides proper training on Incident handling
• Reviews systems to ensure compliance with information security policy and controls
• Performs appropriate audit test work to ensure mission-critical systems are current with service packs and patches • Reports any system control gaps to management for
corrective action
• Coordinates activities with the Chief Security Officer and Director of IT
• Evaluates known or suspected unauthorized access to
personally identifiable or other sensitive information
• Keeps the PCE IT Department Lead informed of Incident status, key findings, and ongoing response efforts.
CNS Engineering Team
• Coordinates Incident Response efforts with CNS Cybersecurity and PCE IT Department Lead
• Coordinates with CNS Backup Administrator to assist with remediation of services
V. INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAM NOTIFICATION
The CNS Cybersecurity Team will be the central point of contact for reporting computer Incidents or intrusions.
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All computer security Incidents must be reported to the CNS Management Team and PCE IT Department Lead. A preliminary analysis of the Incident will take place by the Chief Security Officer and that will determine whether Incident Response Team activation is appropriate.
An Incident Response Form shall be used to identity incidents, classify, and document actions taken.
Examples of Incidents
There are many types of computer Incidents that may require Incident Response Team activation. Some examples include:
• Loss of laptop containing sensitive information
• Breach of Personal Information
• Denial of Service / Distributed Denial of Service
• Excessive Port Scans
• Firewall Breach
• Virus Outbreak
• Ransomware
Many security Incidents, such as isolated occurrences of computer viruses, are easily handled via well-established procedures, and do not justify calling out the entire Incident Response Team. This Plan describes the criteria used to classify the severity of security Incidents, and those severities that result in Plan activation.
Risk Assessment Classification
Incidents should usually be grouped into a few different risk classification or severity levels, with broad sets of criteria for each level. For example:
• Severity 1 – Small numbers of system probes or scans
detected on internal or external systems; isolated instances of known computer viruses easily handled by antivirus software. • Severity 2 – Significant numbers of system probes or scans detected; penetration or denial of service attacks attempted that causes impact on operations; widespread instances of IT21
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known computer viruses easily handled by anti-virus
software; isolated instances of a new computer virus not handled by anti-virus software.
• Severity 3 – Successful penetration or denial of service attacks detected with significant impact on operations; significant risk of negative financial or public relations impact.
In this example, Incidents of Severity 2 and 3 would result in Plan activation, while Incidents of Severity 1 would be handled without Incident Response Team involvement.
Incident Declaration
When an Incident requiring Plan activation occurs, a formal Incident is declared. The CNS Cybersecurity Team notifies the CNS Management Team and PCE IT Department Lead that an Incident has been detected.
VI. RESPONSE PROCEDURES
Response procedures can be described at two levels of detail in the Plan. The first level of detail is a set of general guidelines that describes the principal phases of Incident response, and what happens during each phase. Every Plan should include this level of detail. The second level of detail is a set of step-by-step response procedures, specific to individual Incident types (e.g., procedure(s) for handling virus Incidents, procedure(s) for handling hacker break-ins, etc.). These procedures will generally be created over time, and can be added to the Plan in appendices as they are developed.
Incident Response Phases
There are five principal phases of Incident response, shown below. • Alert Phase - The alert phase is the process of learning about a (potential) security Incident, and reporting it to the Incident Response Team. Alerts may arrive from a variety of sources including: monitoring systems, staff reporting of an event, firewalls and intrusion detection systems, anti-virus IT21
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software, threats received via electronic mail, media reports about a new threat, etc. The Incident Response Team is
usually notified by providing a “hotline” telephone number that is reachable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Triage Phase - The triage phase is the process of examining the information available about the Incident to determine first if it is a “real” Incident, and second, if it is, its severity. The Incident Response Team Manager usually does this, with
assistance from the permanent team members. Resources
(personnel) must be allocated to the response and recovery teams at a level appropriate to the severity of the Incident. • Response Phase - In the response phase, the Incident
Response Team gathers evidence (audit trails, log files, contents of files, etc.). Once evidence has been gathered, it is analyzed to determine the cause of the Incident, the
vulnerability or vulnerabilities being exploited, how to eliminate these vulnerabilities and/or stop the Incident. An assessment is also made of how far the Incident has spread, i.e., which systems are involved, and how badly they have been compromised.
• Recovery Phase - The recovery phase begins once the
response phase has been completed (there may at times be some overlap). In this phase, the Incident Response Team restores the systems affected by the Incident to normal operation. This may require reloading data from backup, or reinstalling systems from their original distribution media.
Once the affected systems have been restored, they are
tested to make sure they are no longer vulnerable to the attack(s) that caused the Incident. They are also tested to make sure they will function correctly when placed back into production.
• Maintenance Phase - The maintenance phase is also called “lessons learned.” In this phase, the Incident and response are reviewed to determine the parts of the Plan that worked correctly, and the parts that need improvement. The areas in which improvement is needed are then corrected, and the IT21
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Plan updated accordingly. Other areas that need to be
changed (policies, system configurations, etc.) may also be identified during this phase.
Five important issues that must be addressed by the above steps include:
• The systems impacted and the extent of damage or breach • How the breach occurred
• Steps taken to mitigate or remedy the situation
• Suspects (internal or external)
• Evidence that exists or needs to be preserved
VII. BREACH OF INFORMATION SECURITY
Overview
This Plan outlines steps Pioneer will take upon discovery of unauthorized access to personal information on an individual that could result in harm or inconvenience to the individual such as fraud or identity theft. The individual could be either a customer or employee of Pioneer.
Personal information is information that is, or can be, about or related to an identifiable individual. It includes any information that can be linked to an individual or used to directly or indirectly identify an individual. Most information the organization collects about an individual is likely to be considered personal information if it can be attributed to an individual.
For the purposes of this Plan, and as defined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), personal information is defined as “individually identifiable information from or about an individual consumer including, but not limited to: (a) a first and last name; (b) a home or other physical address, including street name and name of city or town; (c) an email address or other online contact information, such as an instant messaging user identifier or a screen name; (d) a telephone number; (e) a Social Security number; (f) a driver’s license or other state-issued identification number; (g) credit or IT21
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debit card information, including card number, expiration date, and security code; (h) a persistent identifier, such as a customer number held in a “cookie” or processor serial number, that is combined with other available data that identifies an individual consumer; or (i) any information that is combined with any of (a) through (h) above.”
Security Breach
A security breach is defined as unauthorized acquisition of data that compromises the security, confidentiality, or integrity of personal information maintained by Pioneer. Good faith acquisition of personal information by an employee or authorized agent of Pioneer for legitimate business purposes is not a breach, provided that the personal information is not misused or subject to further unauthorized disclosure.
Data Owner Responsibilities
A Data Owner is any person responsible for personal information and they play an active role in the discovery and reporting of any breach or suspected breach of information on an individual. In addition, they will serve as a liaison between Pioneer and any third party involved with a privacy breach affecting the organization’s data.
All data owners must report any suspected or confirmed breach of personal information on individuals to the Director of Finance and Administration immediately upon discovery. This requirement also applies to any breach notifications received from third-party service providers or other business partners that handle personal information on the organization’s behalf.
The Director of Finance and Administration, in collaboration with IT support, will determine whether the breach or suspected breach is serious enough to warrant full Plan activation (See “Incident Response Team Notification” section). The Data Owner will assist in acquiring information, preserving evidence, and providing additional IT21
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resources as deemed necessary by the Director of Finance and Administration throughout the investigation.
When Notification is Required
The following Incidents may require notification to individuals under contractual commitments or applicable laws and regulations:
• A user (employee, contractor, or third-party provider) has obtained unauthorized access to personal information
maintained in either paper or electronic form.
• An intruder has broken into database(s) that contain personal information on an individual.
• Computer equipment such as a workstation, laptop, mobile device, or other electronic media containing personal
information on an individual has been lost or stolen.
• A department or unit has not properly disposed of records containing personal information on an individual.
• A third-party service provider has experienced any of the Incidents above, affecting the organization’s data containing personal information.
VIII. INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAM PROCEDURES
Incident Response Team members must keep accurate notes of all actions taken, by whom, and the exact time and date. Each person involved in the investigation must record his or her own actions.
Contact Office Phone E-Mail
Eric Ponce (PCE) 916-838-7745 [email protected] Taylor Neves
(CNS)
916-365-4725 [email protected]
Brian Mayorga
(CNS)
916-365-4715 [email protected]
The CNS Cybersecurity Team will serve as a central point of contact for reporting any suspected or confirmed breach of personal information on an individual. The following information will be collected by the IT Operations Team.
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• Date and time reported
• Staff member reporting Incident
• Date and time of Incident
• Description of Incident (e.g. lost laptop, unauthorized access, virus, etc.)
• Steps taken by person/department reporting Incident
• Other relevant information
After documenting the facts presented by the caller and verifying that a privacy breach or suspected privacy breach occurred, the Cybersecurity Team will open an Incident Response case.
IX. DISTRIBUTION
This policy is to be distributed to all Pioneer staff who use Information Resources.
X. POLICY REVISIONS
The Chief Executive Officer is authorized to make minor modifications, clarifications, or administrative updates to this policy, provided that such changes do not alter the policy’s intent, scope, or underlying principles.
XI. HISTORY
Version Date Description Approved By
2025.1 12/18/2025 Initial policy release
Staff Report – Item 2
To: The Governing Board
From: Lisa Rhoads, Community Outreach Manager
Item 2: Adopt Resolution Authorizing the Chief Executive Officer to Execute an Amendment to the Agreement with Energy Mission Control DBA Fuse Carbon Technologies (FuSE) to Include Solar Renewable Energy Credit (REC) Program Services and to Expand Eligibility of FuSE Programs to Special District Customers Date: 12/18/2025
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution Authorizing the Chief Executive Officer to Execute an Amendment to the Agreement with Energy Mission Control DBA Fuse Carbon Technologies (“FuSE”) to include Solar Renewable Energy Credit (REC) Program Services and to expand eligibility of FuSE programs to special district customers.
BACKGROUND
At the April 17, 2025, Pioneer Community Energy (“Pioneer”) Board of Directors (“Board”) meeting, the Board adopted a resolution approving and authorizing the Chief Executive Officer to execute an agreement with Energy Mission Control dba FuSE Carbon Technologies (“FuSE”) for Low Carbon Fuel Standard (“LCFS”) program services.
Pioneer’s existing agreement with FuSE supports member agencies and clean fuel transportation efforts by monetizing Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) through Pioneer’s LCFS Clean Fleet Revenue program. Staff have contacted existing members about this opportunity. In meetings with several member agencies, staff learned that some Pioneer members have solar facilities that generate RECs as well, which could be monetized if they could identify a program partner that offers this specialized expertise.
A REC represents proof that one (1) megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity was generated from a renewable energy source. RECs can be sold to demonstrate clean energy use, allow organizations to offset non-renewable energy use, and achieve sustainability goals. They also create a new revenue stream for facilities generating renewable power.
ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION
With the passage of California Senate Bills 253 and 261, organizations operating in the state must address the treatment of RECs generated from solar investments. These laws require large organizations to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risks, making the handling of RECs a matter of both financial and regulatory significance.
Pioneer can work with member agencies and special district customers (“participants”), and FuSE to broker the sale of participants’ solar RECs to generate revenue. Through expanding its existing agreement with Pioneer, FuSE can assist participants to register eligible solar facilities in the Western Renewable Energy Generation System (WREGIS), a tracking system designed to facilitate the certification, verification and tracking of renewable energy generation. If needed, FuSE also can assist participants in registering eligible facilities in the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Specifically,
• Participants would share details and upload documentation needed to complete REC registration. • FuSE would register participants’ solar equipment under its WREGIS account and manage the registration, tracking, and monetization of available RECs and work closely with participants. • FuSE will sell RECs on participants’ behalf on a quarterly basis. FuSE will pay the participant the amount of any sales price received by FuSE for sales of RECs, less a service fee as follows:
o $4 for each REC shall be assessed on the first 300 REC’s created during each quarter from eligible solar facilities.
Agenda Item: 2 Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
o $2 for each REC will be assessed on all RECs in excess of 300 created during the same quarter from eligible facilities.
• FuSE and Pioneer would receive a portion of the profits from the credits, with the majority of the profits being returned to the participant.
As an example: If a participant produces 312 RECs in a quarter, the fee would be calculated as follows:
300 RECs x $4= $1,200
12 RECs x $2= $ 24
Total: $1,224
Pioneer participants would receive the remaining amount, approximately 73 percent of the total value. Pioneer would receive ten percent (10%) of what FuSE receives. Payments are remitted quarterly on a similar schedule to the Clean Fleet Revenue Program that Pioneer offers its participants.
Members Estimated Annual Earnings Based on REC price of $15 per MWh:
• 75 kW: $ 1,320
• 150 kW: $ 2,640
• 250 kW: $ 4,400
• 360 kW: $ 6,336
• 500 kW: $ 8,800
• 700 kW: $13,200
• 1,000 kW: $18,400
LCFS Clean Fleet Revenue Program Expansion to Special District Customers The proposed amendment would also expand the benefits of Pioneer’s LCFS Clean Fleet Revenue Program to include special district customers. Currently, only Pioneer member agencies are eligible to participate in the LCFS program, but the expanded eligibility could expand to special districts which include, but are not limited to, community service districts, water districts, fire districts, and more. Special districts would be required to maintain an active enrollment status as a Pioneer customer in order to participate in Pioneer’s programs for LCFS and REC monetization services.
STRATEGIC PLAN
The recommendation supports Pioneer’s strategic goal of “Being a Community Partner”.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact with the recommendation as it is conditioned on the monetization of Solar REC credits.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution Authorizing the Chief Executive Officer to Execute an Amendment to the Agreement with Energy Mission Control DBA Fuse Carbon Technologies (FuSE) to Include Solar Renewable Energy Credit (REC) Program Services and to Expand Eligibility of FuSE Programs to Special District Customers 391803.2
Before the Governing Board of
Pioneer Community Energy
Resolution No.: ____________
The following Resolution was duly passed by the Governing Board of Pioneer Community Energy at a regular meeting held December 18, 2025, by the following vote on roll call:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Signed and approved by me after its passage.
______________________________
Chair of the Governing Board
Attest:
_______________________
Secretary
WHEREAS, on April 29, 2025, Pioneer Community Energy (“Pioneer”) executed an agreement with Energy Mission Control dba FuSE Carbon Technologies (“FuSE”) for Low Carbon Fuel Standard (“LCFS”) program services that allow Pioneer’s member agencies to monetize clean transportation efforts with LCFS credits;
WHEREAS, Pioneer and FuSE desire to amend the agreement with the goal of supporting member agency and special district efforts to provide monetization of Solar Renewable Energy Credits (“RECs”) credits and expand eligibility of LCFS program services to include Pioneer special district customers; and
WHEREAS, RECs allow organizations to offset non-renewable energy use and achieve sustainability goals. They also create a new revenue stream for facilities generating renewable power, and
WHEREAS, with the passage of California Senate Bills 253 and 261, organizations operating in the state must address the treatment of RECs generated from solar investments. These laws require large organizations to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risks, making the handling of RECs a matter of both financial and regulatory significance.
In the matter of: RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER TO EXECUTE
AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT WITH ENERGY
MISSION CONTROL DBA FUSE CARBON
TECHNOLOGIES (FUSE) TO INCLUDE SOLAR
RENEWABLE ENERGY CREDIT (REC) PROGRAM
SERVICES AND TO EXPAND ELIGIBILITY OF FUSE
PROGRAMS TO SPECIAL DISTRICT CUSTOMERS
Resolution No. ___
December 18, 2025
WHEREAS, the partnership with FuSE and participating in its Solar REC program strengthens Pioneer’s ability to be a strong community partner; and WHEREAS, the partnership with FuSE Carbon Technologies does not have any fiscal impact on the current Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget and no budgetary adjustment is required.
BE IT RESOLVED, the Governing Board of Pioneer Community Energy, State of California, hereby finds, declares, and resolves as follows:
1. The above recitals are true and correct.
2. The Governing Board hereby authorizes the Chief Executive Officer to execute an amendment to the agreement with Energy Mission Control dba FuSE Carbon Technologies for Solar REC program services, subject to the review and approval of the Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel.
3. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
Staff Report – Item 3
To: The Governing Board
From: Gina Stassi-Vanacore, Director of Communications
Item 3: Adopt Resolution Approving Amendment No. 8 to the Amended and Restated Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement for Pioneer Community Energy Expanding Pioneer Community Energy’s Joint Powers Authority Membership to include the Cities of Colusa and Williams and the County of Colusa.
Date: 12/18/2025
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution Approving Amendment No. 8 to the Amended and Restated Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement (“JPA”) for Pioneer Community Energy (“Pioneer”) Expanding Pioneer’s Joint Powers Authority Membership to include the Cities of Colusa and Williams and the County of Colusa.
BACKGROUND
At the July 9, 2025, Expansion Committee meeting, the Committee received a presentation from staff on the ongoing interest of several like-minded communities in joining Pioneer, including the County of Colusa and the cities of Colusa and Williams, and the County of Madera and the cities of Madera and Chowchilla. The Committee recommended Board approval of limited expansion of the October 2027 service launch, provided that doing so is financially and strategically prudent.
At September 18, 2025, Governing Board meeting, the Board received a presentation about the ongoing interest in Pioneer, recognizing varying degrees of readiness among interested communities. The Board authorized the Chief Executive Officer to initiate the expansion process to add four new territories.
Among the primary considerations for the Board related to expansion are 1) does expansion make financial sense for Pioneer and its customers, and 2) can Pioneer ensure sufficient power resources to serve the expansion. As part of the expansion process and as standard practice, Pioneer would co-commission with each of the expansion territories an Impact Assessment Study (“IAS”). The study would evaluate projected costs compared to current rates to ensure existing ratepayers are not subsidizing future customers.
At its October 14, 2025, meeting, the Expansion Committee received a presentation from Pacific Energy Advisors (“PEA”), an independent third-party consultant, who conducted the “IAS.” The study showed that projected fiscal impacts are positive and suggested that both existing and prospective customers could benefit from expansion through cost sharing. Additionally, the study affirmed that current customers would not subsidize the expansion. PEA recommended a launch of service in October 2027, simultaneous to the service launch for the thirteen territories approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”) on June 9, 2025. The Committee recommended that the Board move forward with expansion efforts.
At its October 16, 2025, Governing Board meeting, the Board received an update on expansion efforts and directed staff to begin the administrative process of expansion and issue a 30-day notice to existing members of intent to amend the JPA to allow for new voting members. The Board also directed staff that the City of Williams and the County of Colusa could join conditional on receiving favorable results from the IAS as those studies were not completed by the date of the meeting due to a delay in receiving load data from Pacific Gas & Electric.
Agenda Item: 3 Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION
When Pioneer expands, it is a partnership between the Member Agency and Pioneer, and both sides need to be comfortable with the process to be successful. Since the October Board meeting, the City of Chowchilla and the County of Madera have needed more time for evaluation and will be considered at a future date.
The IAS studies were completed for the City of Williams and the County of Colusa with favorable results for joining Pioneer. Those reports were distributed to the Expansion Committee in early December and are attached to the report.
Other administrative steps to follow to expand Pioneer’s service territory:
California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”) - In compliance with Public Utilities Code (“PUC”) section 366(c)(3), an Addendum to Pioneer’s Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent must be approved by the Pioneer Board and filed with the CPUC. The purpose of the Addendum to the Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent is to demonstrate to the CPUC that Pioneer is committed to compliance with all energy procurement requirements to serve the expansion and to show the fiscal impact to Pioneer.
To include any new communities in the October 2027 launch, an Addendum to Pioneer’s Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent and Amendment to Pioneer’s Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement must be adopted by the Board and submitted to the CPUC before the end of 2025.
The Board is being asked to consider approving the Addendum to the Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent at this meeting. If approved, staff will submit the Addendum to the Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent, accompanied by appropriate ordinances from the potential new members. The CPUC has ninety (90) days to either certify the plan or reject it.
Pioneer’s JPA outlines the steps, including:
• Section 10A and 10B – References the requirement for the potential new member to adopt a resolution and ordinance to specify their intention to implement a Community Choice Aggregation Program and become a Member of Pioneer. As of the date of this report, all potential new members will have complied. • Section 19 – Requires Pioneer to issue a 30-day notice to all Members of the intent to amend the JPA. The notice was sent in early November 2025.
• Section 8 – Requires a two-thirds vote of the Pioneer Board to adopt the amendment.
When do the New Members Join the Pioneer Board?
The proposed three (3) New Members will be joining the Pioneer Board in July 2027, which is consistent with the 13 New Members approved earlier this year.
California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) Requirements There are no CEQA implications associated with the recommended action.
STRATEGIC PLAN
The recommendation supports the goal to “Be Fiscally Strong and Resilient” goal.
FISCAL IMPACT
The IAS shows a positive fiscal impact from expansion with a launch date of October 2027.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution Approving Amendment No. 8 to the Amended and Restated Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement for Pioneer Community Energy Expanding Pioneer’s Membership to include the Cities of Colusa and Williams and the County of Colusa.
2. IAS Report – City of Williams
3. IAS Report – County of Colusa
429171.1
Before the Governing Board of
Pioneer Community Energy
Resolution No.: ____________
The following Resolution was duly passed by the Governing Board of Pioneer Community Energy at a regular meeting held December 18, 2025, by the following vote on roll call:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Signed and approved by me after its passage.
______________________________
Chair of the Governing Board
Attest:
_______________________
Secretary
WHEREAS, the Sierra Valley Energy Authority was established on September 9, 2015, between the County of Placer and the City of Colfax; and WHEREAS, the Sierra Valley Energy Authority was originally created for the purpose of providing a financing conduit and program expansion platform for the mPOWER Program; and WHEREAS, counties and cities have the power under California law to aggregate electric load, to purchase and supply electricity for themselves and customers within their jurisdictions, by providing a Community Choice Aggregation Program, pursuant to Public Utilities Code Sections 331.1 and 366.2; and
WHEREAS, the Amended and Restated Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement for the Sierra Valley Energy Authority (the “Amended and Restated JPA”) became effective on February 22, 2017; and
WHEREAS, the Amended and Restated JPA allowed for the establishment of a Community Choice Aggregation Program within the jurisdiction of the Voting Members and authorized the Cities of Auburn, Lincoln, Rocklin, and the Town of Loomis to become Voting Members; and In the matter of: RESOLUTION APPROVING
AMENDMENT NO. 8 TO THE AMENDED AND
RESTATED JOINT EXERCISE OF POWERS
AGREEMENT FOR PIONEER COMMUNITY
ENERGY EXPANDING PIONEER COMMUNITY
ENERGY’S JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY
MEMBERSHIP TO INCLUDE THE CITIES OF
COLUSA AND WILLIAMS AND THE COUNTY
OF COLUSA
2 429171.1
WHEREAS, on July 17, 2017, the Governing Board of the Sierra Valley Energy Authority took action to rename and brand Sierra Valley Energy Authority as Pioneer Community Energy (“Pioneer”); and
WHEREAS, the current members of Pioneer include the Cities of Auburn, Chico, Colfax, Grass Valley, Lincoln, Live Oak, Nevada City, Orland, Oroville, Placerville, Rocklin, Sonora, Willows, Yuba City, and the Towns of Loomis and Paradise; and unincorporated Placer, Butte, El Dorado, Glenn, Nevada, Sutter, and Tuolumne Counties; and WHEREAS, prior to providing service pursuant to an expansion, Public Utilities Code Section 366.2 requires that Pioneer prepare and adopt a Revised Implementation Plan to be filed with the California Public Utilities Commission; and
WHEREAS, the Cities of Colusa and Williams, and Unincorporated County Colusa have expressed a desire to join Pioneer for the purpose of participating in Pioneer’s Community Choice Aggregation Program (“CCA Program”) and
WHEREAS, the Cities of Colusa and Williams, and Unincorporated County Colusa took appropriate steps toward offering CCA service within their respective communities, adopting requisite resolutions and ordinances at duly noticed meetings of the agencies’ governing bodies; and
WHEREAS, an impact assessment study was performed to analyze the feasibility of expanding Pioneer’s CCA Program service territory to include these prospective members, the results of which showed such an expansion to be beneficial to both existing Pioneer ratepayers, and potential ratepayers in the Cities of Colusa and Williams, and Unincorporated County Colusa; and
WHEREAS, the City Councils of Colusa and Williams, and the Colusa County Board of Supervisors have adopted resolutions approving the Amended and Restated JPA; and WHEREAS, pursuant to section 8 of the Amended and Restated JPA, an amendment requires an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the Pioneer Board Members; and WHEREAS, Pioneer provided written notice to each Member 30 days prior to the date the Pioneer Board intended to vote on an amendment to the Amended and Restated JPA as required by section 19 of the Amended and Restated JPA; and WHEREAS, to these ends, the Pioneer Board desires to approve Amendment No. 8 to the Amended and Restated JPA to provide for the Cities of Colusa and Williams, and Unincorporated Colusa County to become Voting Members under the Amended and Restated JPA for Pioneer Community Energy conditioned and effective upon receipt of certification of Addendum No. 4 to the Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent from the California Public Utilities Commission; and
WHEREAS, representatives of the New Members will assume their seat as a Voting Member of the Pioneer Community Energy Board of Directors in compliance with Pioneer’s JPA, Bylaws, and other applicable policies and rules.
BE IT RESOLVED, the Governing Board of Pioneer Community Energy, State of California, hereby finds, declares, and resolves as follows:
1. The above recitals are true and correct.
3 429171.1
2. This Amendment No. 8 to the Amended and Restated Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement for Pioneer Community Energy provides for admission of the Cities of Colusa and Williams and the Unincorporated County of Colusa as Voting Members.
3. The Pioneer Community Energy Board of Directors hereby approves Amendment No. 8 to the Amended and Restated Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement for Pioneer Community Energy under the Joint Exercise of Powers Law, which amends Exhibit A to the Amended and Restated Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A.
4. Pioneer Staff is hereby authorized to file Amendment No. 8 to the Amended and Restated Joint Powers Agreement for Pioneer Community Energy with the Secretary of State, LAFCos with jurisdiction over Pioneer’s service territory, and to take all other necessary steps to implement Amendment No. 8.
5. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon certification of Addendum No. 4 to the Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent by the California Public Utilities Commission.
Exhibit A:
Exhibit A of the Amended and Restated JPA listing of Voting Members and Associate Members Exhibit A
Voting Members and Associate Members
Section A.1 Voting Members
City of Auburn
City of Chico
City of Colfax
City of Colusa
City of Grass Valley
City of Lincoln
City of Live Oak
City of Nevada City
City of Orland
City of Oroville
City of Placerville
City of Rocklin
City of Sonora
City of Willaims
City of Willows
City of Yuba City
County of Butte
County of Colusa
County of El Dorado
County of Glenn
County of Nevada
County of Placer
County of Sutter
County of Tuolumne
Town of Loomis
Town of Paradise
Section A.2 Associate Members
City of Folsom
County of Sacramento
Town of Truckee
EXPANSION OUTLOOK
CITY OF WILLIAMS
December 2025
Agenda
• Eligible Customer Data
• Forecasted Fiscal Impacts
• Conclusions
Total Customer Information
Expansion to eligible customers would represent an approximate 1% increase to Pioneer retail sales.
Includes account data within the City of Williams.
Street and traffic lighting account information not currently available.
Data above are unadjusted for opt-out assumptions and excludes standby accounts.
Classification Accounts
Annual
Energy
(MWh)
Average
Customer Usage
(kWh/Mo.)
Residential 1,700 8,890 436
Non-Residential 240 10,721 3,722
Total 1,940 19,610 842
Peak Demand
(MW) 4
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
GWh per Year
Pioneer Williams
-
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
Accounts
Pioneer Williams
Key Assumptions
• Start Date: An October 2027 service commencement is reflected in the current expansion analysis; earliest possible enrollment date per CPUC rules is January 1, 2027, assuming implementation plan amendment submitted by end of 2025.
• Customers and Sales: forecast is based on historical PG&E data and assumes 90% customer participation; eligible accounts assumed as of December 2024.
2.07% annual load growth rate aligning with the CEC’s planning forecast. • Revenues: utilizes cost of service rates through the term of the study, approximately 27% below current Pioneer levels.
• Incremental Costs: include power supply valued at current market prices (per Pioneer portfolio specifications) and customer billing. • Other implementation costs would be incurred, such as utility service fees, marketing and outreach, regulatory and legal representation, internal operations, resource planning and procurement.
Fiscal Impact Summary
• *Reflects partial year of service for fiscal year ending June 30, 2028. • Prior to Pioneer expansion, other implementation costs would be incurred. Such costs may be related to utility service fees, marketing and outreach, regulatory and legal representation, internal operations, resource planning and procurement.
FYE 2028 FYE 2029 FYE 2030 Total
Revenue ($MM) $ 1.1 $ 1.9 $ 2.0 $5.0
Operating Expenses
($MM)
$ 1.1 $ 1.8 $ 1.9 $ 4.8
Net Operating Margin
($MM) $ 0.1 $ 0.1 $ 0.1 $ 0.2
Electricity Sales (MWh) 12,332 18,935 19,327 50,594
Avg. Revenue ($/MWh) $ 90.26 $ 98.92 $ 101.63 $ 97.84
Avg. Expense ($/MWh) $ 85.48 $ 96.04 $ 98.31 $ 94.33
Avg. Margin ($/MWh) $ 4.78 $ 2.88 $ 3.32 $ 3.81
Avg. Margin (% of Rev) 5% 3% 3% 4%
Conclusions
• Projected fiscal impacts are positive and
suggest that both existing and prospective
customers could benefit through cost sharing.
• Volatility in wholesale markets or future Pioneer
rate adjustments could decrease or eliminate
positive margins.
EXPANSION OUTLOOK
UNINCORPORATED COLUSA COUNTY
December 2025
Agenda
• Eligible Customer Data
• Forecasted Fiscal Impacts
• Conclusions
Total Customer Information
Expansion to eligible customers would represent an approximate 2% increase to Pioneer retail sales.
Includes account data within Unincorporated Colusa County.
Street and traffic lighting account information not currently available.
Data above are unadjusted for opt-out assumptions and excludes standby accounts.
Classification Accounts
Annual
Energy
(MWh)
Average
Customer Usage
(kWh/Mo.)
Residential 4,055 26,515 545
Com/Ind 908 17,777 1,632
Ag/Pumping 335 39,234 9,760
Total 5,298 83,526 1,314
Peak Demand
(MW) 20
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
GWh per Year
Pioneer Colusa
-
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
Accounts
Pioneer Colusa
Key Assumptions
• Start Date: An October 2027 service commencement is reflected in the current expansion analysis; earliest possible enrollment date per CPUC rules is January 1, 2027, assuming implementation plan amendment submitted by end of 2025.
• Customers and Sales: forecast is based on historical PG&E data and assumes 90% customer participation; eligible accounts assumed as of December 2024.
2.07% annual load growth rate aligning with the CEC’s planning forecast. • Revenues: utilizes cost of service rates through the term of the study, approximately 25% below current Pioneer levels.
• Incremental Costs: include power supply valued at current market prices (per Pioneer portfolio specifications) and customer billing. • Other implementation costs would be incurred, such as utility service fees, marketing and outreach, regulatory and legal representation, internal operations, resource planning and procurement.
Fiscal Impact Summary
• *Reflects partial year of service for fiscal year ending June 30, 2028. • Prior to Pioneer expansion, other implementation costs would be incurred. Such costs may be related to utility service fees, marketing and outreach, regulatory and legal representation, internal operations, resource planning and procurement.
FYE 2028 FYE 2029 FYE 2030 Total
Revenue ($MM) $ 4.8 $ 7.7 $ 8.1 $20.6
Operating Expenses
($MM)
$ 4.7 $ 7.6 $ 8.0 $ 20.4
Net Operating Margin
($MM) $ 0.1 $ 0.1 $ 0.1 $ 0.2
Electricity Sales (MWh) 55,388 80,521 82,188 218,096
Avg. Revenue ($/MWh) $ 86.99 $ 95.67 $ 98.23 $ 94.43
Avg. Expense ($/MWh) $ 85.55 $ 94.91 $ 97.24 $ 93.41
Avg. Margin ($/MWh) $ 1.44 $ 0.76 $ 0.99 $ 1.02
Avg. Margin (% of Rev) 2% 1% 1% 1%
Conclusions
• Projected fiscal impacts are positive and
suggest that both existing and prospective
customers could benefit through cost sharing.
• Volatility in wholesale markets or future Pioneer
rate adjustments could decrease or eliminate
positive margins.
Staff Report – Item 4
To: The Governing Board
From: Gina Stassi-Vanacore, Director of Communications
Item 4: Adopt Resolution Approving Addendum No. 4 to the Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent
Date: 12/18/2025
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution approving Addendum No. 4 to the Pioneer Community Energy’s (“Pioneer”) Community Choice Aggregation Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent to address Pioneer’s proposed expansion into the Cities of Colusa and Williams and the County of Colusa authorizing the Chief Executive Officer to submit Addendum No. 4 to the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”).
BACKGROUND
At the December 17, 2020, Governing Board meeting, the Board approved Addendum No. 1 to Pioneer’s Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent. Pioneer submitted Addendum No. 1 to the CPUC, which was subsequently approved, allowing the City of Placerville and unincorporated El Dorado County to join Pioneer.
At the November 17, 2022, Governing Board meeting, the Board approved Addendum No. 2 to Pioneer’s Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent, which was submitted to the CPUC and subsequently approved to allow the Cities of Grass Valley and Nevada City to join Pioneer.
At the February 20, 2025, Governing Board meeting, the Board approved Addendum No. 3 to the Community Choice Aggregation Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent to allow the Cities of Chico, Live Oak, Orland, Oroville, Sonora, Willows, and Yuba City; the Town of Paradise; and unincorporated Counties of Butte, Glenn, Nevada, Sutter, and Tuolumne to join of Pioneer.
CPUC Resolution E-4907 requires a Community Choice Aggregator (“CCA”) to file an Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent when launching and an Addendum to the Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent when applying for expansion.
ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION
Addendum No. 4 reflects the anticipated changes and consequences associated with the addition of the new members, including:
• Phase-In of service (if required);
• Customer energy requirements;
• Peak demand;
• Renewable energy purchases; and
• Financial impacts.
The format and general content of the Addendum to the Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent have been successfully utilized by Pioneer and other CCAs during similar expansion efforts and address all requirements identified in Public Utilities Code section 366.2(c)(4), including:
• Universal access;
• Reliability;
• Equitable treatment of classes of customers; and
Agenda Item: 4 Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
• Any requirements established by state law or the CPUC.
Pioneer’s Implementation Plan, Statement of Intent, and all Addendums have been compiled by Pacific Energy Advisors (“PEA”), an independent consultant widely respected in the CCA industry.
The CPUC has ninety (90) days to complete its review and certify the Addendum No. 4 to the Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent.
STRATEGIC PLAN
The recommendation supports the goal to Be Fiscally Strong and Resilient.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact with the recommendation.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution approving Addendum No. 4 to Pioneer’s Community Choice Aggregation Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent to address Pioneer’s proposed expansion into the Cities of Colusa and Williams and the County of Colusa authorizing the Chief Executive Officer to submit Addendum No. 4 to the CPUC.
Before the Governing Board of
Pioneer Community Energy
Resolution No.: ____________
The following Resolution was duly passed by the Governing Board of Pioneer Community Energy at a regular meeting held December 18, 2025, by the following vote on roll call:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Signed and approved by me after its passage.
______________________________
Chair of the Governing Board
Attest:
_______________________
Secretary
WHEREAS, Pioneer Community Energy (“Pioneer”) is a California Joint Powers Authority established for the purpose of studying, promoting, developing, conducting, operating, and managing energy and energy-related climate change programs including but not limited to implementing a community choice aggregation program under Public Utilities Code Section 366.2; and
WHEREAS, the Governing Board approved Addendum No. 1 to the Community Choice Aggregation Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent to allow the City of Placerville and unincorporated El Dorado County to join Pioneer; and
WHEREAS, the Governing Board approved Addendum No. 2 to the Community Choice Aggregation Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent to allow the Cities of Grass Valley and Nevada City to join Pioneer; and
WHEREAS, the Governing Board approved Addendum No. 3 to the Community Choice Aggregation Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent to allow the Cities of Chico, Live Oak, Orland, Oroville, Sonora, Willows, and Yuba City; the Town of Paradise, and unincorporated Counties of Butte, Glenn, Nevada, Sutter, and Tuolumne to become members of Pioneer; and In the matter of: ADOPT RESOLUTION APPROVING
ADDENDUM NO. 4 TO THE PIONEER COMMUNITY
ENERGY’S COMMUNITY CHOICE AGGREGATION
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND STATEMENT OF
INTENT TO ADDRESS PIONEER’S PROPOSED
EXPANSION INTO THE CITIES OF COLUSA AND
WILLIAMS AND THE COUNTY OF COLUSA
AUTHORIZING THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER TO
SUBMIT ADDENDUM NO. 4 TO THE CALIFORNIA
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
WHEREAS, the current members of Pioneer include the Cities of Auburn, Chico, Colfax, Grass Valley, Lincoln, Live Oak, Nevada City, Orland, Oroville, Placerville, Rocklin, Sonora, Willows, Yuba City; the Towns of Loomis and Paradise; and unincorporated Placer and Butte, El Dorado, Glenn, Nevada, Sutter, and Tuolumne Counties; and
WHEREAS, before providing service pursuant to an expansion, Public Utilities Code Section 366.2 requires Pioneer prepare and adopt a Revised Implementation Plan to be filed with the California Public Utilities Commission; and
WHEREAS, the Governing Board has approved Amendment No. 8 to the Amended and Restated Joint Powers Agreement for Pioneer providing for the Cities of Colusa and Williams, and Unincorporated Colusa County to become Voting Members under the Amended and Restated JPA for Pioneer Community Energy; and
WHEREAS, the Governing Board desires to provide services to the Cities of Colusa and Williams, and unincorporated County of Colusa beginning in October 2027.
BE IT RESOLVED, the Governing Board of Pioneer Community Energy, State of California, hereby finds, declares, and resolves as follows:
1. The above recitals are true and correct.
2. The Governing Board hereby approves Pioneer Community Energy’s Addendum No. 4 to the Community Choice Aggregation Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent and authorizes the Chief Executive Officer to submit Addendum No. 4 to the California Public Utilities Commission for certification.
3. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption.
Exhibit A:
Pioneer Community Energy’s Addendum No. 4 to the Community Choice Aggregation Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent addressing expansion to the cities of Colusa and Williams, and unincorporated County of Colusa
PIONEER COMMUNITY ENERGY
ADDENDUM NO. 4 TO THE COMMUNITY
CHOICE AGGREGATION
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND
STATEMENT OF INTENT
ADDRESSING PIONEER EXPANSION TO
THE COUNTY OF COLUSA, AND THE CITIES
OF COLUSA AND WILLIAMS
December 19, 2025
For copies of this document contact Pioneer Community Energy in Rocklin, California or visit www.PioneerCommunityEnergy.org
i December 2025 – Addendum No. 4
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 – Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 2 CHAPTER 2 – Changes to Address Pioneer Expansion to the New Member Communities ........................ 4 Aggregation Process............................................................................................................................................. 6 Program Enrollment............................................................................................................................................. 6 Sales Forecast......................................................................................................................................................... 7 Financial Plan ...................................................................................................................................................... 10 Expansion Addendum Appendices ................................................................................................................. 11 2 December 2025 – Addendum No. 4
CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this document is to make certain revisions to the Pioneer Community Energy Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent to address the expansion of Pioneer Community Energy (“Pioneer”) to the County of Colusa, and the cities of Colusa and Williams (“New Member Communities”). Pioneer, formerly Sierra Valley Energy Authority, is a public agency that was formed on September 9, 2015 for purposes of implementing a community choice aggregation (“CCA”) program serving its member communities. At that time, Pioneer’s membership was comprised of six municipalities, including the cities of Auburn, Colfax, Lincoln, and Rocklin, the Town of Loomis and Placer County (together the “Members” or “Member Agencies”). In anticipation of CCA program implementation and in compliance with state law, Pioneer submitted the Pioneer Community Energy Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent (“Implementation Plan”) to the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC” or “Commission”) on July 31, 2017. The Implementation Plan was subsequently certified by the Commission on October 31, 2017. Pioneer subsequently launched the Pioneer Community Energy CCA program (“Pioneer” or “Program”) on February 1, 2018 and has been successfully serving customers since that time.
Pioneer’s Board approved the membership requests of El Dorado County and the City of Placerville on December 17, 2020 via Resolution No. 2020-25. Pioneer’s Board also approved the related Addendum No. 1 to Pioneer’s Community Choice Aggregation Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent (“Addendum No. 1”), addressing service delivery within El Dorado County and the City of Placerville. Addendum No. 1 was submitted to the Commission on December 23, 2020; Addendum No. 1 was certified by the Commission thereafter on March 8, 2021.
Afterthe successful service expansion into El Dorado County and the City of Placerville, Pioneer’s Board approved the membership request of the cities of Grass Valley and Nevada City on November 17, 2022, via Resolution No. 2022-22. Pioneer’s Board also approved the related Addendum No. 2 to Pioneer’s Community Choice Aggregation Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent (“Addendum No. 2”), addressing service delivery within the cities of Grass Valley and Nevada City. Addendum No. 2 was submitted to the Commission on December 16, 2022; Addendum No. 2 was certified by the Commission thereafter on February 27, 2023.
On February 27, 2025, Pioneer’s Board approved the membership request of the counties of Butte, Glenn, Nevada, Sutter, and Tuolumne, the cities of Chico, Live Oak, Orland, Oroville, Sonora, Willows, and Yuba City, and the Town of Paradise via Resolution No. 2025-8. Pioneer’s Board also approved the related Addendum No. 3 to Pioneer’s Community Choice Aggregation Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent (“Addendum No. 2”), which was then submitted to the Commission on March 11, 2025; Addendum No. 3 was certified by the Commission thereafter on June 9, 2025.
More recently, Pioneer’s Board approved the membership request of the County of Colusa, and the cities of Colusa and Williams on December 18, 2025 via Resolution No. 2025-48 (attached hereto as Appendix A). These additions to the membership of Pioneer require certain changes 3 December 2025 – Addendum No. 4
that are addressed within this Addendum No. 4 to Pioneer’s Community Choice Aggregation Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent (“Addendum No. 4”).
The Pioneer program currently provides electric generation service to approximately 170,000 customers (with the current expectation of that number set to increase to approximately 388,000 customers in October 2027), including a cross section of residential and commercial accounts located within communities of the participating Members. During its operating history, other California municipalities have monitored Pioneer’s progress and operational success, evaluating the potential opportunity for membership, which would enable customer choice with respect to electric generation service. Pioneer’s Board has been willing to consider organizational growth through selective membership addition(s) to the extent that such growth is expected to benefit Pioneer’s existing customer base as well as prospective customers of any new member community(ies). When membership inquiries have been received, Pioneer’s leadership has considered several key criteria before advancing activities focused on organizational expansion, including the filing of related revisions/addenda to this Implementation Plan. In particular, any prospective member community must have likeminded and compatible leadership relative to Pioneer’s existing Member Agencies, the quantitative assessment of any prospective member must demonstrate expected financial benefits to Pioneer’s existing customer base (based on prevailing market prices for requisite energy products at the time of each analysis), and the operational goals of any prospective member must align with Pioneer’s foundational principles (including the retention of local control related to energy matters, the ability to offer stable and competitive electric generation rates, and the prospective pursuit of energy-related investments within participating communities). As Pioneer receives new membership requests, Pioneer will evaluate and present, at duly noticed public meetings, the results of such membership expansion assessments to ensure that affected constituents are well informed regarding the potential benefits and consequences of expanding Pioneer’s organization and offering CCA service to additional customers. This process was recently observed during the membership assessments of the New Member Communities. In each case, Pioneer staff completed multiple presentations to the prospective member communities and similarly discussed prospective expansion at duly noticed public meetings of its Governing Board. To the extent that membership evaluations demonstrate favorable results, as defined by Pioneer’s Governing Board, and a prospective member community is added to Pioneer’s organization, this Implementation Plan will be revised through a related addendum, which shall highlight key impacts and consequences that are expected to result from the addition of such new community/communities.
In response to public interest and Pioneer’s successful operational track record, the New Member Communities have requested membership in Pioneer Community Energy, and each municipality subsequently adopted the requisite CCA ordinance, enabling the provision of CCA service within each community. Such ordinances, as respectively adopted by the New Member Communities, are attached hereto as Appendices C through E. As previously noted, Pioneer’s Governing Board approved such membership requests at a duly noticed public meeting on December 18, 2025 through the adoption of Resolution No. 2025-48.
4 December 2025 – Addendum No. 4
This Addendum No. 4 describes Pioneer’s expansion plans related to the inclusion of the New Member Communities amongst the Member Agencies. Pioneer intends to enroll eligible customers within the New Member Communities in its CCA Program during or after the month of October 2027, subject to a forthcoming decision by Pioneer’s Governing Board and consistent with related requirements reflected in Commission Resolution E-4907, which specifies relevant timing considerations for Implementation Plan filing and subsequent CCA service commencement. According to the Commission, the Energy Division is required to receive and review a revised Pioneer Implementation Plan reflecting pertinent changes and consequences associated with the addition of new Member Agencies. With this in mind, Pioneer has reviewed its Implementation Plan, which was filed with the Commission on July 31, 2017, as well as previously filed and certified Addendums, and has identified certain information that requires updating to reflect the expected impacts associated with organizational expansion to the New Member Communities. It is also appropriate to update other information at this time, incorporating the most recent available historical electric energy use within Pioneer’s existing service territory, market-based information, and other recent operational results. This Addendum No. 4 reflects such changes. This document format, including references to Pioneer’s Implementation Plan (filed with the Commission on July 31, 2017 and certified by the Commission in October 31, 2017), addresses all requirements identified in Public Utilities Code Section 366.2(c)(4), including universal access, reliability, equitable treatment of all customer classes and any requirements established by state law or by the CPUC concerning aggregated service, while streamlining public review of pertinent changes related to Pioneer’s anticipated expansion. The original Implementation Plan and Addendums are attached hereto as Appendices F through I.
CHAPTER 2 – CHANGES TO ADDRESS PIONEER EXPANSION TO THE NEW MEMBER
COMMUNITIES
As previously noted, this Addendum No. 4 addresses the anticipated impacts of Pioneer’s planned expansion to the New Member Communities, as well as other forecast modifications reflecting recent historical electric energy use within Pioneer’s existing service territory. As a result of these member additions, certain assumptions regarding Pioneer’s future operations have changed, including customer energy requirements, peak demand, expected renewable energy purchases, revenues, expenses, and various other items. The following section highlights pertinent changes related to this planned expansion. To the extent that certain details related to membership expansion are not specifically discussed within this Addendum No. 4, Pioneer represents that such information shall remain unchanged relative to its previously certified Implementation Plan
With regard to the defined terms Members and Member Agencies, the following Communities are now signatories to the Pioneer Joint Powers Agreement and represent Pioneer’s current membership:
5 December 2025 – Addendum No. 4
Member Agencies
City of Auburn City of Nevada City
County of Butte City of Orland
City of Chico City of Oroville
City of Colfax Town of Paradise
City of Colusa County of Placer
County of Colusa City of Placerville
County of El Dorado City of Rocklin
County of Glenn City of Sonora
City of Grass Valley County of Sutter
City of Lincoln County of Tuolumne
City of Live Oak City of Williams
Town of Loomis City of Willows
County of Nevada City of Yuba City
Throughout this document, use of the terms Members and Member Agencies refer to the aforementioned Communities. To the extent that the discussion herein addresses the process of aggregation and Pioneer organization, each of these communities is now a Pioneer Member and the electric customers of such jurisdictions have been or will be offered CCA service consistent with the phase-in schedule described below.
6 December 2025 – Addendum No. 4
Aggregation Process
The following verbiage shall replace the first paragraph in the second sub-section, “Process of Aggregation,”of Chapter 2:
Pioneer successfully launched its CCA Program on February 1, 2018, after meeting applicable statutory requirements and in consideration of planning elements described in its Implementation Plan. At this point in time, Pioneer plans to expand agency membership to include the New Member Communities, which have requested to be Pioneer members. Such requests were subsequently approved by Pioneer’s Governing Board at a duly noticed public meeting on February 27, 2025. Before a new customer is enrolled in the CCA Program, such customer will receive two written notices in the mail from Pioneer that will provide information needed to understand the CCA Program’s terms and conditions of service and explain how customers can opt-out of the CCA Program, if desired. All customers that do not follow the opt-out process specified in the customer notices will be automatically enrolled, and service will begin at their next regularly scheduled meter read date, no later than thirty days following the date of automatic enrollment, subject to the CCA Program enrollment plan described in Chapter 5. Initial enrollment notices will be provided to subsequent customers consistent with statutory requirements and based on schedule(s) determined by Pioneer. These notices will be sent to customers twice within 60 days of automatic enrollment.
Program Enrollment
Program phase-in was discussed in Chapter 5 of Pioneer’s Implementation Plan. Chapter 5 is replaced in its entirety with the following verbiage:
Pioneer will continue to phase-in customers of its CCA Program as communicated in this Implementation Plan. To date, four phases have been successfully implemented with a fifth and sixth phase expected to commence in October 2027, including service commencement to customers located within the New Member Communities, as reflected in the following table. 7 December 2025 – Addendum No. 4
Pioneer Phase
No.
Status & Description of Phase Implementation
Date
Phase 1:
78,000 Accounts
Complete: Residential, commercial, agricultural, and
street lighting accounts within the Cities of Auburn,
Colfax, Lincoln, Rocklin, the Town of Loomis, and the
Unincorporated areas of Placer County
February 2018
Phase 2:
14,000 Accounts
Complete: Additional net energy metered accounts
enrolled bimonthly in accordance with annual NEM
true-up periods, within Pioneer’s original Member
Agencies
July 2018 -
July 2019
Phase 3:
68,000 Accounts
Complete: Residential, commercial, agricultural, and
street lighting accounts within El Dorado County and
the City of Placerville
January 2022-
November 2022
Phase 4:
10,000 Accounts
Complete: Residential, commercial, agricultural, and
street lighting accounts within the cites of Grass
Valley and Nevada City
January 2024
Phase 5:
223,000 Accounts
Implementation Plan Certified: Residential,
commercial, agricultural, and street lighting accounts
within the counties of Butte, Glenn, Nevada, Sutter,
and Tuolumne, the cities of Chico, Live Oak, Orland,
Oroville, Sonora, Willows, and Yuba City, and the
Town of Paradise.
October 2027-
September 2028
Phase 6:
10,000 Accounts
Pending Implementation Plan Certification:
Residential, commercial, agricultural, and street
lighting accounts within the New Member
Communities
October 2027-
September 2028
*Net Energy Metered (NEM) accounts within Phases 5 and 6 will be enrolled over the course of a 12-month period that is expected to commence during the month of October 2027. Such NEM enrollments will be sequenced to promote alignment with each prospective NEM customer’s typical annual true-up date, minimizing the potential for unexpected bills/charges at the time of transition to Pioneer service. Enrollment of all other customers (non-NEM accounts) is expected during the month of October 2027.
Following completion of Phase 6 customer enrollments, Pioneer expects to serve a customer base approximating 388,000 accounts. Pioneer’s Governing Board may evaluate other phase-in options based on future market conditions, statutory requirements, and regulatory considerations as well as other factors potentially affecting the integration of additional customer accounts. To the extent that additional customers require enrollment after the completion of Phase 6, Pioneer will evaluate subsequent phase-in options after such remaining customers have been identified.
8 December 2025 – Addendum No. 4
Sales Forecast
With regard to Pioneer’s sales forecast, which is addressed in Chapter 6, Load Forecast & Resource Plan, Pioneer assumes that total annual retail sales will increase to approximately 4,000 GWh following the completion of Phase 6 expansion. The following tables reflect the impacts of planned expansion related to Pioneer’s new Member Agencies, which include the recent additions of the New Member Communities and replace all previous load forecast and resource planning tables within Chapter 6.
Chapter 6, Resource Plan Overview
Chapter 6, Customer Forecast
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Pioneer Demand (GWh)
Retail Demand -927 -1,089 -1,135 -1,097 -1,636 -1,599 -1,736 -1,716 -1,767 -2,269 -4,046 -4,122 -4,206 Distributed Generation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 9 20 24 25
Energy Efficiency 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 11 20 20 21
Losses and UFE -56 -65 -68 -66 -98 -96 -104 -103 -105 -135 -240 -245 -250 Total Demand -982 -1,154 -1,203 -1,163 -1,734 -1,695 -1,840 -1,819 -1,858 -2,384 -4,246 -4,322 -4,410 Pioneer Supply (GWh)
Renewable Resources
Generation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Power Purchase Contracts 269 338 375 392 628 657 760 798 862 1,167 2,187 2,336 2,496 Total Renewable Resources 269 338 375 392 628 657 760 798 862 1,167 2,187 2,336 2,496 Conventional Resources
Generation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Power Purchase Contracts 714 817 829 771 1,106 1,038 1,080 1,021 995 1,217 2,059 1,986 1,914 Total Conventional Resources 714 817 829 771 1,106 1,038 1,080 1,021 995 1,217 2,059 1,986 1,914 Total Supply 982 1,154 1,203 1,163 1,734 1,695 1,840 1,819 1,858 2,384 4,246 4,322 4,410 Energy Open Position (GWh) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pioneer Community Energy
Proposed Resource Plan
(GWH)
2018 to 2030
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Pioneer Customers
Residential 74,845 80,349 81,237 81,643 136,301 135,433 143,830 140,861 143,777 335,298 342,238 349,323 356,554 Commercial & Industrial 9,662 9,931 9,833 9,882 16,445 16,264 18,504 18,711 19,098 42,317 43,193 44,087 45,000 Street Lighting & Traffic 1,141 1,124 1,141 1,147 1,763 1,760 1,866 1,865 1,904 4,813 4,913 5,014 5,118 Ag & Pumping 443 460 489 491 586 590 597 601 613 5,339 5,450 5,563 5,678 Total 86,091 91,864 92,700 93,164 155,095 154,047 164,797 162,038 165,392 387,767 395,794 403,987 412,349 Pioneer Community Energy
Retail Service Accounts (End of Year)
2018 to 2030
9 December 2025 – Addendum No. 4
Chapter 6, Sales Forecast
Chapter 6, Capacity Requirements
Pioneer replaces the “Capacity Requirements” sub-section of Chapter 6 as follows:
The CPUC’s resource adequacy standards applicable to the CCA Program require a demonstration one year in advance that Pioneer has secured physical capacity for 90 percent of its projected peak loads for each of the five summer months, May through September, plus a minimum 18 percent reserve margin. On a month-ahead basis, Pioneer must demonstrate 100 percent of the peak load plus a minimum 18 percent reserve margin.
Pioneer is also required to demonstrate that a specified portion of its capacity meets certain operational flexibility requirements under the CPUC and CAISO’s flexible resource adequacy framework.
Pioneer’s plan ensures that sufficient reserves will be procured to meet its peak load at all times. Pioneer’s projected annual capacity requirements are shown in the following table:
Pioneer will coordinate with PG&E and appropriate state agencies to manage the transition of responsibility for resource adequacy from PG&E to Pioneer prior to CCA Program enrollment of new Members. Pioneer will make year-ahead and month-ahead resource adequacy showings for each month 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Pioneer Energy Requirements (GWh)
Retail Demand 927 1,089 1,135 1,097 1,636 1,599 1,736 1,716 1,767 2,269 4,046 4,122 4,206 Distributed Generation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -5 -9 -20 -24 -25 Energy Efficiency 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -9 -11 -20 -20 -21
Losses and UFE 56 65 68 66 98 96 104 103 105 135 240 245 250 Total Load Requirement 982 1,154 1,203 1,163 1,734 1,695 1,840 1,819 1,858 2,384 4,246 4,322 4,410 Pioneer Community Energy
Energy Requirements
(GWH)
2018 to 2030
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Demand (MW)
Total Retail Demand 260 249 260 301 505 456 430 396 449 458 1,028 1,050 1,071 Losses and UFE 2 15 16 18 30 27 26 24 27 27 62 63 64
Total Net Peak Demand 276 264 276 319 536 484 456 419 476 486 1,090 1,113 1,136 Reserve Requirement (%) 15% 15% 15% 15% 15% 16% 17% 17% 18% 18% 18% 18% 18% Capacity Reserve Requirement 41 40 41 48 80 77 78 71 86 87 196 200 204 Capacity Requirement Including Reserve 317 304 317 367 616 561 534 491 562 573 1,286 1,313 1,340 Pioneer Community Energy
Capacity Requirements
(MW)
2018 to 2030
10 December 2025 – Addendum No. 4
that Pioneer plans to serve load, and load migration issues would be addressed through the CPUC’s approved procedures. Pioneer will work with the California Energy Commission and CPUC prior to commencing service to customers to ensure it meets its system resource adequacy obligations through its agreement(s) with its chosen electric supplier(s).
Chapter 6, Renewables Portfolio Standards Energy Requirements
*Retail sales, net of distributed generation and energy efficiency impacts.
Financial Plan
With regard to Pioneer’s financial plan, which is addressed in Chapter 7, Financial Plan, Pioneer has updated its expected operating results, which now include projected impacts related to service expansion within the New Member Communities. The following table reflects updated operating projections in consideration of this planned expansion.
Chapter 7, CCA Program Operating Results
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Total Retail Sales (MWh)* 926,829 1,089,009 1,135,234 1,097,030 1,635,748 1,598,958 1,735,655 1,715,879 1,752,517 2,248,816 4,005,519 4,077,081 4,160,096 RPS Procurement Quantity Requirement (%) 29% 31% 33% 36% 38% 41% 44% 47% 49% 52% 55% 57% 60% 2,496,058
Pioneer Community Energy
Gross RPS Procurement Quantity Requirement
(MWh)
RPS Requirements
(MWH)
2018 to 2030
268,780 337,593 374,627 391,640 628,127 657,172 760,217 797,884 862,238 1,167,136 2,187,013 2,336,168 CATEGORY 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 I. REVENUES FROM OPERATIONS ($)
ELECTRIC SALES REVENUE 24,734 72,205 78,705 84,349 123,241 197,318 219,875 240,387 243,133 247,076 385,306 472,024 487,259 LESS UNCOLLECTIBLE ACCOUNTS 123 359 779 2,494 1,359 1,993 2,221 2,428 2,456 2,496 5,047 6,173 6,372 TOTAL REVENUES 24,611 71,846 77,926 81,855 121,883 199,311 222,096 242,815 245,589 249,572 380,260 465,851 480,887 II. COST OF OPERATIONS ($)
(A) ADMINISTRATIVE AND GENERAL (A&G) 3,048 4,367 4,976 5,604 7,217 8,231 7,684 19,359 21,903 23,414 25,029 33,339 34,020 (B) COST OF ENERGY 15,449 63,195 63,933 73,862 100,746 154,793 150,016 208,976 221,145 208,468 346,550 423,675 435,289 (C) DEBT SERVICE 3,583 715 4,317 300 921 574 1,013 950 2,400 750 750 750 750 TOTAL COST OF OPERATION 22,081 68,278 73,226 79,766 108,884 163,598 158,713 229,285 245,448 232,632 372,329 457,765 470,059 CCA PROGRAM SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) 2,531 3,568 4,700 2,089 12,999 35,713 63,384 13,530 141 16,939 7,930 8,086 10,828 Pioneer Community Energy
Summary of CCA Program Phase-in
(January 2018 through June 2030)
11 December 2025 – Addendum No. 4
Expansion Addendum Appendices
Appendix A: Pioneer Community Energy Resolution No. 2025-48 Appendix B: Pioneer Joint Powers Agreement
Appendix C: County of Colusa CCA Ordinance
Appendix D: City of Colusa CCA Ordinance
Appendix E: City of Williams CCA Ordinance
Appendix F: Pioneer Community Energy Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent (July 31, 2017)
Appendix G: Pioneer Community Energy Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent Addendum 1 (December 17, 2020)
Appendix H: Pioneer Community Energy Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent Addendum 2 (December 16, 2022)
Appendix I: Pioneer Community Energy Implementation Plan and Statement of Intent Addendum 3 (March 11, 2025)
Staff Report – Item 5
To: The Governing Board
From: Sam Kang, Chief Operating Officer
Item 5: 02025 Energy Procurement Year in Review
Date: 12/18/2025
RECOMMENDATION
Receive an update on energy procurement activity in 2025.
BACKGROUND
Energy Procurement accounts for over 90% of Pioneer Community Energy’s (Pioneer) operating costs and the energy markets have been volatile in the past couple of years. Staff have assembled this report in order to provide an update on the state of the power markets, to explain the reasons for the increased market volatility, and to provide updates on energy procurement including portfolio optimization, procurement for expansion, legislative and regulatory compliance, and some biomass programs.
After a big runup in 2024, 2025 saw a decline in prices across the board for California Independent System Operator (CAISO) energy, renewable energy certificates (RECs), and resource adequacy (RA) primarily driven by more projects coming online, battery storage penetration onto the grid, milder weather, and lower natural gas prices.
In its continuous efforts to keep rates low for its customers, Pioneer was able to optimize its portfolio in 2025 and add over $5 million to the bottom line through swapping RECs, and resale of greenhouse gas (GHG) free credits, among other things.
Pioneer also issued four requests for proposals to procure energy, RECs, and RA for the expansion communities and executed five, with one pending positioning us in excellent shape for expansion. The total amount procured was 355 MW of solar and 362 MW of battery storage with a total notional value of approximately $2 billion. In addition, Pioneer is actively negotiating 1 other long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) (125 MW solar paired with 112 MW battery storage) that will bring the total notional value of PPAs executed in 2025 to over $2.5 billion. Pioneer will consider pursuing another prepay bond transaction in the coming year to maximize the value of the PPAs.
Despite a volatile market and a constantly changing regulatory environment, Pioneer continues to be compliant with all legislative and regulatory requirements, saving tens of millions of dollars in avoided cost penalties.
Finally, in line with the Pioneer Board’s directive prioritizing investments in biomass energy and reducing intermittency issues in our communities (e.g., public safety power shutoffs and enhance powerline safety settings), important progress has been made on biomass procurement through the bioenergy market adjusting tariff (BioMAT) and pursuit of funding through the microgrid incentive program (MIP).
ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION
Pioneer procures three types of energy products, namely CAISO Energy (Energy), RECs, and RA. The following are updates on the respective markets.
Agenda Item: 5 Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
Energy Markets
Forward Energy Prices have been on a decline since 2024. The reasons for the decline of Energy prices includes:
• Mild Weather Continuing
• Above average hydro production
• Battery penetration onto grid
• Cheap Natural Gas and Gas Storage surplus
The table below shows the year over year change of the forward curve for the time frame of January 2026 - December 2026, from snapshots taken on December 2024 and December 2025, respectively. The forward curve shows a decline in prices starting in January 2025. The mild weather and strong supply stack, stated above, are the main drivers behind the decline in prices.
REC Market
The exponential increase in pricing experienced over the last 2 years has slowed down and moved much lower. The current broker marks for forward Portfolio Content Category (PCC) 1 bucket RECs show that prices have declined from a high of $70/MWh in 2024 to around $19/MWh in 2026 as shown in the chart below.
The primary reasons for the decrease in prices are similar to energy prices, namely, that projects have come online and the buildout of battery storage has reduced curtailment amounting to more RECs being available.
Agenda Item: 5 Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
RA Market
Coming off of prices that have risen exponentially over the last few years, the 2025 annual strip is priced at $6/kW-mo, about 20% of what it was trading in 2024 as shown in the chart below.
There are several factors driving the decrease in RA prices:
• Delayed projects coming online
• More resources expected to come online
• Slice of Day requirements became clear
Starting in 2025, the CPUC RA requirement changed to an hourly basis called Slice of Day (SOD) instead of a monthly or yearly RA compliance measurement. This makes Pioneer’s compliance targets more complicated as now there is an hourly compliance requirement each month. Pioneer is compliant with the new SOD structure and continues to look for ways to be compliant at the lowest cost possible including swapping for different resource types that fit any gaps in our hourly profile requirements.
Portfolio Optimization
In its ongoing efforts to keep rates low for its customers, Pioneer successfully completed the following tasks in 2025:
Partnered with NextEra Analytics to optimize the Yellow Pine solar + storage PPA - utilizing proprietary trading algorithms, arbitraged day-ahead and real-time markets to capture ~ $2.8M in incremental value
Sold GHG-Free Large Hydro Allocation at nearly all-time high price for an estimated total profit of $1.9MM
Transacted a swap of Pioneer’s PCC1 RECs for PCC2 RECs and realized $900,000 in savings while better aligning our RPS portfolio
Under the new Slice of Day RA framework, swapped different types of resource RA to fill our SOD shape better while collecting tens of thousands of dollars in profit at the same time Pioneer has also implemented a new load forecasting tool that is expected to achieve a lower monthly Mean Absolute Percentage Error that would reduce procurement costs in the millions of dollars through optimizing trades in the day-ahead and real-time markets.
Agenda Item: 5 Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
Procurement for Expansion
In preparation for the new expansion communities in 2027, Pioneer negotiated and executed 5 long-term PPAs (355 MW of solar and 362 MW of battery storage) with a total notional value of approximately $2 billion. The projects include solar, 4-hour battery storage, and 8-hour battery storage. One of the projects is in the future expansion community of Colusa County. In addition, Pioneer is actively negotiating 1 other long-term PPA (125 MW solar paired with 112 MW battery storage) that will bring the total notional value of PPAs executed in 2025 to over $2.5 billion.
Regulatory Compliance
Pioneer prioritizes compliance with all the Legislative and Regulatory requirements from agencies such as the CPUC and California Energy Commission. Even with volatile market prices and a constantly changing regulatory environment, Pioneer has continued to stay in full compliance to save tens of millions of dollars in avoided cost penalties. Below is a list of the important compliance filings that Pioneer must complete:
Resource Adequacy
• Year Ahead Load Forecast
• Monthly Load Forecast Update
• Hourly SOD reporting
• Year Ahead Compliance Demonstration, System RA
• Year Ahead Compliance Demonstration, Flexible RA
• Historical load data, annual
• Monthly Compliance Demonstration, System and Flexible RA • Year Ahead RA Plan
• Monthly RA Plan
• Annual Flexible Capacity Needs Assessment
• MIC Expansion Request
• New Use Import Commitment
• Local RA participation in Central Procurement Entity (CPE) showings/auctions • CAISO Maximum Import Capability Allocation Process
Renewables Portfolio Standards
• Annual RPS Compliance Report
• WREGIS REC Retirement Report
• Periodic Certificate Retirement (ongoing; not specific to a compliance program) • Compliance Report Verification
• RPS Procurement Plan data templates and select portions of narrative • WREGIS account management, certificate transfer review and retirement.
Power Source Disclosure Program
• Annual Report: Power Source Disclosure Program
• Annual Power Source Disclosure Report and Power Content Label Attestation • Annual Power Content Label
Quarterly Fuels and Energy Reports (QFER)
• CEC-1306B - Load Serving Entity (LSE) Quarterly Report US Energy Information Agency
• EIA 861M
o EIA 861
Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR)
• IEPR Demand Forecast (Biennial)
• IEPR Resource Plans (Biennial)
Agenda Item: 5 Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
Integrated Resource Plan
• Load forecast comments and adjustments
• IRP data templates and select portions of plan narrative • D.19-11-016 and D.21-06-035 Mid-Term Reliability Procurement data template updates Joint Rate Comparison
• Joint Rate Comparison
• Joint Rate Comparison and Joint Rate Mailer
PCIA Price Reporting
• PCIA Resource Adequacy Price Data Request
• PCIA RPS Price Data Request
Annual Emission Performance Standard Compliance Filing
• Contracts and compliance category for all contracts with terms of five years or longer Microgrid Incentive Program
The MIP provides grant funding to support the development of clean community microgrids in disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. Pioneer is in the process of submitting a MIP application for four projects:
Georgetown, Foresthill, Grass Valley, and Nevada City. Pioneer will be notified on or about March 2026 if any of its projects are awarded grant funding.
BioMAT
Pioneer officially launched its BioMAT program in May 2024 and has received 3 Program Participation Requests (PPRs) and possibly 2 more by year-end. We expect to sign a PPA with West Biofuels for the Mariposa project by year-end, and the remaining 4 projects (including 1 in Grass Valley) are contingent on guidance from the CPUC on the interconnection study requirement.
Pioneer continues to actively search for other potential biomass projects, especially in its service territory.
Other biomass projects that Pioneer is in discussions with or in the pipeline include projects in Anderson (woody biomass), Oroville (woody biomass, rice hulls, and biogas from wastewater treatment), Mt. Lassen (woody biomass), and Georgetown and Foresthill (woody biomass via Microgrid Incentive Program).
STRATGIC PLAN
The recommendation supports the “Operational Optimization” goal.
FISCAL IMPACT
Power Procurement comprises over 90% of Pioneer’s Operating Budget.
ATTACHMENTS
There are no attachments to the report.
Planning a
Staff Report – Item 6
To: The Governing Board
From: Gina Stassi-Vanacore, Director of Communications
Item 6: Programs: 2025 Year In Review
Date: 12/18/2025
RECOMMENDATION
Receive a presentation on Pioneer Community Energy’s (“Pioneer”) Programs 2025 Year In Review.
BACKGROUND
At its June 15, 2023, meeting, the Pioneer Community Energy Board of Directors (“Board”) allocated one percent (1%) of energy and Green100 Sales revenues for the Fiscal Year (“FY”) to be earmarked for residential Programs.
During FY 2023-24, extensive research and planning were conducted to identify, develop, and initiate programs. An online Marketplace program launched in spring 2024 to simplify the process of shopping for the right solar product or installer by providing customers with quotes and product options all in one place.
Additionally, several programs were in the early stages of implementation but had not yet been launched by the end of the FY 2023-24.
For the FY 2024-25, staff worked with a one percent (1%) allocation of energy and Green100 Sales revenues ($2.3 million) for Program purposes. In addition, the Board approved unspent Program funds from fiscal year 2023-24 to ‘roll’ into the next fiscal year, adding $1.3 million to the Programs budget. During FY 2024-25, there was a significant increase in program activity with the promotion and launch of several new programs. Programs like AC Tune-Up Rebate and PowerShift Rewards launched in summer 2024 with abbreviated seasons; planning and billing logistics for GridGen were being finalized; and retail sites were being located to launch our LED Discount Lighting program.
With heightened awareness of existing programs and two percent (2%) of energy and Green100 Sales revenues for programs in FY 2025-26, the momentum for Programs remains very strong. From January – October 2025, a total of 4,375 customers have participated in at least one Pioneer program (nearly doubling program participation from 2024), with some customers participating in multiple Pioneer programs.
The variety of current program offerings allows Pioneer to reach its diverse customer base in different ways, creating added value, increased brand awareness, and loyalty. The success and popularity of programs in 2025 have also improved Pioneer's online reputation awareness, with a significant increase in online ratings (4.1 out of 5 on Google reviews), and have created new and unique ways to connect with local businesses and the communities Pioneer serves.
ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION
Key responsibilities of the Programs Division include researching, developing, and implementing residential and commercial programs in alignment with Pioneer’s 2025-27 Strategic Plan. Additionally, the Programs Division evaluates proposals and opportunities in other areas of interest that focus on saving ratepayers money and provide support for demand response and load management programs that advance regulatory compliance.
Virtually all Pioneer programs offer additional cost savings for customers. Additionally, several of our programs create opportunities for load shifting or load shedding to support grid resilience and enhance the overall efficiency of renewable resources. Programs also work to strengthen community partnerships. For example, the LED Discount Lighting program creates on-site visibility for Pioneer and foot traffic in retail stores throughout the service area. The GridGen and AC Tune-Up Rebate programs foster partnerships with area contractors who both support and benefit from these programs.
Agenda Item: 6 Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
Pioneer currently offers nine different program offerings, each with a unique benefit. Specific programs include:
Program Description PARTICIPATION & OUTCOMES
GridGen Solar-plus-Battery program with no upfront
costs or credit underwriting; supports grid
reliability and long-term rate stability
• Total of 276 leads (not all leads follow
through on system installation)
• 109 active projects in the pipeline,
working with both Tesla and channel
partners (as of 11/25/2025)
• 258.57 kW of solar capacity installed
through GridGen program through
October 2025
• 103,161.53 kWh of clean energy
generated through Grid Gen program
through October 2025
• 29 contractors participating in
GridGen program
GridGen
CARE
Expansion of GridGen program provides
incentives for income-qualified customers
participating in the statewide California
Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) and Family
Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) programs
• 14 signed contracts
• 48 actively engaged customers
PowerShift
Rewards
Seasonal (May through October) Demand
Response program that incentivizes customers
to reduce energy usage during peak load hours
or during designated “events”
• 2,248 customers currently enrolled
• 4.0 MWh of energy reduction during
2025 season
• 1.3 MW of load shed during 2025
season
(Note: 2025 was an uncharacteristically mild
summer.)
AC Tune-Up
Rebate
Seasonal (April through September) rebate
program that provides customers up to $75 for
an air conditioner tune-up – increasing the
unit’s efficiency and lowering customer bills
• 2,066 customers participated in 2025
• 227 contractors promoted the AC
Tune-Up Rebate program in 2025
LED Discount
Lighting
Partnership program with local retailers in
Pioneer’s service area provides energy efficient
lights and products at below market prices
• 28 local retailer currently participating
• FY 2024-25: 61,364 units distributed
• FY 2025-26 to date: 24,572 units of
inventory sold
• Program is very popular with
customers, with considerable positive
feedback received at community
events and customer care field days
Ice Energy A load shifting program for commercial and
industrial customers designed to use Ice BearTM
technology, which creates and stores ice when
energy rates are low and then uses the ice to
cool the building when energy rates are
highest.
• More than 200 site visits have been
conducted
• Site surveys have taken place at 33
locations
Hourly Flex
Pricing Pilot
Program
Participation in a statewide pilot program
designed to encourage and incentivize
agricultural customers to shift load by
scheduling energy usage related to irrigation
pumping, EV charging, or crop processing to
non-peak hours
• 2 customers currently enrolled
• 19 meters combined
Marketplace An online marketplace that simplifies the
process of shopping for the right solar product
• 21 leads have been generated through
the Electrum Marketplace
Agenda Item: 6 Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
or installer by providing customers with quotes
and product options all in one place
• Staff will continue to evaluate
opportunities to improve uptake in the
program
Incentive
Finder
A comprehensive online tool that helps
customers find incentives and rebates at the
local, state, and federal levels. Each search is
customized based on location and incentive
eligibility to make it easier for customers to
find additional ways to save money.
• Launched on December 1, 2025
Clean Fleet
Revenue
Allows Pioneer’s member agencies to aggregate
and monetize credits for the statewide Low
Carbon Fuels Standard program
Participating members include Rocklin
and Nevada City; City of Auburn in
pending.
Customer response to programs is overwhelmingly positive, resulting in re-enrollments, higher customer satisfaction ratings, and steadily increasing positive Google reviews. The significance of these reviews cannot be overstated, as they are often the first piece of information customers, members, and other stakeholders see online.
Staff are continuously engaged with program partners to ensure high levels of satisfaction and find ways to make programs even more attractive and beneficial to customers.
Looking ahead to 2026, staff anticipate an increase in demand for programs. Staff is focused on building on the success of current programs, including the likely expansion of the AC Tune-Up Rebate program to Commercial & Industrial customers; creating a mechanism for Pioneer member agencies to monetize the Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) from solar arrays; and the possibility of an electric vehicle infrastructure charging partnership that allows for increased visibility in high-traffic areas in our service area. Additionally, staff continues to perform due diligence on low-cost, high-impact Demand Response programs that can serve as customer savings programs and support regulatory compliance efforts.
STRATEGIC PLAN
These efforts align with Pioneer’s “Be a Community Partner,” and “Provide an Exceptional Customer Experience” strategic priorities.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact with this report.
ATTACHMENTS
There are no attachments to this report.
Staff Report – Item IV-B
To: The Governing Board
From: Donald Eckert Jr., Chief Executive Officer
Item IV-B: CEO Report
Date: 12/18/2025
PERSONNEL
Pioneer is excited to welcome two new members to the team:
Dana Murphy, Power Supply Analyst II - Dana comes to Pioneer with a background in electrical engineering, focused on statistical processes, information theory and signal processing. After receiving a B.S. from Cornell University and an M.S. from Stanford University, she spent two years working at SpaceX in the satellite communications department. However, since the energy sector has been her long-time passion, she has decided to join Pioneer to both pursue her passion and give back to the community! Dana is particularly interested in distributed energy resources and optimal load scheduling and is looking forward to applying her experience in probability and optimization to these areas and many more. In her free time, Dana loves to travel, ski and craft.
Dominique Nelson, Customer Care Coordinator - Dominque joined Pioneer on December 1 as the newest addition to our Customer Care team. Dominque comes to us with a unique blend of skills and experience, having provided front line service to customers as a flight attendant in her most recent job and previously handling technical inquiries, billing support, and product tours as a customer service rep for a software company. Her strong background in customer service, technical support, and operational coordination will make her a valuable member of our team.
There are no active recruitments.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AGREEMENTS EXECUTED (NON-POWER SUPPLY) The following agreements have been conducted by the Chief Executive Officer, consistent with the authority delegated by the Board:
Amendment No. 1 to Consultant Services Agreement with Bryce Consulting for recruitment services to increase the total not-to-exceed amount from $50,000 to $99,000 and to extend the term expiration to December 31, 2026.
RATES FOR 2026
The Board usually discusses rates in December to be effective in the new year. This year, there is uncertainty with the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (“PCIA”) with efforts to reverse a very unfavorable direction.
Under current projections, the PCIA will impact all Community Choice Aggregators rate competitiveness with those in Pacific Gas & Electric’s (“PG&E”) territory significantly impacted.
PG&E’s rates, including the PCIA, will be final near the end of the year. A robust rates discussion will be scheduled at the January 2026 meeting.
Agenda Item: IV-B Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER POWER SUPPLY CONTRACTS EXECUTIED The following agreements have been conducted by the Chief Executive Officer, consistent with the authority delegated by the Board:
PRESENTATIONS AND RELEVANT MEETINGS ATTENDED BY THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
1. Participated in CalCCA Weekly/Monthly Board meetings.
2. Presented at the County of Madera Board of Supervisors regarding joining Pioneer.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Agenda Planning Document
2. Legislative and Regulatory Report
3. Communications Report
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
On behalf of all the staff at Pioneer, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Counterparty Name Execution
Date Type Product Start Date End Date Notional Value
Calpine Energy Services, L.P. 11/13/2025 Sell Resource Adequacy - Flex 1/1/2026 2/28/2026 $90,000 Agenda Planning Document – Pioneer Community Energy ATTACHMENT 1 12-1-25
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
DECEMBER 18, 2025
SPECIAL MEETING
PH & REGULAR MEETING
3:00 PM
(Post Agenda: December 12)
JANUARY 15, 2026
REGULAR MEETING
3:00 PM
(Post Agenda: January 9)
FEBRUARY 19, 2026
REGULAR MEETING
3:00 PM
(Post Agenda: February 9)
IN THE FUTURE
Special Meeting
Closed Session
(1)Conference with Legal Counsel
(1)Conference with Labor Negotiator
Regular Meeting
3:00 PM
Consent 1a Minutes for Approval-NOV 20, 2025 Minutes for Approval-DEC 18, 2025 Minutes for Approval-JAN 15, 2026 1b Receive Draft Financials OCT 2025
(Koehn)
Receive Draft Financials NOV 2025
(Koehn)
Receive Draft Financials DEC 2025
(Koehn)
RES Contract Renewal – Calpine (Koehn)
1c RES IT Policies – part 3 (Koehn) RES Governing Board 2026 Schedule (FEB 2026-JAN 2027) (Eckert)
2026 RES Yes Energy (Kang)
1d RES Amendment No. 6 to CEO
Employment Agreement (GC/Board
Chair)
1e
Presentation 2 Solar REC Program Update
(action-Stassi-Vanacore)
Annual Financial Audit (discussion –
Koehn)
Celebratory Toast-Debt Free APR Legislative Platform 2026 APR CAISO Tour
Regular 3 RES JPA Amendment No. 8
(action-Eckert)
Annual Selection of Board Officers
(action-Eckert)
FY 2025-26 Midyear Budget Review
(discussion – Koehn)
MAY RES IRP (Integrated Resource Plan) –
(action-Kang)
4 RES Addendum No. 4 to
Implementation Plan (action-Eckert)
Annual Appointment of ad hoc EPRC
Members (2026)
Update on Advertising Campaign
(discussion- Stassi-Vanacore)
Future JPA Structure of Pioneer
5 Power Procurement Year-in-Review
(discussion-Kang)
PH – RES Rates (action-Eckert) Large Load Policy (action – Kang) Administrative Recommendations for Pioneer’s Board Meetings
6 Programs Year-in-Review
(discussion- Stassi-Vanacore)
Recognition of Board Members
(action-Eckert)
RES Rebate Program
(action-Stassi-Vanacore)
Power Prepay #2
7 Board Orientation Workshop;
Q2 Resource Planning for Expansion
8 Presentation (discussion-Eckert)
guest: Dr. Ahmad Faruqui (in person)
General Function II Chief Executive Officer’s Report
REG Reports:
Leg/Reg; Communications; Programs
Chief Executive Officer’s Report
REG Reports:
Leg/Reg; Communications; Programs;
QTRLY Updates requested by the Board
Strategic Plan Objectives
Sponsorship Activity
Chief Executive Officer’s Report
REG Reports:
Leg/Reg; Communications; Programs
Chief Executive Officer’s Report
QTRLY Updates requested by the Board
JAN – APR – JULY – OCT
Strategic Plan Objectives
Sponsorship Activity
Informational Items
Glossary of Terms
Informational Items
Glossary of Terms
Informational Items
Glossary of Terms
Agenda Planning Document – Pioneer Community Energy ATTACHMENT 1 12-1-25
AUDIT/FINANCE COMMITTEE TO BE SCHEDULED – JANUARY
in-person & remote locations IN THE FUTURE
David Ring, Chair
Richard Pearl, Vice Chair
Greg Janda
Gary Petersen
o May 12, 2025 Minutes
o Rates
o Financial Audit
Selection of Officers through 2026
ENERGY PROCUREMENT REVIEW
AD HOC COMMITTEE
TO BE SCHEDULED
zoom only IN THE FUTURE
Gary Petersen, Chair
Alice Dowdin Calvillo, Vice Chair
Ryan Carter
Greg Janda
Sean Lomen
o (JAN-BOARD) Annual Appointment of EPRC Members (2026) Selection of Officers through 2026
EXPANSION
AD HOC COMMITTEE
TO BE SCHEDULED
zoom only IN THE FUTURE
Alice Dowdin Calvillo, Chair
Tom Ivy, Vice Chair
Suzanne Jones
Lori Parlin
o Selection of Officers through 2026
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE TO BE SCHEDULED – DECEMBER
in-person & remote locations IN THE FUTURE
Board - Chair
Board - Vice Chair
Committee Chairs
Board Chair, Ex Officio (prior year)
o September 11, 2025 Minutes
o Administration of Meetings for Large Boards
o Governance Best Practices
Selection of Officers through 2026
COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER DECEMBER 17, 2025 IN THE FUTURE Meets on the 4th Wednesday
(even-numbered months)
Attachment: Legislative and Regulatory Update
Date: 12/18/2025
Legislative Affairs
• As part of Pioneer’s 2025 Legislative Policy and Platform that the Board of Directors approved, Pioneer staff have submitted letters of support for the following bills:
o AB 706 (Aguiar-Curry): This is a Pioneer-sponsored bill that would establish the FOREST and Wildfire Prevention Fund to promote biomass utilization that contributes to California’s wildfire fuel reduction targets while providing clean firm energy to improve grid resiliency. o AB 66 (Tangipa): This bill would provide a temporary CEQA exemption, until January 1, 2032, for projects that create or improve emergency egress routes in residential areas and communities that currently lack a secondary route.
o SB 88 (Caballero): This bill would require the California Air Resources Board, CalFire, and the California Energy Commission to take specific steps to track, locate, and quantify the emissions from the burning of forest and agricultural waste. This bill aims to encourage the beneficial use of biomass residues to prevent wildfires and avoid managed open-pile burning. o SB 540 (Becker): This bill would provide the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) with authority to implement the “Pathways Initiative”, which would allow CAISO to tap into a wider market of electricity sources throughout the broader Western region. Many studies have shown that establishing a regional energy market stands to provide Californians with significant cost savings, enhanced grid reliability, and reduced air pollution. o AB 1227 (Essayli): This bill would affirm the Governor’s State of Emergency Proclamation, issued on March 1, 2025, ordering state agencies to fast-track critical wildfire prevention projects by requiring specified state agencies to report on these expedited projects. The bill would also create a temporary CEQA exemption, until January 1, 2028, for critical fuels reduction projects conducted in communities located in high fire hazard severity zones. • On September 19, 2025, the Governor signed a package of bills aimed at promoting energy affordability and state climate goals. The energy-related bills include:
o AB 825: This bill would enable the Pathways Initiative by authorizing CAISO to participate in a Western regional energy market.
o AB 1207: This bill extends the California Cap and Trade Program, rebranded as “Cap and Invest” beyond 2030 to 2045.
o SB 254: This is an affordability omnibus bill that has a broad range of provisions aimed at promoting energy affordability and strengthening the state’s Wildfire Fund. • As of October 13, 2025, the deadline for the Governor to sign or veto the bills on his desk, below are the final results for Pioneer’s high-priority bills for the 2025 legislative session:
o AB 706: Held in Senate policy committee
o AB 825 (previously SB 540): Signed by Governor
o AB 66: Held in Senate policy committee
o SB 88: Vetoed by Governor
o AB 1227: Held in Senate appropriations committee
Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
Regulatory Affairs
Below is a summary table of key terms and issues, followed by further details on activities since our last Board Meeting, including a few ongoing priority Pioneer regulatory proceedings and matters. New updates are color-coded in green. More updates will follow at future Board meetings as regulatory proceedings and matters evolve.
Key Terms
CPUC- California Public Utilities Commission OIR- Order Instituting Rulemaking/ “Proceeding” CEC- California Energy Commission ALJ- Administrative Law Judge LSE- Load Serving Entity AL- Advice Letter
IOU- Investor-Owned Utility PD- Proposed Decision
CAISO- California Independent System Operator D.- Decision ED- Energy Division PfM- Petition for Modification
PG&E- Pacific Gas and Electric Company CalCCA- California Community Choice Association Table of Contents:
• BioMAT Implementation – R.18-07-003; R.22-10-010; R.24-01-017: .................................................3 • Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) – R.20-05-003; R.25-06-019: .....................................................4 • Renewables Portfolio Standards (RPS) – R.24-01-017; CEC OIR 21-RPS-02: .......................................5 • Resource Adequacy (RA) – R.23-10-011; R.25-10-003: ....................................................................6 • Large Loads (PG&E Rule 30) – A.24-11-007: ...................................................................................6 • Demand Response – R.25-09-004:.................................................................................................8 • PG&E Energy Resource Recovery Account (ERRA) Compliance and Forecast: .......................................9 o 2024 ERRA Compliance – A.25-02-013: ......................................................................................9 o 2026 ERRA Forecast – A.25-05-011:......................................................................................... 10 • PG&E General Rate Case Phase (GRC) 1 – A.25-05-009:................................................................. 12 • PG&E General Rate Case Phase (GRC) 2 – A.24-09-014:................................................................. 13 • Provider of Last Resort (POLR) – R.21-03-011: .............................................................................. 14 • CEC Load Management Standards (LMS) – CEC 21-OIR-03; 23-LMS-01:........................................... 15 • Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA) – R.25-02-005: ........................................................ 16 • Safety & Reliability OIR– R.24-05-023: ......................................................................................... 18 • Disconnections – R.18-07-005:.................................................................................................... 19 • High-DER Future – R.21-06-017: ................................................................................................. 20 • Distributed Energy Resources – R.22-11-013: ............................................................................... 20 • Distributed Energy Resource Interconnections (Rule 21) – R.25-08-004: .......................................... 21 Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
• BioMAT Implementation – R.18-07-003; R.22-10-010; R.24-01-017:
a. Proceeding Overview
i. Assembly Bill (AB) 843, chaptered in 2021, enabled CCAs to access the CPUC’s Bioenergy Market Adjusting Tariff (BioMAT) program, which is a feed-in-tariff program for small-scale bioenergy projects. The implementation of AB 843 was considered in R.22-10-010, while the ongoing review and revision of the BioMAT program continues to be considered in the RPS proceedings, R.18-07-003 and R.24-01-017. b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. Pioneer is an administrator of the BioMAT program, which acts as a much-needed incentive for local bioenergy development. The regulatory implementation of the BioMAT program, specifically the extension of the sunset date and revisions to the pricing mechanism, affects Pioneer's ability to administer the program effectively. c. Key Issues
i. Expeditiously implement AB 843 to allow CCA access to the BioMAT program for future subsidies for biomass procurement.
ii. Advocate for ongoing CPUC review and revisions to the BioMAT program’s sunset date, to ensure CCAs will be able to continue effectively administering the program. d. Status Update
i. April 7, 2025 - Pioneer, in partnership with Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA), filed comments on Bioenergy Association of California’s (BAC) PfM supporting the request for extension of the BioMAT sunset date.
ii. October 8, 2025 - Pioneer and RCEA filed opening comments on the CPUC’s PD denying BAC’s PfM, providing further arguments for how the PD errs in rejecting BAC’s request to extend BioMAT.
iii. The PD denying BAC’s PfM was initially placed on the consent agenda for the October 30, 2025, CPUC voting meeting. However, the item has been placed on hold multiple times and is currently scheduled to be voted on during the upcoming December 18, 2025, CPUC meeting.
e. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. D.20-08-04, Revising the BioMAT Program (August 27, 2020):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M346/K112/346112503.PDF • Most notably extending the program end date to December 31, 2025 ii. D.23-11-084, Implementing AB 843 – Setting Rules to Enable CCAs to Participate in the BioMAT Program (November 30, 2023):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M521/K266/521266723.PDF iii. BAC PfM to Modify D.20-08-043 (March 6, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M558/K427/558427287.PDF • BAC urges the CPUC to consider extension of BioMAT sunset date iv. PD Denying BAC PfM to Modify D.20-08-043 (September 18, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M580/K430/580430313.PDF v. Opening Comments of Joint CCAs (Pioneer and RCEA) on PD Allowing the BioMAT Program to Sunset (October 8, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M582/K487/582487980.PDF Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
f. Key Dates
i. December 18, 2025 – The PD denying BAC’s PfM regarding the BioMAT sunset date and other program revisions is set to be voted on during the CPUC voting meeting g. Pioneer Lead: Chau Pham
• Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) – R.20-05-003; R.25-06-019:
a. Proceeding Overview
i. This proceeding acts as the venue for long-term procurement planning, primarily through procurement mandates and compliance evaluations of LSEs' individual IRP plans. Historically, the CPUC has issued procurement mandates, most notably the mid-term reliability (MTR) orders, specifying how much and what kind of resources LSEs are obligated to buy, to ensure the state's electricity supply is reliable, cost-effective, and on track to meet greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals. The CPUC is currently developing a 10-year forward procurement program to support longer-term market stability, grid reliability, and GHG reduction goals.
b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. Pioneer is required to comply with IRP procurement and filing requirements. IRP plans are due in 2-year cycles; the current cycle is 2024-2026, and the next IRP plan is due on May 5, 2026. Furthermore, CPUC-issued procurement orders have a significant impact on the procurement market in which Pioneer operates. Therefore, it is in Pioneer’s best interest to advocate for policies that ensure any CPUC-issued procurement orders preserve CCA procurement autonomy and flexibility to the greatest extent possible, so that Pioneer can engage in fair, competitive, and cost-effective procurement. c. Key Issues
i. Minimize costly procurement orders coming from the IRP, especially near-term ad-hoc orders.
ii. Advocate for procurement planning policies that prioritize affordable baseload resources such as biomass energy.
d. Status Update
i. October 28, 2025 - The CPUC issued the new IRP scoping memo and ruling, setting the deadline for individual IRP plans to May 5, 2026, and the scope and schedule for the remainder of the proceeding through 2026.
ii. November 7, 2025 – The CPUC issued a mid-term reliability (MTR) compliance notice to Pioneer, indicating that Pioneer has met its MTR compliance requirements for 2023 and 2024.
e. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. ALJ Ruling Seeking Comments on Reliable and Clean Power Procurement Program (RCPPP) Staff Proposal (April 29, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M565/K140/565140721.PDF ii. ALJ Ruling Seeking Comments on Proposed 2026-2027 Transmission Planning Process (TPP) Portfolios and Need for Additional Near-Term Reliability Procurement (September 30, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M582/K082/582082526.PDF Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
iii. R.25-06-019 Scoping Memo and Ruling (October 28, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M585/K485/585485746.PDF f. Key Dates
i. November 2025 – ALJ ruling containing filing requirements for LSEs for their individual IRPs
ii. February 2026 – Final Decision on Potential Interim Order for Reliability Procurement and 2026-2027 CAISO TPP Recommendations
iii. May 6, 2026 – LSEs' Individual IRP Plans Due
g. Pioneer Lead: Chau Pham
• Renewables Portfolio Standards (RPS) – R.24-01-017; CEC OIR 21-RPS-02:
a. Proceeding Overview
i. This proceeding acts as the venue for the CPUC’s implementation and administration of the state's RPS program, which aims to achieve 60% renewable energy by 2030 and 100% carbon-free by 2045.
b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. Pioneer is required to comply with the state’s RPS goals. All retail sellers must submit an annual preliminary RPS compliance report each year on August 1 to be evaluated by the CPUC in this proceeding. RPS compliance is evaluated in multi-year periods; we are currently in compliance period 5 (2025-2027). The next RPS target is 52% by 2027. It is Pioneer's priority to ensure RPS rules maintain the highest possible compliance flexibility (allowing for banked RECs, etc.) to enable cost-effective procurement.
c. Key Issues
i. Ensure any RPS rules maintain compliance flexibility to the highest degree possible. ii. Advocate for fair inclusion of biomass resources in the RPS program and guidelines (this may also take place in the CEC RPS proceeding), including the ongoing administration of the BioMAT program.
d. Status Update
i. June 30, 2025 - Pioneer filed our 2025 RPS Procurement Plan to the CPUC, providing an overview of our procurement progress and plans to meet current and future load needs for our service territories, in accordance with the RPS mandates. ii. November 14, 2025 – The CPUC issued a PD adopting, with modifications, the Draft 2025 RPS Procurement Plans for various LSEs, including Pioneer. The PD indicated that Pioneer’s plan requires additional information regarding transportation electrification forecasting. Pioneer’s Final 2025 RPS Procurement Plan, with the specified modifications, will be filed 30 days after the issuance of the final decision. e. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. Pioneer Community Energy Draft 2025 RPS Procurement Plan (June 30, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M571/K990/571990166.PDF ii. PD on 2025 RPS Procurement Plans (November 14, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M587/K328/587328286.PDF Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
f. Key Dates
i. Awaiting final decision on 2025 Draft Procurement Plans g. Pioneer Lead: Chau Pham
• Resource Adequacy (RA) – R.23-10-011; R.25-10-003:
a. Proceeding Overview
i. This proceeding aims to ensure the reliability of CA's electricity supply by requiring LSEs to procure sufficient resources to meet their load and maintain a planning reserve margin (PRM). The RA program recently implemented a slice-of-day (SOD) framework, ensuring LSEs are compliant for every hour of the worst day of the month. b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. Pioneer is required to comply with RA procurement requirements and filings. Annual (year-ahead) filings are due on October 31 each year, and monthly (month-ahead) filings are due 45 calendar days prior to the compliance month. Furthermore, RA requirements have a significant impact on the procurement market in which Pioneer operates. Therefore, Pioneer advocates for RA procurement requirements and policies that minimize adverse effects on the RA market.
c. Key Issues
i. Advocate for refinements in the RA program that minimize RA requirements (based on robust modeling) to ensure adequate market availability and guard against RA price volatility.
ii. Advocate for simplifying RA showings/ compliance requirements to the greatest extent possible.
d. Status Update
i. November 4, 2025 - The CPUC issued a new RA OIR, 25-10-003, to continue overseeing RA procurement obligations for LSEs beginning with the 2027 compliance year, and consider structural reforms to the program. CalCCA filed opening comments on the OIR recommending the CPUC consider the following items in the proceeding’s scope: 1) RA hourly load transactability proposal, 2) load forecasting issues, 3) clarifying intended use of the RA data request responses in CPE procurement decisions, 4) updates to MIC showing requirements to align with SOD framework, 5) consideration of demand response, distributed energy resources, and microgrid accreditation. We are currently waiting for the CPUC to issue a Scoping Ruling. e. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. Issuance of OIR 25-10-003 (October 15, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M583/K934/583934825.PDF f. Key Dates
i. The procedural schedule will be established by a forthcoming Scoping Ruling. g. Pioneer Lead: Chau Pham
• Large Loads (PG&E Rule 30) – A.24-11-007:
a. Proceeding Overview
Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
i. This is PG&E's proposed tariff to address the interconnection of non-residential customers requesting retail electric service at transmission-level voltages between 50 kilovolts (kV) and 230 kV, otherwise known as transmission-level customers. These large loads are becoming more significant as data centers propagate. PG&E’s current electric rules are intended for distribution-level interconnections. As such, when a customer applies for transmission-level retail electric service, PG&E and the customer negotiate unique interconnection terms, and PG&E is required to make an “exceptional case” filing with the Commission for approval of the negotiated agreement. PG&E states that creating a uniform tariff (proposed Electric Rule 30) will streamline both the negotiation process and the approval process, resulting in a faster interconnection timeline.
b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. New large loads, such as data centers, located in Pioneer’s service territory, present both challenges and opportunities to Pioneer. If Pioneer is going to provide generation service to these customers, it needs visibility into which ones are expected to come online within its service territory (if any) for procurement planning. It will also need a commitment from these customers far enough in advance for Pioneer to procure resources before any compliance deadlines to serve these new loads. c. Key Issues
i. Ensure Pioneer obtains information regarding new large loads when that information is obtained by the IOU, either before or at the time of a customer request for interconnection with the IOU’s transmission or distribution system; ii. Ensure the ability of Pioneer to adequately prepare to serve customers through timely access to information regarding large loads; and
iii. Support customer choice of generation providers by ensuring IOUs and CCAs compete on a level playing field.
d. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. PG&E Application for Approval of Electric Rule No. 30 for Transmission-Level Retail Electric Service (Nov. 21, 2024):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=547155949 ii. Joint CCA Response to Application (Dec. 23, 2024):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M549/K797/549797836.PDF iii. PG&E Motion for Interim Implementation of Rule 30 (Jan. 24, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=555445559 iv. Joint CCA Response to Motion for Interim Implementation (Feb. 10, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=556602084 v. Scoping Ruling (March 11, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=558423070 vi. D.25-07-039, partly granting PG&E’s Motion for Interim Implementation of Rule 30 (July 28, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M574/K875/574875643.PDF e. Status Update
i. October 24, 2025 - CalCCA filed its Opening Brief, including arguments to: (1) make permanent protocols for information sharing adopted on an interim basis to allow CCAs to receive large load interconnection applications soon after receipt by PG&E; (2) Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
require PG&E to provide the same large load information to impacted CCAs as it provides to the CEC; (3) reject PG&E’s proposed privacy/cybersecurity requirements for Rule 30 information provided to CCAs; and (4) reject PG&E’s proposed requirements for customers to provide notice of their choice of generation service provider.
ii. FERC has invited comments on the U.S. Department of Energy’s direction that FERC open a new rulemaking and potentially assert jurisdiction over large load transmission system interconnections. PG&E informed CalCCA that it will submit comments recommending that Rule 30 take precedence over a federal rule. iii. November 11, 2025 - the Administrative Law Judge issued a Ruling suspending the procedural schedule, including Reply Briefs, which were due on November 24, 2025. f. Key Dates
i. June 20, 2025 - Intervenor Testimony
ii. August 19, 2025- Rebuttal Testimony
iii. September 22-24, 2025 - Evidentiary Heary
iv. October 24, 2025 - Opening Briefs
v. November 24, 2025 - Reply Briefs
vi. February 2026 - Proposed Decision
vii. March 2026 - Final Decision
g. Pioneer Lead: Lee Ewing
• Demand Response – R.25-09-004:
a. Proceeding Overview
i. This rulemaking will revisit and enhance the CPUC's "demand response guiding principles, policies, and data system and process requirements." In particular, the rulemaking seeks to enhance the consistency, predictability, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of demand response (DR) resources. Issues that the CPCU could address in this proceeding are dual participation of DR resources among different programs, adjustments to the DR guiding principles, and integration into other systems and processes, including the resource adequacy slice of day (RA SOD) and the CAISO market.
b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. Under the law, demand response and energy efficiency are the first resources that electric corporations use to meet their needs, so there is a statutory mandate to generally include it in the California resource mix. There could also be a specific impact on Pioneer's programs that fall under the umbrella of demand response, including the PowerShift Rewards program.
c. Key Issues
i. Pursue systems and processes that support timely and consistent Pioneer access to customer interval data, both billing-quality and non-billing-quality ii. Ensure Pioneer customers have equitable access to demand response resources. iii. Ensure new policies or programs do not encroach on Pioneer rate and program autonomy.
Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
d. Status Update
i. November 13, 2025 - CalCCA is filing comments on the Order Instituting Rulemaking (OIR) to recommend that the CPUC amend the OIR preliminary scope to include issues important to CCAs with demand response programs, including concerning data sharing systems, and making sure that CCA programs stand on equal footing with investor-owned utility programs. ii. December 1, 2025 - CalCCA filed comments in response to the opening comments of other parties, including recommending that the Commission consider customer experience in its rulemaking.
e. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. Order Instituting Rulemaking (Sept. 18, 2025) (including the Demand Response Guiding Principles Staff Report):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M582/K072/582072320.PDF f. Key Dates
i. Order Instituting Rulemaking (OIR) - September 29, 2025 ii. Comments on OIR - 45 days after OIR
iii. Reply comments on OIR - 60 days after OIR
iv. Prehearing Conference - 90 days after OIR
v. Scoping Memorandum - Q1 2026
vi. Staff Proposal (data systems and processes) - Q1 2026 vii. Staff Proposal Workshop - Q1 2026
viii. Comments on Staff Proposal - 30 days after Staff Proposal ix. Proposed Decision (data systems and processes; guiding principles) - Q3 2026 x. Commission Decision - No sooner than 30 days from PD g. Pioneer Lead: Lee Ewing
• PG&E Energy Resource Recovery Account (ERRA) Compliance and Forecast:
o 2024 ERRA Compliance – A.25-02-013:
a. Proceedings Overview
i. Generally, the ERRA Compliance proceedings review IOU accounting for its generation costs in the previous year, which includes accounting related to the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA) and Portfolio Allocation Balancing Account (PABA). The purpose is to ensure accuracy and compliance with legal requirements, including CPUC rules and decisions.
b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. Although typically not as contentious as the ERRA Forecast proceedings, PG&E's applications in the ERRA Compliance proceedings often include errors or non-compliant activities that, when corrected, result in a credit to unbundled customers via the PCIA, which is incorporated in the ERRA Forecast proceedings. This proceeding is also an opportunity to review PG&E's activities related to its PCIA resources, although transparency is always a challenge.
Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
b. Key Pioneer Issues
i. Ensure qualifying facilities and contracts were prudently administered and managed, entries in balancing and memorandum accounts were recorded appropriately, correctly, and in compliance with CPUC decisions, and whether recovery for the 2024 record year costs is reasonable.
c. Status Update
i. The ALJ issued a Ruling reopening discovery in PG&E’s 2024 ERRA Compliance case and amended the schedule, pushing Evidentiary Hearings from December 4 to December 18, 2025. CalCCA had met with PG&E and Cal Advocates to reopen discovery after the initial discovery deadline of September 10, 2025. Originally, CalCCA filed a Motion to remove that deadline, but the ALJ denied the Motion. The discovery CalCCA seeks will answer questions that could resolve the need for Evidentiary Hearings.
d. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. PG&E Application (February 28, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=557607577 ii. CalCCA Protest (April 4, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=561478629 iii. Scoping Ruling (May 2, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=565140242 e. Key Dates
i. Intervenors' Testimony - September 15, 2025
ii. Rebuttal Testimony - October 24, 2025
iii. Evidentiary Hearing - December 2, 2025
iv. Opening Briefs - January 5, 2026
v. Reply Briefs - February 6, 2026
vi. Proposed Decision - no later than 90 days after reply briefs vii. Final Decision - no sooner than 30 days after Proposed Decision f. Pioneer Lead: Lee Ewing
o 2026 ERRA Forecast – A.25-05-011:
a. Proceedings Overview
i. ERRA Forecast Applications are filed annually by IOUs to forecast energy procurement-related revenue requirements, which include forecast allocation of costs across Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA) vintages.
b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. This is the proceeding in which the PCIA revenue requirement for the following rate year (i.e., 2026 in this proceeding) is established. Parties and the CPUC determine the revenue requirement by reducing the costs of PCIA resources to their value and adding any over- or under-collection of PCIA from the current rate year (i.e., 2025 in this proceeding). That revenue requirement is then assigned to customer vintages, based on the resource's vintage, to develop PCIA rates. Given that all of Pioneer's customers pay PCIA rates, Pioneer's goal is to ensure that its customers pay only the Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
costs we actually incurred on their behalf and receive the full value of the PCIA resources.
a. Key Pioneer Issues
i. Ensure the accuracy of forecast account balances and rates, cost calculations in workpapers, and Market Price Benchmarks (MPBs) calculations. ii. Ensure costs are attributed to the proper PCIA vintage. iii. Ensure costs are attributed properly between bundled and unbundled customers. iv. Ensure IOU IOU-specific proposals are appropriate for an ERRA Forecast proceeding. b. Status Update
i. October 15, 2025 - PG&E submitted its October Update Testimony incorporating the PCIA MPBs that Energy Division published on October 1, 2025. The 2025 Final MPBs and the updated 2026 Forecast MPBs lead to PG&E PCIA vintage rate increases that decrease CCA headroom by approximately 50 percent for the 2018 vintage (used as a proxy for the average).
ii. November 10, 2025 - CalCCA filed Comments on PG&E’s October Update, which continue to support CalCCA’s positions on valuation of pre-2019 banked Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) and opposition to PG&E’s resource adequacy slice of day (RA SOD) proposal.
iii. November 21, 2025 - the Administrative Law Judge issued a proposed decision that would adopt Southern California Edison’s (SCE’s) RA SOD framework, rather than either of PG&E’s proposals, which CalCCA supported if there was a departure from the status quo. The proposed decision would also adopt PG&E’s Pre-2019 Banked REC proposal to value those RECs at zero as an interim solution. This punts the permanent decision on how to value these RECs to a future rulemaking (presumably the PCIA Rulemaking, Phase 2). CCAs will receive some PCIA rate increase relief from the adoption of SCE’s RA SOD proposal over PG&E’s proposal, however the valuation of Pre-2019 Banked RECs at zero will contribute to the large PCIA rate increases in addition to the decreased market prices and the Track 1 PCIA Decision’s methodology shift for the RA MPB.
iv. December 1, 2025 - CalCCA filed comments on the proposed decision, arguing that its findings on the banked REC issue are consistent with customer indifference and past practice by PG&E. The comments also provided additional evidence of the inequitable impact of recent Commission decisions on unbundled customers. c. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. PG&E Application (May 15, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=566243428 ii. Scoping Ruling (June 20, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=574962660 iii. CalCCA Brief (October 24, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=585485747 d. Key Dates
i. A final decision in this proceeding is anticipated in December 2025, with implementation into rates beginning January 1, 2026.
e. Pioneer Lead: Lee Ewing
Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
• PG&E General Rate Case (GRC) Phase 1 – A.25-05-009:
a. Proceeding Overview
i. In four-year cycles, IOUs submit GRC applications for authority to adjust rates and charges for electric and gas service based on a future test year (TY). The revenue requirements include costs for electric and gas distribution systems, administrative expenses, and customer service costs.
ii. In the GRC Phase 1, the CPUC establishes the IOU's overall revenue requirement, which is later allocated in rates to different customer classes in the GRC Phase 2. This includes establishing the operating and capital costs to be recovered for the IOU's transmission, distribution, and generation functions.
b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. The costs of PG&E's Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA) generation resources will be established here and later recovered through the PCIA rates via the ERRA Forecast proceeding.
ii. This proceeding will also establish revenue requirements for PG&E programs that could benefit customers in Pioneer's service territory, including resiliency and backup power initiatives to support areas disproportionately impacted by outages. c. Key Issues
i. Ensure accuracy and reasonableness of forecast costs ii. Ensure revenue requirements are properly allocated to PCIA vintages iii. Ensure costs are properly allocated across major work categories iv. Prevent unwarranted or unreasonable increases to CCA service fees d. Status Update
i. Cal Advocates and the Small Business Utility Advocates (SBUA) filed a joint motion to amend the procedural schedule in PG&E's Phase I GRC. They argue that this amendment is necessary because PG&E has been delayed in responding to intervenors' proposed alternatives to PG&E’s Undergrounding Bridge Program (through which PG&E proposes to fund up to 1,200 miles of electrical undergrounding at a cost of about $3.6 billion via a Tier 2 AL process). Cal Advocates and SBUA argue that the current intervenor testimony due date of February 13, 2026, is untenable and request that such testimony be delayed to April 3, 2026. CalCCA plans to file a response in support of the motion.
e. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. PG&E Phase 1 2027 Application (May 15, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=566363587 ii. PG&E Phase 1 2027 Scoping Ruling (July 31, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=575112973 f. Key Dates
i. Intervenors’ testimony - February 13, 2026
ii. Rebuttal testimony - March 31, 2026
iii. Case Management Conference
iv. Statement and Motions for Settlement - April 13, 2026 Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
v. Evidentiary hearings - Starting April 27, 2026
vi. Opening briefs - June 19, 2026
vii. Reply briefs - July 10, 2026
viii. Proposed decision - March 2027
ix. Commission decision May - 2027
g. Pioneer Lead: Lee Ewing
• PG&E General Rate Case Phase 2 – A.24-09-014:
a. Proceeding Overview
i. In four-year cycles, IOUs submit GRC applications for authority to adjust rates and charges for electric and gas service based on a future test year (TY). The revenue requirements include costs for electric and gas distribution systems, administrative expenses, and customer service costs.
ii. The GRC Phase 2 focuses on the design of PG&E's rates and includes proposals for real-time pricing. This follows the GRC Phase 1, which determines the cost of service. b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. PG&E is proposing to escalate fees for meter data management, rate-ready consolidated billing fee, and bill-ready consolidated billing fee. ii. How PG&E implements RTP and how pricing and usage data are transferred to CCAs will affect CCAs' ability to implement their own dynamic pricing programs and may affect their compliance with the load management standards (LMS) of the California Energy Commission (CEC).
iii. PG&E's real-time pricing (RTP) proposal would include hourly components for each of transmission, distribution, and generation. For unbundled customers, CCAs will have the option to customize the MEC and MGCC formulas or apply a modifier. PG&E says it is working with CCAs to provide options to develop more customized dynamic generation rates; however, such customizations will need to be funded by the CCAs.
If CCAs want to use a different generation marginal RTP, they may contract with another entity to develop that price and calculate their unbundled customers’ generation bill.
c. Key Issues
i. Ensure that CCAs have access to data needed to implement dynamic rates for any CCA that chooses to do so, and ensure that PG&E's implementation of dynamic rates does not impede CCAs’ ability to comply with CEC LMS rules.
d. Status Update
i. October 9, 2025 – A Ruling was issued modifying the schedule of PG&E’s GRC Phase 2 and adding a new track to discuss dynamic rate options on October 9, 2025. PG&E proposed the schedule adopted by the ALJ, with input from parties, including CalCCA, that sets Intervenor Testimony due on February 9, 2025. The Ruling directs PG&E to file two sets of Supplemental Testimony: (1) Errata related to incorrect marginal distribution capacity costs; and (2) updating its dynamic rate design to comply with the Demand Flexibility D.25-08-049. The Ruling directs PG&E to propose a schedule for the dynamic rates track, which PG&E filed on November 6, 2025.
Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
ii. PG&E submitted its Errata Testimony updating incorrect marginal distribution capacity costs (MDCC) and its Supplemental Real Time Pricing Testimony, which responds to the requirements set forth in D.25-08-049, on October 29, 2025. PG&E proposes a “Stop-Gap” proposal for extending PG&E’s Existing Hourly Flex Pricing (HFP) Pilots so that PG&E’s customers will continue to have RTP rate options open to them instead of allowing the pilots to expire on December 31, 2027. CCA customers are participating in the HFP pilots. CalCCA is reviewing the Testimony and will have the opportunity to submit Intervenor Testimony on February 9, 2026
e. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. PG&E Phase 2 2023 Application (Sept. 30, 2024):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=541493803 ii. PG&E Phase 2 2023 Scoping Ruling (Mar. 21, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=560273042 f. Key Dates
i. CalAdvocates Testimony -January 9, 2026
ii. Intervenors' Testimony - February 9, 2026
iii. Rebuttal Testimony - June 8, 2026
iv. Hearing - July 2026
v. Opening Briefs - Four weeks after Hearing
vi. Reply Briefs - Three weeks after Opening Briefs
vii. Proposed Decision - No later than 90 days after Reply Briefs viii. Final Decision - No sooner than 30 days after Proposed Decision g. Pioneer Lead: Lee Ewing
• Provider of Last Resort (POLR) – R.21-03-011:
a. Proceeding Overview
i. Track 1 of the POLR proceeding serves to determine/ update the methodology for the financial security requirement (FSR) that CCAs must post, to ensure the IOUs (Current POLRs) have the capital to serve customers in the event of an emergency mass return.
Track 2 of the proceeding gauged interest from any LSEs/IOUs interested in taking on the role of POLR.
b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. Pioneer would like to minimize changes to the FSR methodology that could increase it.
It's also important to stay up to date with any changes in the process/ timing of posting Pioneer’s FSR.
c. Key Issues
i. Prevent the requirement for the POLR to procure or hedge in advance of customer return.
ii. Ensure modifications to the FSR are balanced and improve accuracy. iii. Adjust the FSR calculation to account for risk of customer return through an unsecured credit limit.
Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
iv. Reject the adoption of PG&E’s outsized “liquidity pool” that would remove the revenue offset component of the calculation entirely.
v. Ensure non-IOU LSEs can serve as POLR under rules similar to those for the IOU. d. Status Update
i. No updates.
e. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. Scoping Ruling (Sept. 16, 2021):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M407/K765/407765425.PDF ii. CalCCA Comments (July 5, 2022) on Ruling Requesting Comments on the FSR and Re-Entry Fee (May 2, 2022):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=490740399 iii. ED Staff Proposal (Jan. 6, 2023):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M500/K762/500762116.PDF iv. D.24-04-009 (Apr. 18, 2024) Decision Implementing SB 520 Regarding Standards for POLR:
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M529/K986/529986322.PDF v. Phase 2 Scoping Ruling (Oct. 24, 2024):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=543727359 f. Key Dates
i. Track 2 of POLR is on pause, due to lack of substantial interest from LSEs in transferring POLR role.
g. Pioneer Lead: Lee Ewing
• CEC Load Management Standards (LMS) – CEC 21-OIR-03; 23-LMS-01:
a. Proceeding Overview
i. Docket 23-LMS-01 implements the CEC’s LMS (Calif. Code of Regulations, Title 20, sections 1621-1625), which includes (among other mandates) requirements for CCAs to develop dynamic pricing by 2027. The objective of the LMS is to increase statewide demand flexibility by developing hourly locational marginal cost-based rates. The rates will be entered into a statewide database – the MIDAS – and automation service providers will access customers’ rate information through a “Single Statewide Tool” created jointly by the IOUs, CCAs, and POUs. The statewide system of granular time-and location-dependent signals is intended for use by automation-enabled loads to provide real-time load flexibility on the electric grid. The CEC adopted the LMS Regulations on October 12, 2022, in docket 21-OIR-03.
b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. The LMS rules include compliance obligations for large CCAs, like Pioneer. These compliance obligations include submitting an LMS plan and considering adopting real-time rates. Although Pioneer's public position is that the CEC does not have authority over CCA rates, Pioneer will continue to make all reasonable efforts to comply with LMS as a show of good faith cooperation with California policies regarding dynamic rates.
c. Key Issues
Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
i. Ensure implementation of the LMS regulations is fair and equitable to CCAs, and ii. in accordance with the regulations
iii. Ensure that the CEC respects CCA autonomy in setting their own rates iv. Ensure Pioneer maintains compliance with CEC mandates and requirements d. Status Update
i. On December 3, 2025, the CEC messaged Pioneer to confirm that its revised LMS Compliance Plan (approved by the Pioneer Board on September 18, 2025) will be presented for approval on the Consent Agenda of the CEC's December 8, 2025, Business Meeting. In this message, the CEC also provided a Proposed Order on the Revised LMS Compliance Plan of Pioneer and other CCAs. The Proposed Order would approve Pioneer's Revised LMS Compliance plan, in large part, based on Pioneer's participation in PG&E's hourly flexible pricing pilot.
e. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. Load Management Standards: https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/topics/load-flexibility/load-management-standards ii. Pioneer Revised Load Management Standard Plan:
https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument.aspx?tn=266073&DocumentContentId=10 3090
f. Key Dates
i. July 1, 2025: Submit at least one marginal cost-based rate or program to the Pioneer Board for approval for any customer class where such a rate will materially reduce peak load.
ii. December 8, 2025: Pioneer's Revised LMS Plan will be addressed in the Energy Commission's Business Meeting.
iii. May 8, 2026: Develop and submit to the CEC, in conjunction with the other obligated utilities, a single statewide standard tool for authorized rate data access by third parties, along with the terms and conditions for use of the tool. Upon CEC approval, the tool will be live, and obligated LSEs must maintain and improve the tool. iv. One year after compliance plan approval (December 8, 2026) and annually thereafter:
Submit annual reports to CEC demonstrating implementation of the Plan, as approved by the Board.
v. July 1, 2027: Offer each Pioneer customer voluntary participation in either a marginal cost-based rate, if Pioneer’s Board approves such rate, or a cost-effective load flexibility program identified in 20 CCR section 1623.1(b)(3). vi. Three years after compliance plan approval (December 8, 2028) and triennially thereafter: Review the Plan at least once every 3 years after the Pioneer board adopts the Plan. Submit any updates to the Plan to the Board if there is a material change. g. Pioneer Lead: Lee Ewing
• Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA) – R.25-02-005:
a. Proceeding Overview
i. This proceeding will consider the rules and processes related to the Energy Resource Recovery Account (ERRA) and PCIA, which are the mechanisms by which unbundled Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
customers are assessed the costs for generation resources procured by the IOUs on their behalf. The Commission bifurcated the proceeding into two tracks - Track One is an expedited consideration of modifications to the market price benchmark (MPB) calculations and Track Two will be a more holistic review of potential changes to the ERRA and PCIA, potentially including, for example, sunsetting or revintaging resources, changes to Bundled Procurement Plans (BPPs), and incorporation of slice of day.
b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. In the recent ERRA forecast cases, the PCIA has been negative for certain vintages of unbundled customers, meaning they will see a credit on their bill for the value of IOU resources procured on their behalf. This has drawn the scrutiny of the IOUs, ratepayer advocates, and the CPUC, resulting in a reassessment of certain components of the PCIA calculation, particularly the RA MPB, which, given current high RA prices, has contributed to the negative PCIA. Changes to the Market Price Benchmarks (MPBs) and PCIA methodology in general could result in shifting costs for IOU generation resources from bundled to unbundled customers. On the flipside, the holistic nature of Track 2 provides an opportunity to fundamentally revisit the PCIA structure and propose solutions to help limit exposure for CCAs and prevent unfair cost shifts between bundled and unbundled customers.
c. Key Issues
i. Track 1
• Revisions to the RA MPB, which is an element of the value attributed to PCIA resources.
ii. Track 2
• The issues in this Track will be determined by a forthcoming Scoping Ruling. d. Status Update
i. December 1, 2025 - the California Community Choice Association (CalCCA) filed of Writ of Review (Writ) appealing a decision by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that will result in a shift of hundreds of millions of dollars from unbundled to bundled customers via the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA). In its Writ, CalCCA explains that the CPUC’s arbitrary decision to change the PCIA methodology and apply that change to 2025 rates violates the longstanding prohibition against retroactive ratemaking, which is intended to ensure customer certainty and stability in rates. Before the Court of Appeals determines whether to take up the appeal, the CPUC will have an opportunity to respond to the Writ, and CalCCA will reply to the CPUC’s response.
e. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. OIR to Update and Reform ERRA and PCIA Policies and Processes (Feb. 26, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=557860748 ii. Track 1 Scoping Ruling (Apr. 8, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=562084645 iii. D.25-06-049 adopted Track 1 RA MPB methodology changes (June 26, 2025):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?DocFormat=ALL&DocID=571242473 f. Key Dates
Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
i. Track one is completed at the regulatory level, but could be revisited depending on the outcome of the appeal brought by CalCCA.
ii. A schedule for Track two will be established in a forthcoming Scoping Ruling, but it is expected to be a protracted proceeding that extends into 2028. g. Pioneer Lead: Lee Ewing
• Safety & Reliability OIR– R.24-05-023:
a. Proceeding Overview
i. This is a multi-track rulemaking to consider changes to policies related to safety, reliability, and resiliency of electric distribution systems. The near-term focus of this proceeding will be on developing processes for how the investor-owned utilities will collect and aggregate data to establish a foundation for measuring utility outages. b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. This proceeding is closely related to Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) and Enhanced Powerline Safety Setting (EPSS) events, which are critical concerns for Pioneer and its customers. Pioneer is likely to support:
• Transparency on outage causes to customers.
• Alternative approaches to reduce EPSS and PSPS events. • Protecting customers from increased costs while increasing reliability. c. Key Issues
i. The focus of the Rulemaking is to evaluate the safety, reliability, and resiliency of the electric distribution system. A major component of the rulemaking is outage events.
The IOU’s planned outages are from scheduled maintenance, PSPS, and rotating outages during heatwaves. The IOU’s unplanned outages occur due to equipment damage, EPSS damage, or at the request of the first responder. PSPS and EPSS events are of particular concern in vulnerable areas; PSPS events have seemingly declined in recent years, but have been replaced by EPSS events. Overall, total outage events have been increasing since 2015, while outage duration peaked in 2019, outages are now leveling out or trending downward.
d. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. R.18-12-005, OIR to Examine Electric Utility De-Energization of Power Lines in Dangerous Conditions, Scoping Ruling (Mar. 08, 2019):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M270/K419/270419337.PDF ii. R.18-04-019, OIR to Consider Strategies and Guidance for Climate Change Adaptation, Scoping Ruling (Oct.10, 2018):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M231/K128/231128764.PDF iii. R. 21-06-017, OIR to Modernize the Electric Grid for a High Distributed Energy Resource Future, Scoping Ruling (Nov. 15, 2021):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M422/K949/422949772.PDF e. Status Update
i. November 6, 2025 - The three IOUs are to prepare and submit a Draft Customer Reliability Report Template by December 15, 2025. The report is expected to accommodate increased reporting on outage occurrences, causes, methodologies for planned outages, and how customers are affected by outages.
Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
f. Key Dates
i. Joint IOU Report Template – Dec. 15, 2025
ii. Opening Comments – Jan. 9, 2026
iii. Reply Comments – Jan. 26, 2026
iv. Proposed Decision - No later than 90 days after final submissions v. Final Decision - No sooner than 30 days after Proposed Decision g. Pioneer Lead: Braden Henderson
• Disconnections – R.18-07-005:
a. Proceeding Overview
i. Rulemaking 18-07-005 was opened in response to Senate Bill (SB) 598 to address disconnection rates for both California’s electric and gas investor-owned utilities. SB 598 requires the commission to prohibit disconnecting service for nonpayment by a residential customer who is dependent on life-support equipment, willing to enter into an amortization agreement, and satisfies certain other conditions. The ruling was structured into two phases: the first phase for immediate solutions to reduce disconnections, and the second phase to evaluate the first phase results and establish long-term solutions.
ii. This proceeding requires the IOUs to administer two pilot programs, the Arrearage Management Plan (AMP) and the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP). The pilot programs are reaching the end of their initial period and are being evaluated for continuation.
b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. Pioneer participated in the AMP program, and we may have recommendations on how this program may be improved in the event of renewal. Pioneer likely supports programs that offer assistance to low-income customers or customers facing hardship. c. Key Issues
i. Disconnections in this proceeding focus on the event in which a utility intentionally disconnects a customer, primarily a residential customer, due to nonpayment.
Disconnections due to nonpayment are a concern to regulators, service providers, and other customers because disconnections shift the cost burden onto the rest of the ratepayers. Programs and pilot programs are implemented to help reduce disconnections by providing assistance to customers facing financial challenges. d. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. SB 598 - Public Utilities: Gas and Electric Service Disconnections (Sept. 28, 2017):
https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_201720180sb598 e. Status Update
i. December 4, 2026 - CalCCA submitted opening comments supporting the continuation of AMP and PIPP, while IOUs have submitted opening comments against renewal of the programs.
f. Key Dates
i. Reply Comments – Dec. 5, 2025.
ii. Statutory Deadline – March 2, 2026.
Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
g. Pioneer Lead: Braden Henderson
• High-DER Future – R.21-06-017:
a. Proceeding Overview
i. The High-Distributed Energy Resource (DER) proceeding is a rulemaking aligned with the CPUC’s Distributed Energy Resources Action Plan 2.0, which aims to leverage DER planning to help achieve California’s renewable energy targets in the 2022-2026 timeframe. The proceeding is currently conducting Track 3. b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. This proceeding’s issues include energization of new customers and distributed resources. Other CCAs (i.e., Redwood Coast Energy Authority) have faced some challenges with the interconnection of loads in their service territory, however DER interconnection may not be a priority concern for Pioneer at the moment. ii. This proceeding is actively evaluating the impacts on the distribution grid from increased electric loads from emerging technologies, such as electric vehicles. In parallel, demand response policy and changes to time-of-use (TOU) rates from shifted loads may be of concern to Pioneer.
c. Key Issues
i. For track three, the main priorities are near-term grid modernization investments, implementing smart inverters to leverage advanced functionality for grid services, and better aligning planned infrastructure investments with utility distribution planning.
Overall, this effort seeks to plan for high DER penetration and electrification to drive down costs over time.
d. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. R. 14-08-013 – OIR Regarding Policies, Procedures and Rules for Development of Distribution Resources Plans, Scoping Ruling (Jan. 26, 2016):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M157/K902/157902794.PDF e. Status Update
i. December 4, 2025 - CalCCA is preparing comments in response to the IOU’s electrification studies to emphasize that demand response should be inclusive of non-IOU administrators who can help enable higher participation rates. f. Key Dates
i. Comments – Jan. 2, 2025
ii. All Party Meeting/Workshop - Early January of 2026
iii. Issuance of Assigned Commissioner Proposal – Quarter 2 of 2026 iv. Proposed Decision on Track 3 – Quarter 3 of 2026
g. Pioneer Lead: Braden Henderson
• Distributed Energy Resources – R.22-11-013:
a. Proceeding Overview
i. The Commission issued OIR 22-11-013 to achieve consistency of cost-effectiveness assessments, improve data access and use, and consider equipment performance standards for DER customer programs.
Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. The CPUC uses the Avoided Cost Calculator (ACC) to determine the primary benefits of DER across Commission proceedings. Pioneer may be inclined to follow this proceeding, as the ACC calculates various costs related to items such as generation capacity, energy, and RPSs that may affect electricity rates, portfolio planning, or DER program administration.
c. Key Issues
i. Currently in Phase I, the proceeding covers DER program cost-effectiveness issues, data access and use, and equipment performance standards. All of the latest updates and decisions related to the ACC fall under this proceeding. d. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. R.14-10-003 OIR to Create a Consistent Regulatory Framework for the Guidance, Planning and Evaluation of Integrated Distributed Energy Resources, Scoping Ruling (Jan. 5, 2015):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M143/K990/143990275.PDF e. Status Update
i. No update.
f. Key Dates
i. ACC Update Staff Proposal Published - Late March of 2026 ii. Opening Comments - Late April of 2026
iii. Reply Comments Late - April of 2026
iv. Proposed Decision Adopted - Late July of 2026
g. Pioneer Lead: Braden Henderson
• Distributed Energy Resource Interconnections (Rule 21) – R.25-08-004:
a. Proceeding Overview
i. The purpose of this proceeding is to update and improve Rule 21 and associated interconnection procedures concerning the safety and reliability of the electric grid as distributed technologies continue to evolve, promote greater transparency and certainty around interconnection processes, and to contain costs for all ratepayers that use the electric grid.
b. Potential Impact on Pioneer
i. This topic is largely geared towards utilities managing transmission and distribution infrastructure, technology developers, and project developers. Pioneer likely does not have a direct stake in the outcome but may be interested in a policy that accelerates its customers’ ability to install backup power systems, provided the policy does not increase costs to the general ratepayer.
c. Key Issues
i. The primary issue discussed in Rule 21 has been related to Screen Q, costs for interconnection studies, and the timeline for interconnection applications. Most stakeholders agree that Screen Q is ineffective, as almost all larger projects fail Screen Q and are then required to conduct lengthy and costly interconnection studies.
Agenda Date: 12/18/2025
Technology developers favor a faster, less costly process for interconnecting non-export DER technologies, such as backup battery systems. d. Background Documents/ Key Decisions
i. R.11-09-011 – OIR to Improve Distribution Level Interconnection Rules and Regulations, Scoping Ruling (Jun. 20, 2012):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/EFILE/RULC/169188.PDF ii. R.17-07-007 – OIR Streamlining Interconnection of Distributed Energy Resources and Improvements to Rule 21, Scoping Ruling (Oct. 2, 2027):
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M196/K476/196476255.PDF e. Status Update
i. No Update.
f. Key Dates
i. Comments Filed – Nov. 10, 2025
ii. Reply Comments - 20 days from issuance of OIR
iii. Prehearing Conference - Within 30 days after reply comments filed iv. Scoping Memo - Within 60 days after reply comments filed g. Pioneer Lead: Braden Henderson
1 Attachment: Communications, Outreach & Customer Care Updates Date: 12/18/2025
NOVEMBER 2025 OVERVIEW
WEBSITE
Website traffic was quiet during November, largely due to a pause in paid advertising and the conclusion of seasonal programs. With just over 3,700 users, the pages with the most visitors were:
1. Home page
2. PowerShift Rewards
3. Meetings and Agendas
4. Doing Business with Pioneer (likely driven by our presence at the Supplier Diversity Expo)
5. GridGen
Analytics show that 58% of website visitors are men, with 41% women. Roughly 84% of users visit the site on desktop, with mobile users accounting for about 16%.
PIONEER IN THE COMMUNITY
Pioneer’s community engagement during November centered on outreach in our local communities, program support, and expansion with a presence at:
• Rocklin Chamber GRC meeting
• Loomis Chamber GRC
• Field Day, Shingle Springs
• Rocklin Chamber breakfast
• Sponsorship of Cornish Christmas, Grass Valley
• Sponsorship of Victorian Christmas, Nevada City
• Sponsorship of MCWRA Water Forum
• Clean Fleet Meeting with Placer County
• Expansion meeting - City of Colusa, First Reading of Ordinance • Expansion meeting - City of Colusa, Second Reading of Ordinance • Expansion - Meeting with the City of Williams City Administrator • Expansion - Meeting with Colusa County, Assistant City Administrator • Expansion - Meeting with the City of Colusa City Manager • Expansion - City of Williams, First Reading of Ordinance • Expansion meeting - Colusa County, First Reading of Ordinance
CUSTOMER CARE
The call center saw a significant (52%) month-to-month decrease in calls in November:
• 218 total calls
o Billing inquiries were again the most frequent topic at 16% o NEM questions were the second-most frequent, at 12%.
• Pioneer hosted Board members and staff at a
November 7 tour of the Calpine Geysers, the single
largest geothermal electrical operation in the world.
• Sponsorship of high profile events created excellent visibility opportunities for Pioneer throughout November.
• The conclusion of seasonal programs resulted in fewer customer calls and a decrease in chatbot interactions.
Customer surveys continue to show high levels of customer approval, with a 95.9% satisfaction rate.
• 49 surveys were completed with an overall 95.9% satisfaction rate The chatbot continues to aid customers and relieve pressure on the call center. As with live calls, chatbot activity was quiet during November, with:
• 133 interactions
• 51 live conversations, with an average duration of 12 minutes, 17 seconds. • The average customer satisfaction rating is 4.5 out of 5.
SOCIAL MEDIA
The Calpine Geysers tour was the leading post on Facebook and LinkedIn, while Pioneer staff’s Dips-giving played best on Instagram. November also brought engagement from our partners, with Pioneer garnering positive mentions in posts from El Dorado Irrigation District and the Lincoln Potters.
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Pioneer Community Energy
Glossary of Terms
CAISO - California Independent System Operator - a non-profit independent system operator that oversees the operation of the California bulk electric power system, transmission lines and electricity market generated and transmitted by its members (~80% of California's electric flow). Its stated mission is to "operate the grid reliably and efficiently, provide fair and open transmission access, promote environmental stewardship and facilitate
effective markets and promote infrastructure development. CAISO is regulated by FERC and governed by a five-member governing board appointed by the governor.
CALCCA - California Community Choice Association -Association made up of Community Choice Aggregation {CCA) groups which represents the interests of California's community choice electricity providers.
CARB - California Air Resources Board - The CARB is charged with protecting the public from the harmful effects of air pollution and developing programs and actions to fight climate change in California.
CEC- California Energy Commission
CPUC - California Public Utility Commission
C&I - Commercial and Industrial - Business customers
CP - Compliance Period -Time period to become RPS compliant, set by the CPUC {California Public Utilities Commission)
DA- Direct Access - An option that allows eligible customers to purchase their electricity directly from third party providers known as Electric Service Providers (ESP).
DA Cap- the maximum amount of electric usage that may be allocated to Direct Access customers in California, or more specifically, within an Investor-Owned Utility service territory.
DA Lottery - a random drawing by which DA waitlist customers become eligible to enroll in DA service under the currently-applicable Direct Access Cap.
DA Waitlist - customers that have officially registered their interest in becoming a DA customer but are not yet able to enroll in service because of DA cap limitations.
DAC - Disadvantaged Community
DASR - Direct Access Service Request - Request submitted by C&I to become direct access eligible.
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Demand - The rate at which electric energy is delivered to or by a system or part of a system, generally expressed in kilowatts {kW), megawatts {MW), or gigawatts {GW), at a given instant or averaged over any designated interval of time. Demand should not be confused with Load or Energy.
DER - Distributed Energy Resource -A small-scale physical or virtual asset {e.g., EV charger, smart thermostat, behind-the-meter solar/storage, energy efficiency) that operates locally and is connected to a larger power grid at the distribution level.
Distribution - The delivery of electricity to the retail customer's home or business through low voltage distribution lines.
DLAP- Default Load Aggregation Point- In the CAISO's electricity optimization model, DLAP is the node at which all bids for demand should be submitted and settled. Pioneer settles its CAISO load at the PG&E DLAP as Pioneer is in the PG&E transmission access charge area.
DR - Demand Response - An opportunity for consumers to play a significant role in the operation of the electric grid by reducing or shifting their electricity usage during peak periods in response to time-based rates or other forms of financial incentives.
DWR - Department of Water Resources - DWR manages California's water resources, systems, and infrastructure in a responsible, sustainable way.
ELCC- Effective Load Carrying Capacity -The additional load met by an incremental generator while maintaining the same level of system reliability. For solar and wind resources the ELCC is the amount of capacity which can be counted for Resource Adequacy purposes.
EPIC - Electric Program Investment Charge -The EPIC program was created by the CPUC to support investments in clean energy technologies that provide benefits to the electricity ratepayers of PG&E, San Diego Gas & Electric Company {SDG&E), and Southern California Edison Company {SCE) ERRA - Energy Resource Recovery Account - ERRA proceedings are used to determine fuel and purchased power costs which can be recovered in rates. The utilities do not earn a rate of return on these costs, and only recover actual costs. The costs are forecast for the year ahead. If the actual costs are lower than forecast, then the utility gives money back, and vice versa.
ESP- Energy Service Provider - An energy entity that provides service to a retail or end-use customer.
EV - Electric Vehicle
GHG - Greenhouse gas - water vapor, carbon dioxide, tropospheric ozone, nitrous oxide, methane, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). A gas that causes the atmosphere to trap heat radiating from the earth. The most common GHG is Carbon Dioxide, though Methane and others have this effect as well.
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GRC- General Rate Case - Proceedings used to address the costs of operating and maintaining the utility system and the allocation of those costs among customer classes. For California's three large IOUs, the GRCs are parsed into two phases. Phase I of a GRC determines the total amount the utility is authorized to collect, while Phase II determines the share of the cost each customer class is responsible and the rate schedules for each class. Each large electric utility files a GRC application every three years for review by the Public Advocates Office and interested parties and approval by the CPUC.
GWh - Gigawatt-hour - The unit of energy equal to that expended in one hour at a rate of one billion watts. One GWh equals 1,000 megawatt-hours.
IEP - Independent Energy Producers - California's oldest and leading nonprofit trade association, representing the interest of developers and operators of independent energy facilities and independent power marketers.
IOU - Investor Owned Utility- A private electricity and natural gas provider.
IRP- Integrated Resource Plan -A plan which outlines an electric utility's resource needs in order to meet expected electricity demand long-term.
kW - Kilowatt - Measure of power where power (watts)= voltage (volts) x amperage (amps) and 1 kW= 1000 watts
kWh - Kilowatt-hour - This is a measure of consumption. It is the amount of electricity that is used over some period of time, typically a one-month period for billing purposes. Customers are charged a rate per kWh of electricity used.
LCFS- Low Carbon Fuel Standard -A CARB program designed to encourage the use of cleaner low-carbon fuels in California, encourage the production of those fuels, and therefore, reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
LCR - Local (RA) Capacity Requirements -The amount of Resource Adequacy capacity required to be demonstrated in a specific location or zone.
LMP - Locational Marginal Price - Each generator unit and load pocket is assigned a node in the CAISO optimization model. The model will assign a LMP to the node in both the day- ahead and real time market as it balances the system using the least cost. The LMP is comprised of three components: the marginal cost of energy, congestion, and losses. The LMP is used to financially settle transactions in the CAISO.
Load - An end use device or customer that receives power from an energy delivery system. Load should not be confused with Demand, which is the measure of power that a load receives or requires.
See Demand.
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SE - Load-serving Entity- Entities that have been granted authority by state, local law, or regulation to serve their own load directly through wholesale energy purchases and have chosen to exercise that authority.
NEM - Net Energy Metering -A program in which solar customers receive credit for excess electricity generated by solar panels.
NRDC- Natural Resources Defense Council
OIR - Order Instituting Rulemaking - A procedural document that is issued by the CPUC to start a formal proceeding. A draft OIR is issued for comment by interested parties and made final by vote of the five Commissioners of the CPUC.
MW - Megawatt - measure of power. A megawatt equals 1,000 kilowatts or 1 million watts.
MWH - Megawatt-hour- measure of energy
NP-15 - North Path 15 - NP-15 is a CAISO pricing zone usually used to approximate wholesale electricity prices in northern California in PG&E's service territory.
PCCl - RPS Portfolio Content Category 1- Bundled renewables where the energy and REC are dynamically scheduled into a California Balancing Authority (CBA) such as the CAISO. Also known as "in-state" renewables.
PCC2 - RPS Portfolio Content Category 2 - Bundled renewables where the energy and REC are from out-of-state and not dynamically scheduled to a CBA.
PCC3 - RPS Portfolio Content Category 3 - Unbundled REC PCIA or "exit fee" - Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA) is an "exit fee" based on stranded costs of utility generation set by the California Public Utilities Commission. It is calculated annually and assessed to customers of CCAs and paid to the IOU that lost those customers as a result of the formation of a CCA.
PCL - Power Content Label - A user-friendly way of displaying information to California consumers about the energy resources used to generate the electricity they sell, as required by AB 162 (Statue of 2009) and Senate Bill 1305 (Statutes of 1997).
PD- Proposed Decision -A procedural document in a CPUC Rulemaking process that is formally commented on by Parties to the proceeding. A PD is a precursor to a final Decision voted on by the five Commissioners of the CPUC.
Pnode - Pricing Node - In the CAISO optimization model, it is a point where a physical injection or withdrawal of energy is modeled and for which a LMP is calculated.
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PPA- Power Purchase Agreement -A contract used to purchase the energy, capacity, and attributes from a renewable resource project.
RA - Resource Adequacy - Under its Resource Adequacy (RA) program, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) requires load-serving entities-both independently owned utilities and electric service providers-to demonstrate in both monthly and annual filings that they have purchased capacity commitments of no less than 115% of their peak loads.
RE - Renewable Energy - Energy from a source that is not depleted when used, such as wind or solar power.
REC - Renewable Energy Certificate - A REC is the property right to the environmental benefits associated with generating renewable electricity. For instance, homeowners who generate solar electricity are credited with 1 solar REC for every MWh of electricity they produce. Utilities obligated to fulfill an RPS requirement can purchase these RECs on the open market.
RPS - Renewable Portfolio Standard - Law that requires CA utilities and other load serving entities (including CCAs) to provide an escalating percentage of CA qualified renewable power (culminating at 33% by 2020) in their annual energy portfolio.
SCE - Southern California Edison
SDG&E - San Diego Gas & Electric
SGIP - Self-Generation Incentive Program - A program which provides incentives to support existing, new, and emerging distributed energy resources (storage, wind turbines, waste heat to power technologies, etc.)
TCR EPS Protocol - The Climate Registry Electric Power Sector Protocol - Online tools and resources provided by The Climate Registry to assist organizations to measure, report, and reduce carbon emissions.
Time-of-Use (TOU) Rates - The pricing of delivered electricity based on the estimated cost of electricity during a particular time-block. Time-of-use rates are usually divided into three or four time-blocks per 24-hour period (on-peak, mid-peak, off-peak and sometimes super off peak) and by seasons of the year (summer and winter). Real time pricing differs from TOU rates in that it is based on actual (as opposed to forecasted) prices that may fluctuate many times a day and are weather sensitive, rather than varying with a fixed schedule.
TURN - The Utility Reform Network - A ratepayer advocacy group charged with ensuring that California IOUs implement just and reasonable rates.
Unbundled RECs - Renewable energy certificates that verify a purchase of a MWH unit of renewable power where the actual power and the certificate are "unbundled" and sold to different buyers.
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VPP - Virtual Power Plant - A cloud-based network that leverages an aggregation of distributed energy resources (DERs) to shift energy demand or provide services to the grid. For example, thousands of EV chargers could charge at a slower speed and hundreds of home batteries could discharge to the grid during a demand peak to significantly reduce the procurement of traditional supply resources.