Redwood Coast Energy Authority
633 3rd Street, Eureka, CA 95501
Phone: (707) 269-1700 Toll-Free (800) 931-7232 Fax: (707) 269-1777 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.redwoodenergy.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING AGENDA
Jefferson Community Center Auditorium March 23, 2023
1000 B Street, Eureka, CA 95501 Thursday, 3:30 p.m.
Any member of the public needing special accommodation to participate in this meeting or access the meeting materials should email [email protected] or call (707) 269- 1700 at least 3 business days before the meeting. Assistive listening devices are available.
Pursuant to Government Code section 54957.5, all writings or documents relating to any item on this agenda which have been provided to a majority of the Board, including those received less than 72 hours prior to the Committee’s meeting, will be made available to the public at www.RedwoodEnergy.org.
NOTE: Speakers wishing to distribute materials to the Board at the meeting, please provide 13 copies to the Board Clerk.
THIS IS A HYBRID IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL MEETING.
The Board of Directors has returned to in-person hybrid meetings. When attending Board meetings, please socially distance as much as possible and be courteous to those who choose to wear a mask.
To participate in the meeting online, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81972368051. To participate by phone, call (669) 900-6833 or (253) 215-8782. Enter webinar ID: 819 7236 8051.
To make a comment during the public comment periods, raise your hand in the online Zoom webinar, or press star (*) 9 on your phone to raise your hand. You will continue to hear the meeting while you wait. When it is your turn to speak, a staff member will unmute your phone or computer. You will have 3 minutes to speak.
You may submit written public comment by email to [email protected].
Please identify the agenda item number in the subject line. Comments will be included in the meeting record but not read aloud during the meeting.
While downloading the Zoom application may provide a better meeting experience, Zoom does not need to be installed on your computer to participate. After clicking the webinar link above, click “start from your browser.”
1 RCEA March 23, 2023, Board of Directors Meeting Agenda
OPEN SESSION Call to Order
1. ROLL CALL - REMOTE DIRECTOR PARTICIPATION
1.1. Approve teleconference participation request for this meeting by Director pursuant to Brown Act revisions of AB 2449 due to an emergency circumstance to be briefly described.
2. REPORTS FROM MEMBER ENTITIES
3. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
This time is provided for people to address the Board or submit written communications on matters not on the agenda.
At the conclusion of all oral communications, the Board may respond to statements. Any request that requires Board action will be set by the Board for a future agenda or referred to staff.
4. CONSENT CALENDAR
All matters on the Consent Calendar are considered to be routine by the Board and are enacted in one motion. There is no separate discussion of any of these items. If discussion is required, that item is removed from the Consent Calendar and considered separately. At the end of the reading of the Consent Calendar, Board members or members of the public can request that an item be removed for separate discussion.
3.1 Approve Minutes of
3.1.1 February 23, 2023, Board Meeting, and
3.1.2 March 9, 2023, Board Special Meeting.
3.2 Approve Disbursements Report.
3.3 Accept Financial Reports.
3.4 Reappoint Norman Bell, Catherine Gurin, Christopher Honar, Richard Johnson, Luna Latimer, and Kit Mann, to the Community Advisory Committee for Two-Year Terms Ending on March 31, 2025.
3.5 Accept RCEA Supplier Diversity 2022 Annual Report and Plan.
5. REMOVED FROM CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS
Items removed from the Consent Calendar will be heard under this section.
6. OLD BUSINESS
6.1 Update from the California Fishermen’s Resiliency Association (Information only)
6.2 RePower Humboldt Strategic Plan Overview of Agency Goals, Current and Upcoming Projects (Information only)
6.3 RCEA Community Advisory Committee Annual Report (information only)
6.4 Review Board Ad Hoc Subcommittees and Revise Membership Determine whether the work of all active Board ad hoc subcommittees is still required.
2 RCEA March 23, 2023, Board of Directors Meeting Agenda
Appoint (for a total of up to five Directors) to serve on X ad hoc subcommittee through (sunset date/event).
7. NEW BUSINESS
7.1 Approve Addition of a Power Resources Specialist Position and Revised Organization Chart
Approve Addition of a Power Resources Specialist position and Revised Organizational Chart.
8. STAFF REPORTS
8.1 Executive Director’s Report (Information only)
9. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Any request that requires Board action will be set by the Board for a future agenda or referred to staff.
12. ADJOURNMENT
NEXT REGULAR MEETING
Thursday, April 27, 2023, 3:30 p.m.
Jefferson Community Center Auditorium, 1000 B Street, Eureka, CA 95501.
Online and phone participation will also be possible via Zoom. 3 This page
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4 STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item # 1.1
AGENDA DATE: March 23, 2023
TO: RCEA Board of Directors
FROM: Eileen Verbeck, Deputy Executive Director
SUBJECT: Member Teleconference Participation
BACKGROUND
Since emergency Brown Act meeting law changes went into effect in 2020 due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the RCEA Board of Directors, Community Advisory Committee and the subcommittees of those bodies met online with no physical, public meeting location.
Governor Newsom signed AB 361 into law in September 2021, which allowed these bodies to continue meeting completely virtually without publishing each member’s participation location while the COVID state of emergency continued and state or local officials recommended social distancing measures or the RCEA Board determined that meeting in person posed health and safety risks.
The COVID-19 State of Emergency ended on February 28, 2023, and RCEA Board and CAC meetings must return to meeting in-person at a physical location, with allowances under existing Brown Act rules or new AB 2449 Brown Act rules should a Board or CAC member need to participate from a remote location for certain reasons. If another state of emergency is declared, these bodies may be able to return to completely remote meetings.
SUMMARY
RCEA Board Directors may attend up to two meetings per year from a remote location without making the location accessible to the public for the following reasons:
1. “Just cause”
a. To provide childcare or caregiving need to a child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner;
b. Due to a contagious illness that prevents the member from attending in-person; c. Due to a need related to a physical or mental disability as defined in Government Code sections 12926 and 12926.1 not otherwise accommodated; and d. Due to travel while on official business of the legislative body or another state or local agency.
2. “Emergency circumstance” due to a physical or family medical emergency that prevents the member from attending in person.
If a Board Director would like to attend the meeting remotely due to an emergency circumstance, the Board will take action by majority vote to approve the Director’s remote participation. A vote is not necessary for a request to attend remotely for just cause. A brief 5 •
REDWOOD COAST
Energy Authority
description, protecting the Director’s (or Director’s family member’s) medical privacy, needs to be provided in both cases.
The remotely participating Board Director needs to publicly disclose at the meeting before any action (vote) is taken, whether anyone 18 years of age or older is present in the room at the remote location with the Director, and the general nature of the individual’s relationship with the Director.
If the Board Director anticipates needing to participate remotely for more than 2 meetings per year, staff recommends arranging for a publicly and ADA accessible space with visual and audio meeting capabilities from which to participate.
Staff asks to be notified one-week in advance, if possible, of remote meeting attendance so the Director’s publicly and ADA accessible remote meeting address can be published in the agenda, if required per Brown Act open meeting laws.
Current Remote Participation Requests
As of the writing of this staff report, Staff have received notification of Director Natalie Arroyo’s need for remote participation on March 23, 2023, for “just cause.” Director Arroyo will be traveling while on official business for Humboldt County Board of Supervisors.
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Approve teleconference participation request for this meeting by committee member pursuant to Brown Act revisions of AB 2449 due to an emergency circumstance to be briefly described. 6 Redwood Coast Energy Authority
633 3rd Street, Eureka, CA 95501
Phone: (707) 269-1700 Toll-Free (800) 931-7232 Fax: (707) 269-1777 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.redwoodenergy.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS DRAFT MEETING MINUTES
February 23, 2023 - Thursday, 3:30 p.m.
Notice of this meeting was posted on February 17, 2023. Chair Sheri Woo called a regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Redwood Coast Energy Authority to order on the above date at 3:34 p.m., stating that the teleconference meeting was being conducted pursuant to the AB 361 Brown Act open public meeting law revisions signed into law on September 16, 2021, and Governor Newsom’s State of Emergency Proclamation of March 4, 2020. Chair Woo stated that the posted agenda contained public teleconference meeting participation instructions.
PRESENT: Scott Bauer, Skip Jorgensen, Kris Mobley, Elise Scafani, Vice Chair Sarah Schaefer, Jack Tuttle (left at 5 p.m.), Frank Wilson, Chair Sheri Woo. ABSENT: Natalie Arroyo. STAFF AND OTHERS PRESENT: Business Planning and Finance Director Lori Biondini; Regulatory and Legislative Policy Manager Aisha Cissna; General Counsel Nancy Diamond; Power Resources Director Richard Engel; Senior Power Resources Manager Jocelyn Gwynn; The Energy Authority Client Services Manager Jaclyn Harr, Executive Director Matthew Marshall; Community Strategies Manager Nancy Stephenson; Board Clerk Lori Taketa; Deputy Executive Director Eileen Verbeck.
REPORTS FROM MEMBER ENTITIES
There were no reports from the directors.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
There were no non-agenda item public comments.
CONSENT CALENDAR
3.1 Approve Minutes of January 26, 2023, Board Meeting.
3.2 Approve Disbursements Report.
3.3 Accept Financial Reports.
No member of the public or Board requested removal of items.
M/S: Schaefer, Bauer: Approve all consent calendar items.
The motion passed with a unanimous roll call vote. Ayes: Bauer, Jorgensen, Mobley, Scafani, Schaefer, Tuttle, Wilson, Woo. Noes: None. Absent: Arroyo. Abstain: None.
OLD BUSINESS
5.1. Yurok Tribe Membership
Executive Director Marshall reported that staff were inquiring whether other area Tribes are interested in joining RCEA and informing them of RCEA services already available to them. 7 RCEA February 23, 2023, Board of Directors Meeting DRAFT Minutes
The directors discussed the potential number of new RCEA members and possible effects on gathering a quorum to conduct agency business.
Yurok Tribal Council Vice Chair Frankie Myers described work done on the Yurok Reservation to improve energy infrastructure and expressed a desire for the Yurok Tribe to be a good partner in building collaboration between communities. There were no public comments for this item.
M/S: Bauer, Schaefer: Adopt Resolution 2023-4, Approving the Yurok Tribe as a Member Agency of the Redwood Coast Energy Authority.
The motion passed with a unanimous roll call vote. Ayes: Bauer, Jorgensen, Mobley, Scafani, Schaefer, Tuttle, Wilson, Woo. Noes: None. Absent: Arroyo. Abstain: None.
5.2. Energy Independence and Resilience Project Financing Solicitation Regulatory and Legislative Policy Manager Cissna reported on a request from the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors to develop a list of potential energy and resilience projects that could be funded by revenue bonds. Staff asked the Community Advisory Committee to help develop selection criteria as well as a short list of potential projects. Recent Inflation Reduction Act provisions allow energy projects to be funded by small denomination bonds, which would allow community members to have equity in these energy projects. A list of potential projects was presented, which included Hoopa and Willow Creek substation microgrids, a Blue Lake storage project, and Southern Humboldt and Eel River Valley solar and storage projects.
The directors discussed staff’s intention to attempt to secure funding for one or more energy projects, staff’s desire to do a pilot project using community microbond financing, and the possibility of RCEA developing projects to benefit from new tax credits. Funding rules are still under development and should be solidified by the end of the year.
There were no responses from the public to Chair Woo’s invitation for comment and the public comment period was closed.
M/S: Schaefer, Jorgensen: Direct RCEA staff to issue a request for proposals for bond development and issuance services and federal tax law expertise to identify suitable financing mechanism(s) for one or more of the shortlisted projects.
The motion passed with a unanimous roll call vote. Ayes: Bauer, Jorgensen, Mobley, Scafani, Schaefer, Tuttle, Wilson, Woo. Noes: None. Absent: Arroyo. Abstain: None.
NEW BUSINESS
6.1.New Director Orientation and Introductions (Information only) Executive Director Marshall presented the agency’s history since founding in 2003, to run ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs. He described the agency’s purpose as outlined in RCEA’s joint powers agreement between multiple local governments, and the launch of the community choice energy program in 2017 to buy energy on behalf of Humboldt County customers and invest proceeds back into the local community through rate savings and 8 RCEA February 23, 2023, Board of Directors Meeting DRAFT Minutes
building renewable, reliable energy sources to afford more local control over the energy supply. The directors introduced themselves.
Skip Jorgensen, Ferndale, is a retired public school teacher and administrator who has served on the County grand jury and LAFCo Board.
Scott Bauer, Eureka, is an environmental scientist for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife who has served on many local Boards.
Frank Wilson, Rio Dell, is a retired electrician with Pacific Lumber and long-time power plant manager. He has served on various local Boards.
Kris Mobley, Fortuna, works at Beacon Construction and has volunteered with a local hospital and fire department.
Jack Tuttle, Trinidad, has worked in the solar wholesale industry for 17 years and now works for a Redway-based solar distributor.
Sarah Schaefer, Arcata, is a history teacher and site coordinator for the Northern Unified Charter School.
Elise Scafani, Blue Lake, has worked as a UPS driver and registered nurse.
Sheri Woo, Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District, is an engineer with a local engineering firm. She began serving on the RCEA Board in 2012.
6.2.RePower Humboldt Strategic Plan Overview of Agency Goals, Current and Upcoming Projects (Information only).
Due to lack of time, this agenda item was moved to the March meeting agenda.
Chair Woo confirmed there was a quorum to conduct Community Choice Energy business.
NEW CCE BUSINESS
8.1.Quarterly Energy Risk Management Report
Power Resource Director Engel described how RCEA’s Community Choice Energy program works and introduced the types of risk that must be managed in procuring electricity for Humboldt County customers. He described the important energy sources in RCEA’s power portfolio and State and Board chosen goals for the kinds of energy procured. The directors were encouraged to familiarize themselves with RCEA’s Energy Risk Management Policy, as the policy addresses measures the agency uses to preserve solvency while navigating a very volatile energy market.
The Energy Authority Client Services Manager Jaclyn Harr introduced herself and described financial drivers impacting the community choice energy program and how building agency reserves helped RCEA weather unprecedented cost overages during the summer of 2020, when electricity supply could not keep up with load demands during regional heat waves across the American west.
9 RCEA February 23, 2023, Board of Directors Meeting DRAFT Minutes
Manager Harr highlighted how delays to the Sandrini Sol 1 solar energy project’s completion by four months will affect the agency’s protection from large energy price fluctuations, as well as RCEA’s ability to meet California renewable resource product purchasing requirements.
During summer months, the Sandrini Project is expected to generate 50% of RCEA’s electricity load. Rebuilding RCEA’s cash reserves and meeting reserve targets will also provide a buffer against fluctuating energy prices while waiting for the Sandrini Project to come online. Following current projections, RCEA will meet its cash reserve goals at the end of 2024.
The directors discussed rate setting strategies and compared the benefits and drawbacks of cost-based rate setting to maintaining a set discount compared to PG&E’s rates. Trade policy reasons for the Sandrini Project’s delay were described. The difficulty of procuring state-mandated renewable energy products such as particular types of resource adequacy was discussed.
There were no responses from the public to Chair Woo’s invitation for comment and the public comment period was closed.
M/S: Bauer, Schaefer: Accept Energy Risk Management Quarterly Report.
The motion passed with a unanimous roll call vote. Ayes: Bauer, Jorgensen, Mobley, Scafani, Schaefer, Tuttle, Wilson. Noes: None. Absent: Arroyo. Abstain: None. Non-Voting: Woo.
NEW BUSINESS (Continued)
9.1.Budget Briefing and Mid-Year Budget Adjustment
Business Planning and Finance Director Biondini described proposed adjustments to the Board approved 2022-2023 budget, which was based on an earlier financial model. Budget adjustments reflect The Energy Authority’s revised forecasts, but do not reflect Sandrini Project delay impacts, which will be calculated in the next months.
The three budget changes are: 1) updates to electricity revenue and wholesale costs, 2) retaining unspent new building lease and moving costs in the budget in case a new office opportunity presents itself, and 3) increased heat pump rebates.
Staff proposes increasing heat pump rebate funding to take advantage of increased customer interest. The increased incentive and rebates, totaling just under $600,000, represents energy sales proceeds going directly back to the community as opposed to paying shareholders, which investor-owned utilities are obliged to do.
Proposed budget changes represent a small part of the total budget, the bulk of which is from wholesale power purchase and sales.
M/S: Bauer, Wilson: Approve the proposed changes to the RCEA Fiscal Year 2022-23 Budget.
The motion passed with a unanimous roll call vote. Ayes: Bauer, Jorgensen, Mobley, Scafani, Schaefer, Wilson, Woo. Noes: None. Absent: Arroyo, Tuttle. Abstain: None.
9.2.In-Person/Virtual (Hybrid) Meeting Procedure Review for March Meetings 10 RCEA February 23, 2023, Board of Directors Meeting DRAFT Minutes
Deputy Executive Director Verbeck explained different options for director participation in Board meetings under the revised Brown Act open meeting law.
M/S: Jorgensen, Schaefer: Approve Resolution No. 2023-5 Adopting the Redwood Coast Energy Authority Brown Act Meeting Teleconferencing Policy.
The motion passed with a unanimous roll call vote. Ayes: Bauer, Jorgensen, Mobley, Scafani, Schaefer, Wilson, Woo. Noes: None. Absent: Arroyo, Tuttle. Abstain: None.
9.3.New RCEA Office Space Lease
Executive Director Marshall reported that this item’s action was no longer feasible because the office space was leased to another party despite RCEA’s prompt responsiveness.
STAFF REPORTS
10.1. Executive Director’s Report (Information only)
Executive Director Marshall stated that the RePower Strategic Plan update, part of the new Board director orientation, will be on the March agenda.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
The directors requested that the Board Office Building Subcommittee be empowered to act on lease options at a future meeting.
Chair Woo adjourned the meeting at 6:05 p.m.
Lori Taketa
Clerk of the Board
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12 Redwood Coast Energy Authority
633 3rd Street, Eureka, CA 95501
Phone: (707) 269-1700 Toll-Free (800) 931-7232 Fax: (707) 269-1777 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.redwoodenergy.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS DRAFT SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
Redwood Coast Energy Authority Office March 9, 2023
633 3rd Street, Eureka, CA 95501 Thursday, 4:30 p.m.
Chair Sheri Woo called a special meeting of the Board of Directors of the Redwood Coast Energy Authority to order on the above date at 4:31 p.m. Notice and call of this special meeting was posted on March 3, 2023. PRESENT: Scott Bauer (arrived 4:33 p.m.), Skip Jorgensen, Kris Mobley, Frankie Myers, Elise Scafani, Jack Tuttle, Frank Wilson, Chair Sheri Woo. ABSENT: Natalie Arroyo, Vice Chair Sarah Schaefer. STAFF AND OTHERS PRESENT: General Counsel Nancy Diamond; Executive Director Matthew Marshall; Board Clerk Lori Taketa; Deputy Executive Director Eileen Verbeck.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
There were no members of the public present to provide oral communications. Board members welcomed Yurok Tribal Council representative Frankie Myers to the RCEA Board of Directors. Chair Woo closed the oral communications period.
NEW BUSINESS
3.1 RCEA Office Space Leases
Deputy Executive Director Verbeck described how attempts to find a single office location large enough to accommodate all RCEA staff continue to fail. Staff recommends extending the current lease at 633 Third Street and leasing 917 Third Street, a non-ADA accessible building, as additional, non-public office space for up to 16 staff members. The lease length for 917 Third Street would also be three years. The move in date for the new location would be mid-April. Staff continues to seek office building ownership opportunities, which is the topic of closed session discussion. February’s office lease budget adjustment would more than cover moving costs, alarm installation and IT modifications. Breaking either lease prior to the contract term ending dates would incur cost.
The directors discussed challenges of maintaining staff cohesiveness in multiple locations.
M/S: Myers, Wilson:
Approve lease for office space at 917 Third Street, Eureka, for three years at $2,300/month rent the first year with a $75/month increase each subsequent year and authorize the Executive Director to execute all applicable documents pending review by RCEA Legal Counsel.
Authorize the Executive Director to Execute an Amendment for an up to Four-Year Extension of the Commercial Office Lease for RCEA’s Existing Headquarters at 633 3rd Street, Eureka, CA.
The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Ayes: Bauer, Jorgensen, Mobley, Myers, Scafani, Tuttle, Wilson, Woo. Noes: None. Absent: Arroyo, Schaefer. Abstain: None. 13 RCEA March 9, 2023, Board of Directors Special Meeting DRAFT Minutes
CLOSED SESSION
There was no public comment regarding the meeting’s closed session. The directors adjourned to closed session at 4:45 p.m. to discuss the following:
4.1 Conference with real property negotiators pursuant to Government Code § 54956.8 in re: APN 001-011-021 and APNs 001-162-004, 001-162-005, 001-162-006, 001-162- 012, 001-162-007; RCEA negotiator: Executive Director; Owner’s negotiating party:
City of Eureka and Clifford and Company; Under negotiation: price and terms.
The directors reconvened to open session at 5:25 p.m. Chair Woo stated there was nothing to report from closed session and adjourned the meeting at 5:25 p.m.
Lori Taketa
Clerk of the Board
14 Accrual Basis Redwood Coast Energy Authority
Disbursements Report
As of January 31, 2023
Type Date Num Name Memo Amount
Liability Check 01/06/2023 ACH EDD Payroll Taxes -8,493.67 Liability Check 01/06/2023 ACH Internal Revenue Service Payroll Taxes -29,668.50 Liability Check 01/06/2023 ACH Newport Group Deferred compensation Paydate 1/6/2023 -21,204.26 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 ACH Keenan Anthem Medical Insurance January 2023 -27,128.87 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 ACH Viridity Energy Solutions, Inc. Tierra Buena RA-December 2022 -16,900.00 Liability Check 01/06/2023 14560 Umpqua Bank Health Savings Account Paydate 1/6/2023 -72.07 Check 01/06/2023 14562 CCE Customer Heat Pump Rebate #DS-R-221223-0814 -800.00 Check 01/06/2023 14563 CCE Customer Heat Pump Rebate #DS-R-221128-0741 -800.00 Check 01/06/2023 14564 CCE Customer Heat Pump Rebate #DS-R-221208-0768 -1,675.00 Check 01/06/2023 14565 CCE Customer Heat Pump Rebate #DS-R-221223-0812 -1,450.00 Check 01/06/2023 14566 CCE Customer EV Rebate #EV44 -2,250.00 Check 01/06/2023 14567 CCE Customer Res EVSE rebate #EVSE17 -350.46 Check 01/06/2023 14568 CCE Customer PA Equipment Rebate - Res #DS-R-221208-0770 -30.00 Check 01/06/2023 14569 CCE Customer PA Equipment Rebate - Res #DS-R-221205-0760 -330.00 Check 01/06/2023 14570 CCE Customer PA Equipment Rebate - Res #DS-R-221107-0684 -940.00 Check 01/06/2023 14571 CCE Customer PA Equipment Rebate - Res #DS-R-221212-0796 -940.00 Check 01/06/2023 14572 CCE Customer PA Equipment Rebate - Res #DS-R-221212-0797 -940.00 Check 01/06/2023 14573 CCE Customer PA Equipment Rebate - Res #DS-R-221206-0765 -940.00 Check 01/06/2023 14574 CCE Customer PA Equipment Rebate - Res #DS-R-221208-0772 -940.00 Check 01/06/2023 14575 CCE Customer PA Equipment Rebate - Res #DS-R-221208-0771 -940.00 Check 01/06/2023 14576 CCE Customer PA Equipment Rebate - Res #DS-R-221130-0753 -940.00 Check 01/06/2023 14577 CCE Customer PA Equipment Rebate - Res #DS-R-221206-0763 -70.00 Check 01/06/2023 14578 CCE Customer PA Equipment Rebate - Res #DS-R-221128-0748 -30.00 Check 01/06/2023 14579 CCE Customer PA Equipment Rebate - Res #DS-R-221128-0745 -30.00 Check 01/06/2023 14580 CCE Customer PA Non-Res Install #DI-NR-220428-0235 -1,753.42 Check 01/06/2023 14581 NEM Customer NEM Close Out Acct #7932057884 -16.37 Check 01/06/2023 14582 CCE Customer Check 13950 reissued to Admin of Estate of Mary F. Frost -241.62 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14583 360 Degrees Property Services Home Inspection for 701 5th Street Escrow -3,200.00 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14584 Advanced Display & Signs Qty 300 RCEA Rebate Decal stickers -199.26 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14585 Aiqueous, LLC Stage 6 Next 90 Dec 2022 -1,099.50 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14586 AT&T RCAM Router charges - ACV: 11/19 - 12/18 -163.00 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14587 Bidwell Consulting Services, Inc. Annual administration for 2022 -1,000.00 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14588 Brandi, N. Mileage reimbursement - December 2022 -63.69 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14589 Braun Blaising & Wynne Legal Services - Regulatory -Novemeber 2022 -2,005.88 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14590 Central Office Printing services- 100 qty Brochures "Net Energy Metering Bill"-166.88 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14591 Chargepoint Hardware for repairs-Replacement Head Lens -298.05 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14592 City of Arcata December 2022 Utility User Tax #6310 -13,609.12 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14593 City of Arcata December 2022 Excessive Energy Use Tax #6315 -4,434.44 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14594 Colonial Life Colonial Life Premiums December 2022 -1,596.20 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14595 Donald Dame Professional Services December 2022 -175.00 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14596 Kerekes, C. Mileage reimbursement - December 2022 -30.19 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14597 Mission Uniform & Linen Dec 2022 and Jan 2023 invoices -78.94 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14598 PG&E EV Account EV stations 11/15-12/13/2022 -1,046.08 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14599 PG&E Utility Account 11/15-12/13/22 utilities for 633 3rd Street -1,325.03 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14600 Recology December 2022 garbage service -95.55 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14601 Reider, S Mileage Reimbursement 12/15-12/31/2022 -20.81 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14602 Rennie, J Mileage Reimbursement -182.44 Bill Pmt -Check 01/06/2023 14603 Times Printing Company Printing services -1,902.88 Paycheck 01/06/2023 ACH Employees Payroll -71,861.21
Check 01/10/2023 14608 VISA December 2022 Statement 11/22 - 12/21/2022 -6,422.90 Liability Check 01/11/2023 ACH EDD Paydate 1/11/23 Nick Brandi Final -96.35 Liability Check 01/11/2023 ACH Internal Revenue Service 74-3104616 1/11/23 Nick Brandi Final -470.06
15 Accrual Basis Redwood Coast Energy Authority
Disbursements Report
As of January 31, 2023
Type Date Num Name Memo Amount
Paycheck 01/11/2023 14609 Brandi, Nicholas C. Final Paycheck -1,262.72 Bill Pmt -Check 01/11/2023 14610 Brandi, N. Mileage reimbursement - January 2023 -62.68 Bill Pmt -Check 01/13/2023 14611 City of Eureka - Wharfinger Venue Rental: Heat Pump Workshop 1/32/22 -575.00 Liability Check 01/13/2023 14612 New Mexico Taxation and Revenue 03591271005 Q4 2022 Withholding payment -590.00 Liability Check 01/13/2023 14613 New Mexico Taxation and Revenue 03591271005 Q4 2022 WC payment -4.30 Liability Check 01/13/2023 14614 NM Department of Workforce Solutions 10062710 Q4 2022 UI payment -150.86 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 ACH CalCCA Operational Member dues Q3 FY 22/23 -28,074.75 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 ACH CalPine Corporation Calpine December 2022 Costs -61,224.00 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 ACH Humboldt Sawmill Co. December 2022 Electricity Charge -425,351.20 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 ACH Leapfrog Energy December 2022 RA -36,740.00 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 ACH Snow Mountain Hydro, LLC December 2022 Electricity -12,871.96 Liability Check 01/20/2023 ACH Newport Group Deferred compensation Paydate 1/20/23 -18,026.62 Liability Check 01/20/2023 ACH EDD Payroll Taxes -7,268.16 Liability Check 01/20/2023 ACH Internal Revenue Service Payroll Taxes -27,262.30 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14615 Amazon.com Monthly billing - December 2022 -1,491.03 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14616 Ameritas - Dental #010-055098-00001 Dental - Feb 2023 -2,020.44 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14617 Ameritas - Vision 010-055098-00002 Vision - February 2023 -432.72 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14618 Arcata Technology Center Site Host Reimbursement 10/1 - 12/31/2022 -411.06 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14619 AT&T RCAM charges: 01/01 - 01/31/2023 for Account 8003-251-9276-942.10 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14620 AT&T Long Distance Phone charges 12/25/2022 - 01/24/2023 -178.52 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14621 Blue Lake Rancheria Site Host Reimbursement 10/1 - 12/31/2022 -357.43 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14622 Boudreau, D. Dec 2022 and Jan 2023 Reimbursements -76.51 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14623 Central Office Printing services- 40 qty Heat Pump workshop flyers -67.74 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14624 City of Arcata Site Host Reimbursement 10/1 - 12/31/2022 -503.21 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14625 City of Blue Lake Site Host Reimbursement 10/1 - 12/31/2022 -187.08 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14626 City of Eureka-Water Water service, 11/21/22- 12/19/22 -186.41 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14627 City of Eureka - REVNet Site Host Reimbursement 10/1 - 12/31/2022 -1,008.44 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14628 City of Trinidad Site Host Reimbursement 10/1 - 12/31/2022 -324.44 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14629 Diamond, Nancy Deember 2022 Legal Services -8,436.00 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14630 Don's Rent-All Forklift delivery cancellation fee -136.56 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14631 Eureka Chamber of Commerce 2023 Membership Dues -243.00 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14632 FedEx Res Kit - service 451 & 458 -85.93 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14633 HireRight Jan 2022 and Dec 2022 invoices -209.91 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14634 HSU - Sponsored Programs Foundation Pole Mounted Solar Plan Set - July-Sept 2022 -7,999.36 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14635 Humboldt Bay Coffee Co. Office Coffee -43.25 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14636 HWMA Dec 2022 Waste drop off invoices -126.70 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14637 Local Worm Guy Nov and Dec 2022 invoices -60.00 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14638 Mission Uniform & Linen Jan 2023 Mat Service -9.15 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14639 North Coast Cleaning December 2022 monthly cleaning service -480.00 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14640 North Coast Unified Air Quality Site Host Reimbursement 10/1 - 12/31/2022 -554.02 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14641 NYLEX.net, Inc. Onsite network support services - Feb 2023 -3,200.00 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14642 Open Door Site Host Reimbursement 10/1 - 12/31/2022 -458.08 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14643 Optimum Business Phone & Internet access - 12/28 - 01/27/2023 -1,100.52 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14644 PG&E CCA Decemeber 2022 CCE Charges -22,175.93 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14645 Ray Morgan Company Printer Charges: 12/06-01/05/23 -84.41 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14646 Reider, S Mileage Reimbursement January 2023 -25.94 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14647 SDRMA P&L Additional Insured Cert: Wharfinger Building for Heat Pump Workshop -47.50 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14648 Shred Aware Shredding services - January 2023 -66.95 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14649 St. Joseph Hospital Site Host Reimbursement 10/1 - 12/31/2022 -1,318.84 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14650 Times Printing Company Jan 2023 invoices -1,264.31 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14651 Verizon Wireless Tablet/cell service for staff & equipment - 11/29 - 12/28/2022-1,377.21 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14652 Winzler, John Office Lease - February 2023 -8,372.70
16 Accrual Basis Redwood Coast Energy Authority
Disbursements Report
As of January 31, 2023
Type Date Num Name Memo Amount
Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14653 WREGIS Retired RECs - August 2022-December 2022 -1.08 Check 01/20/2023 14654 NEM Customer NEM Close Out Ck 14506 reissued -6.17 Check 01/20/2023 14655 NEM Customer NEM Close Out Accts 0105861085 & 0107742938 -26.62 Check 01/20/2023 14656 NEM Customer NEM Close Out Acct #8649283258 -33.67 Check 01/20/2023 14657 NEM Customer NEM Close Out Acct #7825420743 -16.13 Check 01/20/2023 14658 NEM Customer NEM Close Out Acct #6293958821 -242.73 Check 01/20/2023 14659 NEM Customer NEM Close Out Acct #6154502336 -62.02 Check 01/20/2023 14660 NEM Customer NEM Close Out Acct #5666102963 -183.02 Check 01/20/2023 14661 NEM Customer NEM Close Out Acct #4377193092 -0.45 Check 01/20/2023 14662 SacTown Contractor's Corp. PA installs: Real Prop, Crestmark Millwork, Dow's Praire Grange, A to Z -17,045.57 Check 01/20/2023 14663 New Generation Illumination PA install - Don's Rent All -2,340.14 Check 01/20/2023 14664 J.R. Stephens Co. PA install - J.R. Stephens Co. -8,276.86 Check 01/20/2023 14665 CCE Customer Heat Pump Rebate #DS-R-221209-0779 -725.00 Check 01/20/2023 14666 CCE Customer Heat Pump Rebate #DS-R-221128-0744 -950.00 Check 01/20/2023 14667 CCE Customer Heat Pump Rebate #DS-R-221128-0746 -1,375.00 Bill Pmt -Check 01/20/2023 14668 David L. Moonie & Co., LLP Financial consulting - December 2022 -532.00 Liability Check 01/20/2023 14669 Umpqua Bank Health Savings Account Paydate 1/20/23 -72.07 Paycheck 01/20/2023 ACH Employees Payroll -67,235.61
Bill Pmt -Check 01/30/2023 ACH CA Dept. of Tax & Fee Administration Electrical Energy Surcharge Return Q4 2022 -43,810.00 TOTAL -1,059,879.79
17 This page
intentionally
left blank.
18 Redwood Coast Energy Authority
Profit & Loss Budget vs. Actual
July 2022 through January 2023
Jul '22 - Jan 23 Budget % of Budget
Ordinary Income/Expense
Income
Total 4 GRANTS AND DONATIONS 7,500.00
5 REVENUE EARNED
Total 5000 · Revenue - government agencies 416,214.67 1,101,031.00 37.8% Total 5100 · Revenue - program related 31,677.28 30,400.00 104.2% Total 5300 · Revenue - interest on deposits 341.85
Total 5400 · Revenue-nongovernment agencies 169,774.17 489,124.00 34.71% Total 5500 · Revenue - Electricity Sales 42,004,337.99 78,613,344.00 53.43% Total 5 REVENUE EARNED 42,622,345.96 80,233,899.00 53.12% Total Income 42,629,845.96 80,233,899.00 53.13%
Gross Profit 42,629,845.96 80,233,899.00 53.13%
Expense
Total 6 WHOLESALE POWER SUPPLY 28,706,860.78 54,381,799.00 52.79% Total 7 PERSONNEL EXPENSES 2,155,747.34 4,071,684.00 52.95% Total 8.1 FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS 329,411.13 976,816.00 33.72% Total 8.2 COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH 61,515.55 177,004.00 34.75%
8.4 PROFESSIONAL & PROGRAM SRVS
8400 · Regulatory 99,802.22 180,000.00 55.45%
8410 · Contracts - Program Related Ser 90,556.09 290,000.00 31.23% 8420 · Accounting 18,158.00 87,455.00 20.76%
8430 · Legal 107,460.12 180,000.00 59.7%
8450 · Wholesale Services - TEA 484,560.87 654,984.00 73.98% 8460 · Procurement Credit - TEA 322,782.64 690,545.00 46.74% 8470 · Data Management - Calpine 429,761.28 737,532.00 58.27% Total 8.4 PROFESSIONAL & PROGRAM SRVS 1,553,081.22 2,820,516.00 55.06% Total 8.5 PROGRAM EXPENSES 370,271.74 638,100.00 58.03% Total 8.6 INCENTIVES & REBATES 302,088.88 577,823.00 52.28% Total 9 NON OPERATING COSTS 195,938.56 246,020.00 79.64% Total Expense 33,674,915.20 63,889,762.00 52.71%
Net Ordinary Income 8,954,930.76 16,344,137.00 54.79%
Net Income 8,954,930.76 16,344,137.00 54.79%
19 Redwood Coast Energy Authority
Balance Sheet
As of January 31, 2023
Jan 31, 23
ASSETS
Current Assets
Checking/Savings
1010 · Petty Cash 300.00
1050 · GRANTS & DONATIONS 3840 15,995.51
1060 · Umpqua Checking Acct 0560 55,459.89
1071 · Umpqua Deposit Cntrol Acct 8215 7,238,918.12
1075 · Umpqua Reserve Account 2300 1,319,298.52
1076 · First Republic Bank - 4999 62,263.94
8413 · COUNTY TREASURY 3839 5,329.01
Total Checking/Savings 8,697,564.99
Total Accounts Receivable 59,760.47
Other Current Assets
1101 · Allowance for Doubtful Accounts -3,231,511.06
1103 · Accounts Receivable-Other 13,632,548.69
1120 · Inventory Asset 21,715.00
1202 · Prepaid Expenses -24,609.19
1205 · Prepaid Insurance 34,941.40
1499 · Undeposited Funds 1,403.00
Total Other Current Assets 10,434,487.84
Total Current Assets 19,191,813.30
Total Fixed Assets 8,795,685.73
Other Assets
1700 · Security Deposits 4,213,600.00
Total Other Assets 4,213,600.00
TOTAL ASSETS 32,201,099.03
LIABILITIES & EQUITY
Liabilities
Current Liabilities
Total Accounts Payable 5,501,330.75
Total Credit Cards 18,104.40
Other Current Liabilities
2002 · Deposits Refundable 1,533,510.01
2013 · Unearned Revenue - PA 2020-2023 572,133.33
Total 2100 · Payroll Liabilities 316,323.76
Total Other Current Liabilities 2,421,967.10
Total Current Liabilities 7,941,402.25
Total Long Term Liabilities 6,287,592.00
Total Liabilities 14,228,994.25
Equity
2320 · Investment in Capital Assets 215,489.00
3900 · Fund Balance 8,801,685.02
Net Income 8,954,930.76
Total Equity 17,972,104.78
TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY 32,201,099.03
20
STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item # 3.4
AGENDA DATE: March 23, 2023
TO: Board of Directors
PREPARED BY: Lori Taketa, Clerk of the Board
SUBJECT: Community Advisory Committee Member Reappointments
BACKGROUND
RCEA‘s Community Advisory Committee (CAC) was established by the Board to support RCEA public engagement efforts and provide decision-making support and input to the Board. In their advisory and outreach capacities, CAC members have helped educate Humboldt County residents about community choice aggregation, gathered input about community energy priorities during the CCE program’s launch period and have contributed time and effort towards other projects which will be highlighted later at this meeting in the committee’s annual report.
Terms for six of the CAC’s 15 seats will expire on March 31, 2023. All of these seats are nominated for appointment by directors from each member jurisdiction.
SUMMARY
The six term expiring seats are listed in red below:
Representing Jurisdiction Member Name Term Expiration
At-Large Colin Fiske 3/31/2024
At-Large Larry Goldberg 3/31/2024
At-Large Emily Morris 3/31/2024
At-Large Jeff Trirogoff 3/31/2024
Appointed Members
Arcata Norman Bell 3/31/2023
Blue Lake Kit Mann 3/31/2023
County 1 Luna Latimer 3/31/2023
County 2 Christopher Honar 3/31/2023
County 3 Jerome Qiriazi 3/31/2024
Eureka Catherine Gurin, V. Chair 3/31/2023
Ferndale Dennis Leonardi, Chair 3/31/2024
Fortuna Elizabeth Burks 3/31/2024
HBMWD Ethan Lawton 3/31/2024
Rio Dell Roger Hess 3/31/2024
Trinidad Richard Johnson 3/31/2023
Vice Chair Schaefer (Arcata), and Directors Elise Scafani (Blue Lake), Natalie Arroyo (County of Humboldt), Jack Tuttle (Trinidad) and Scott Bauer (Eureka) nominated the currently seated 21 •
REDWOOD COAST
Energy Authority
members for reappointment. All six incumbent CAC members expressed interest in serving another two-year term.
ALIGNMENT WITH RCEA’S STRATEGIC PLAN
The CAC’s work focus is to support RCEA public engagement efforts and provide decision-making support and input to the Board for the successful implementation of the agency’s work goals, which are the RePower Humboldt strategic plan goals.
EQUITY IMPACTS
As the CAC membership works to further implementation of RePower Humboldt strategic plan goals, they have opportunities to benefit underserved population segments, promote racially-diverse inclusion in energy infrastructure or policy decision making, access to energy, energy efficiency services and freedom from pollution.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
N/A.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Reappoint Norman Bell, Catherine Gurin, Christopher Honar, Richard Johnson, Luna Latimer, and Kit Mann, to the Community Advisory Committee for Two-Year Terms Ending on March 31, 2025.
ATTACHMENTS
• N/A
22
STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item # 3.5
AGENDA DATE: March 23, 2023
TO: Board of Directors
PREPARED BY: Aisha Cissna, Regulatory & Legislative Policy Manager SUBJECT: RCEA 2022 Supplier Diversity Report and Plan
SUMMARY
RCEA, along with other Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) and Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs), submitted our 2022 Supplier Diversity Report and Plan to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on March 1, 2023.
The CPUC’s Supplier Diversity Program was established in 1988 by Assembly Bill 3678, which declared that in order for California’s competitive market economy to flourish, diverse business enterprises must have equal opportunity to participate in said market. Following the enactment of AB 3678, the CPUC issued General Order 156 (GO156), which described the specific rules that IOUs must follow to increase procurement from women, disabled veteran, minority, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender-owned business enterprises, hereinafter referred to as “diverse business enterprises” or “diverse BEs.” In 2019, Senate Bill 255 was signed into law, extending the GO 156 reporting requirements to community choice aggregators. Beginning in 2021, CCAs were required to submit Supplier Diversity Report and Plans summarizing diverse spending and planned activities to increase procurement from diverse business enterprises.
The CPUC only recognizes diverse businesses that are certified in their Supplier Clearinghouse database. However, RCEA’s procurement policies emphasize the importance of purchasing from small, local businesses that also experience marginalization. RCEA’s supplier diversity activities have and will continue to emphasize the importance of those investments, synergizing those investments with increased procurement from diverse business enterprises.
CCAs have generally reported low to no diverse spending with CPUC-certified business enterprises. The CPUC acknowledges that CCAs experience unique hurdles to increasing diverse spending compared to IOUs because (1) most CCA spending is dedicated to power procurement, a business sector that is widely known to not have diverse participation and (2) CCAs are limited in their ability to contract with diverse business enterprises due to state laws that prohibit preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. That said, RCEA remains committed to adapting our efforts to achieve more diverse spending.
RCEA’s 2022 supplier diversity activities include approximately $3,200 in diverse spending with certified businesses and approximately $270,000 with firms that qualify but are not certified. Other activities include posting bids to the Supplier Clearinghouse dashboard, an all-staff training on the CPUC’s Supplier Diversity Program and certification process and 23 •
REDWOOD COAST
Energy Authority
participating in regular CPUC-CCA Supplier Diversity meetings. Additionally, RCEA signed contracts with a few certified businesses towards the end of 2022 which resulted in little to no spending last year but will result in spending with one Women-owned Business Enterprise (WBE) and ongoing spending with one Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) and one Total Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) in 2023 and beyond.
In implementing supplier diversity activities in 2022, RCEA learned several lessons that can increase our supplier diversity effort efficacy in 2023. Instead of increasing the quantity of its supplier diversity activities, RCEA will focus on encouraging existing vendors to achieve certification. Humboldt County is home to small businesses and sole proprietors who qualify for certification but lack the bandwidth to navigate the certification process. Over the last year, CPUC Supplier Diversity staff have distributed helpful resources to ease the navigation of achieving certification; all materials that RCEA has posted on our website. Additionally, the CPUC issued a decision in 2022 adding new supplier diversity reporting requirements. RCEA and other regulated utilities will now need to report procurement from certified business enterprises owned by persons with disabilities (a distinct category from disabled veteran-owned business enterprises). That decision also ordered reporting entities to report workforce data and board diversity data, once the CPUC has issued more specific guidance.
Concurrently, RCEA is making progress on its Racial Justice Plan to address inequities in our community. Many aspects of RCEA’s Supplier Diversity Report and Plan are geared toward increasing diversity and equity in RCEA’s hiring practices, governance, workplace culture, program development, and program delivery. RCEA recognizes that equal access to economic opportunity for diverse business enterprises and others experiencing marginalization must be achieved. Policies promoting utility procurement of products and services from diverse BEs is a step toward achieving that goal.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
RCEA’s 2022 supplier diversity program expenses amounted to $8,694.
ALIGNMENT WITH RCEA’S STRATEGIC PLAN
RCEA’s supplier diversity activities most closely align with RePower Humboldt section 1.4.8, “Develop Programs that Foster Social Equity.”
EQUITY IMPACTS
The purpose of the Supplier Diversity Program is to provide diverse business enterprises with economic opportunity equal to that of business enterprises that do not fall under the CPUC’s definition of “diverse.”
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Accept RCEA Supplier Diversity 2022 Annual Report and Plan.
ATTACHMENT
RCEA Supplier Diversity 2022 Annual Report and Plan
24 2022Supplier Diversity
Annual Report and Plan
Report to the
California Public
Utilities Commission
Redwood Coast Energy Authority
March 1, 2023
25 REDWOOD COAST
Energy Authority
ii
Redwood Coast Energy Authority
633 3rd Street
Eureka, CA 95501
Telephone:
707-269-1700
Fax:
707-269-1777
Email:
[email protected]
Website:
www.RedwoodEnergy.org/supplier-diversity/
26 iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2022 Annual Report 1
9.1.1 Description of Supplier Diversity Program Activities During the Previous Calendar Year 3
9.1.2 Supplier Diversity Results of Goods and Services (non-power purchases) if Procured 8
9.1.2 Description of Diverse Suppliers with Majority Workforce in California 9
9.1.3 Supplier Diversity Program Expense 9
9.1.5 Description of Prime Contractors Utilization of Diverse Subcontractors 9
9.1.6 List of Supplier Diversity Complaints Received and Current Status 9
9.1.9 Description of Supplier Diversity Activities and Progress in Power (Energy) Procurement 10
9.1.9 Supplier Diversity Results in Power (Energy) Procurement 11 2022 Annual Plan 12
10.2 Description of Supplier Diversity Program Activities Planned for the Next Calendar Year 12
10.2 Plans to Encourage Prime Contractors to Subcontract Small, Local, and Diverse Businesses 14 27 1
2022Annual Report
2022 MARKS THE THIRD YEAR FOR REDWOOD COAST ENERGY AUTHORITY’S PARTICIPATION IN THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION’S (CPUC'S) SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PROGRAM. The Redwood Coast Energy Authority’s (RCEA) Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program started serving load to Humboldt County in May 2017 for the express purpose of empowering its member communities to choose the generation resources that reflect their specific values and needs. Chief among these needs identified through community workshops and input to RCEA’s Board of Directors are affordability, local economic development, local control over power resources and generation rates, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, air quality, protection of natural resources, and energy reliability in rural Humboldt County, an area especially prone to extended electric outages.
Several highlights from RCEA’s 2022 supplier diversity activities an increase in spend with three certified businesses compared to the previous year, contracts and purchases from a variety of diverse BE’s expected to be qualified for certification, posting bids to the Supplier Clearinghouse dashboard, an all-staff training on the CPUC’s Supplier Diversity program and certification process, participating in regular CPUC-CCA Supplier Diversity meetings, and expanding our agency’s equity and racial justice efforts.
Additionally, RCEA entered into contracts with a few certified businesses towards the end of 2022. These contracts resulted in little to no spend with these certified vendors during 2022, but will indeed result in 2022 spend with one Women Business Enterprise (WBE) and ongoing spend with one Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) and one Total Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) in 2023 and beyond. Regarding Humboldt County’s list of certified vendors, seven business certifications were added to the Clearinghouse and three businesses’ certification expired. Humboldt County grossed an 16% increase in certified businesses in 2022.
In implementing activities described in last year’s report summarizing 2021 activities, RCEA learned several lessons that will be employed to increase the efficacy of our supplier diversity efforts in 2023. Instead of increasing the quantity of its supplier diversity activities, RCEA will adapt its current suite of activities to focus on encouraging existing vendors to achieve certification. Humboldt County is home to small businesses and sole proprietors who qualify for certification, but do not have the bandwidth to navigate the certification process. Over the last year, CPUC Supplier Diversity staff have distributed an array of helpful resources to ease the navigation of achieving certification; all materials that RCEA has posted on our website. Additionally, RCEA has noted the new requirements implemented by Decision 22-04-035, Decision Revising General Order 156 Supplier Diversity Program To Implement Senate Bill 255, Adopt A Voluntary Procurement Goal For LGBT Business Enterprises, Incorporate Persons With Disabilities Business Enterprises, And Other Updates. Specifically, the addition of procurement from persons will disabilities business enterprises will be featured in covered entities’ reports next year. RCEA also anticipates the forthcoming requirements to report workforce data and board diversity data.
Concurrently, RCEA continues to make progress on its Racial Justice Plan to address inequities in our community. Many aspects of this plan are geared toward increasing diversity and equity in RCEA’s hiring practices, governance, workplace culture, program development, and program delivery. RCEA recognizes that equal access to economic opportunity for business enterprises owned by women, minorities, disabled veterans, persons with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, (”diverse BEs” or “eligible 28 2
suppliers”) and others experiencing marginalization must be achieved. Policies that promote utility procurement of products and services from diverse BEs is a step toward achieving that goal.
In addition to diverse BEs, other types of business owners also experience economic marginalization in society, and RCEA's procurement policies have and continue to help close those gaps. While GO 156 acknowledges Small Business Administration 8(a) certified small businesses, RCEA notes the importance of purchasing from local, Department of General Services-certified small businesses not recognized through the CPUC’s diverse BE-focused Supplier Clearinghouse. Accordingly, RCEA spent $8,912.68on local, DGS-certified small businesses in 2022. This spend is impactful because our CCA service territory is relatively rural, thus experiencing economic marginalization distinct from our metropolitan neighbors served by their own CCA programs.
RCEA’s local procurement is essential in our service territory, where poverty and low household income are widespread, and where distance creates logistical challenges in procuring goods and services from outside our area. RCEA strived to support local businesses as much as possible and has increased the total amount of local spend by over $1 million compared to the local spend reported last year in the 2021 annual report. The following table highlights our most notable local spend in 2022:
Expense Category Sum of 2022 Spend
Power Purchase - Biomass $ 7,656,502.09
Professional Services $ 320,466.00
Net Energy Metering customer payouts $ 169,490.08 1
RCEA facility costs $ 102,714.33
Electric Vehicle/Heat pump incentives $ 29,376.33
Electric Vehicle Charging Network $ 19,138.49
Supplies $ 7,594.69
Outreach $ 25,853.66
Grand Total $ 8,331,135.67
RCEA has a growing number of vendors that are woman-owned, but not WBE certified. In 2022, $270,616.61 of RCEA’s total spend went to these WBE-eligible businesses; $132,076.04 consisted of transactions with businesses that are local and WBE-eligible, And the remaining $138,540.57 was paid to a WBE-eligible business that is not local to Humboldt County. While RCEA plans to engage with these qualified businesses to educate and assist with the certification process, it is important to emphasize that this is indeed a material hurdle small businesses face generally, and a more streamlined certification process could provide an equitable opportunity for certification of smaller vendors.
Nevertheless, RCEA is proud of our procurement from these businesses and is excited to continue leveraging GO 156 as an opportunity to further the power our procurement holds to stimulate small, local, and diverse business growth. 1 $1,194.80 of the “Net Energy Metering customer payouts” contained in this table went to a certified vendor; however, it is not reported as diverse spend per CPUC staff guidance. 29 3
9.1.1 Description of Supplier Diversity Program Activities During the Previous Calendar Year In 2022, RCEA made progress toward the goals set in the Annual Plan we submitted last reporting cycle. RCEA’s 2022 activities and a description of progress as it pertains to each activity are provided below.
EXTERNAL PROGRAM ACTIVITIES FOR 2022
Category Activity Status
Outreach and
Education
Continue to expand outreach to educate the public and
vendors about the Supplier Diversity program through
RCEA’s web presence.
RCEA expanded public-facing resources on RCEA’s website, including links to the Supplier Clearinghouse website; Certification Process Overview; and Application Document List.
Bolster the presence of supplier diversity on RCEA’s
website. For example, in addition to the existing dedicated supplier diversity page on RCEA’s website, also feature information on RCEA’s home page.
See row above.
Continue to strengthen our partnership with the Norcal
Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) to reach their local diverse membership and jointly implement local outreach to educate businesses about the CPUC’s Supplier Diversity program and certification opportunities.
NorCal PTAC staff attended the Contractor & Vendor Open House on October 26 where Supplier Diversity program information was available.
Technical
Assistance
Provide technical assistance to diverse BE’s and encourage local qualified firms and existing vendors to pursue
certification.
RCEA provided information at its Contractor & Vendor Open House on October 26, and Contractor & Vendor Network Enrollment Form was updated to include a request for contractors/vendors to identify if they were certified with the Supplier Clearinghouse.
Refine the draft RCEA technical assistance guidance
document, as needed.
RCEA has opted to leverage recent resources provided by CPUC Supplier Diversity staff for technical assistance. The RCEA technical guidance document was initially developed when fewer resources were provided on the CPUC’s Supplier Diversity websites; however, the materials available now are robust and supplant the need for an RCEA-specific document.
Follow-up with the two Humboldt County-based vendors
whose certification lapsed in 2021 to assist with
recertification.
RCEA staff reached out to one of these vendors who is DBVE that we have an established relationship with. The business did not respond, but staff plans to reengage in 2023.
30 4
Assist local vendors with certification; be available to answer technical questions on certification requirements and assist with the submission of required materials.
RCEA staff engaged with one WBE-eligible metal-working business in 2022 who is not certified. Staff plans to follow up with this contact in 2023 to offer more technical assistance.
RCEA staff prepared an internal list of potential vendors to engage in 2022; RCEA plans to develop a more streamlined approach and collateral with which to approach these
vendors then conduct outreach to help them certify.
RCEA has further added to its internal list of potential vendors to engage in 2022. In lieu of developing its own collateral, RCEA has provided CPUC vendor resources on its website as mentioned above, in regard to guidance documents.
Coordinate with internal staff who lead high-touch
customer programs to evaluate how supplier diversity
outreach could be integrated with their communications.
RCEA’s supplier diversity team coordinated with a number of internal staff members who are responsible for the bulk of customer program communications with local businesses to better understand how outreach and communication is conducted currently. Those staff were trained on the benefits of certification and the process for sharing CPUC vendor resources when they are collaborating with interested business owners. Staff has noted several ideas for more structured and planned supplier diversity engagement during these customer interactions in the future as we find the balance between serving the customers programmatic needs that prompted the interaction with the certification information that may be pertinent to them.
Diverse
Organizations
and Chambers
of Commerce
Continue participating in GARE. Identify local diverse
organizations and chambers of commerce that would be
interested in hearing about GO 156, partnering on supplier diversity activities, and participating in these organizations’ supplier diversity related efforts.
RCEA joined the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) in 2021; a national network of governments working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all people. After participating for more than a year, RCEA has determined that this group is not a resource for expanding Supplier Diversity outreach individually given its specific scope. RCEA will continue evaluating additional organizations in which to participate in 2023.
CPUC Supplier Diversity staff suggested that RCEA staff research the American Indian Statewide Chamber. RCEA staff conducted research and found that no local tribes participate in the Chamber.
Local, State,
National
Supplier
Diversity
Events
Similar to the activity above, continue to identify and attend events (preferably local, but also regional and
statewide) where RCEA can engage with diverse supplier
groups, such as the National Business Inclusion Consortium, the Western Regional Minority Supplier Development
Council, and the Women's Business Enterprise Council.
RCEA attended the CPUC En Banc in 2022. RCEA previously attended the Virtual Small/Business Expo in 2021 and sought to participate again this year; however, inquiries to relevant staff requesting details for participation did not receive replies. RCEA has looked at national and regional forums and preliminary assessment indicates these would not be ideal forums to further RCEA’s diverse spend.
Prime Supplier
Engagement
Work with prime suppliers to optimize diverse participation and accurate reporting. Train prime suppliers in
certification requirements so they can educate their
subcontractors to certify.
RCEA’s supplier diversity team investigated the prevalence of prime/subcontractor relationships with RCEA and has found that RCEA has very few instances of contracting with vendors who hire subcontractors. As such, we will plan to address prime and subcontractor certification efforts on a case-by-case basis when the opportunities present themselves. 31 5
Staff with direct relationships with prime contractors will provide information to said primes to encourage them to certify and educate their subcontractors to certify. RCEA staff is first emphasizing outreach to motivate prime
contractors to certify. Once there is growth in prime
certifications, RCEA will develop outreach strategies to engage with prime contractors to encourage their
subcontractors to certify.
See row above.
INTERNAL PROGRAM ACTIVITIES FOR 2022
Category Activity Status
Supplier
Diversity
Working Group
Continue convening interdepartmental RCEA supplier
diversity working group
RCEA has decreased its internal engagement of the working group as staff from each department are well-versed in RCEA’s guidance for increasing supplier diversity: posting solicitations to the Supplier Clearinghouse bid page and considering purchasing opportunities from diverse BEs for smaller purchases. RCEA is engaging with a smaller subset of the working group to implement internal and external activities.
Track Spend Staff with direct access to contract and invoicing data will continue to track spend with diverse BEs. Staff will continue to prepare a report summarizing the annual GO 156
submission for review by the RCEA Board of Directors. RCEA will continue this practice in 2022 and all subsequent years.
RCEA shared the 2021 Supplier Diversity Annual Report and Plan with its Board of Directors in April 2022. During our contracting process with new vendors, staff tracked certified and qualified vendors and noted when to begin tracking spend for these contracts.
Share
Contracting
Opportunities
with the
Supplier
Clearinghouse
Vendor
Database
Increase the number of RCEA contracting opportunities
shared with the Supplier Clearinghouse database with a
priority on local suppliers; respond to diverse BE
prospective supplier inquiries.
RCEA staff received training on navigating the Supplier Clearinghouse website, including the database. RCEA staff submitted three bid opportunities to the Supplier Clearinghouse bid board in 2022. RCEA received one bid from a certified vendor in response to posted opportunities.
• RCEA’s Power Resources Department posted their 2022 Mid-Term Reliability power procurement solicitation to the Supplier Clearinghouse solicitation page. The following results were provided through the Supplier Clearinghouse Solicitation Statistics page: There were 84 target recipients; the campaign was viewed by 1% of the total target recipients. There was one unique view via “System Users”. There were 15 total views; 0 views via email, 14 views via the Public Portal, and 1 view via System Users. No proposals to this solicitation were received via the Clearinghouse. 32 6
• RCEA’s Business Planning Department posted their Regulatory and Legal Services RFP to the Supplier Clearinghouse solicitation page. The following results were provided through the Supplier Clearinghouse Solicitation Statistics page: There were 199 target recipients; the campaign was viewed by 2% of the total target recipients. There were four unique views via “System Users”. There were seven total views; 0 views via email, 3 views via the Public Portal, and 4 view via System Users. No proposals to this year’s solicitation were received via the Clearinghouse. • RCEA’s Demand Side Management Department posted a solicitation on behalf of a local charter school that we provide Energy Management services for. RCEA did not receive the solicitation statistics, as the results and correspondence were provided directly to contact email for the charter school staff.
RCEA will continue to train staff on how to use the supplier database and other Clearinghouse resources.
One new hire was trained on how to post solicitations to the Supplier Clearinghouse. All other staff received training during the Staff-wide training delivered below. RCEA continues to hold individual orientations for new hires that are onboarded after the annual Staff-wide training.
RCEA staff leading supplier diversity efforts will issue more frequent reminders to staff to post bids to the
Clearinghouse and seek to institutionalize this guidance in its procurement guidelines and procedures documents.
Staff reviewed supplier diversity language in several draft solicitations and continued to coordinate with program staff to publish solicitations to the Clearinghouse.
Staff-wide
Training
Staff will deliver an annual high-level presentation during an all-staff meeting to refresh staff on GO 156 background, CPUC requirements, RCEA efforts, and the importance of
supplier diversity and ensure new staff members are
familiar with the Supplier Diversity program and RCEA’s respective efforts
RCEA delivered a training at an organization-wide meeting on May 9, 2022, to 28 staff members on the background of the CPUC Supplier Diversity program, CPUC requirements, RCEA efforts, and the importance of supplier diversity. For new staff that are on-boarded in-between annual supplier diversity trainings, individual orientations are provided.
ADDITIONAL 2022 ACTIVITIES NOT CAPTURED IN THE ABOVE TABLES ➢ RCEA integrated supplier diversity language into its solicitations for products and services. ➢ RCEA staff participated in regular meetings with CPUC staff to better understand the opportunities available to CCAs to increase our diverse spend, discuss strategies to improve the CPUC Supplier Diversity program, RCEA’s supplier diversity program, and approach to compliance.
33 7
➢ RCEA staff attended the CPUC Supplier Diversity En Banc on October 14th, 2022, to learn how CCAs can strengthen our supplier diversity efforts.
➢ RCEA staff participated in regular meetings with other CCAs to strategize how CCAs can maximize supplier diversity in our communities.
➢ RCEA has made progress on various activities contained in its Racial Justice Plan; a strategic suite of policies that guide RCEA's overall efforts to institutionalize diversity, equity, and inclusion across hiring practices, employee retention, employee recruitment, procurement, community relations, and Board representation. Another focus is working more closely with the local tribal governments. RCEA staff presented a progress report on the Racial Justice Plan in July 2022. Activities specifically include revising job descriptions to incorporate equity activities, incorporating equity activities in employee work plans, implicit bias trainings, staff demographics survey, implementing additional equity strategies in hiring, working with tribes on RCEA program development, adding tribal representation on RCEA’s Community Advisory Committee, establishing a tribal liaison position, issuing a customer demographics survey, conducting an analysis on customer demographics survey responses, and conducting a program equity evaluation. This effort has been supported by RCEA’s involvement in the Environmental Justice CalCCA committee and the broader CCA community. In 2022, RCEA began to explore how to legally navigate adding tribal representatives to its Board of Directors.
[This space is intentionally left blank; content continues on next page.] 34 8
9.1.2 Supplier Diversity Results of Goods and Services (non-power purchases) if Procured Direct Spend $ Sub Spend $ Total $ % Product Spend $ Service Spend $ Total $ % 1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
9 10
11 $ 11.50 $ 11.50 0.00% $ 11.50 $ 11.50 0.00%
12 $ 1,500.00 $ 1,500.00 0.04% $ 1,500.00 $ 1,500.00 0.04% 13 14 $ 1,700.00 $ 1,700.00 0.04% $ 1,700.00 $ 1,700.00 0.04% 15 16
17 $ 3,211.50 $ - $ 3,211.50 0.08% $ - $ 3,211.50 $ 3,211.50 0.08% 18 19
20 21
NOTE:
* 8(a) - Businesses owned and controlled by persons found to be disadvantaged by the U.S. Small Business Administration pursuant to Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act, as amended (15 U.S.C. 637 (a)) or the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, pursuant to Section 5 of Executive Order 11625 (GO 156 Section 1.3.13). ** Net Procurement incudes purchase orders, non-purchase orders, and credit card dollars.
Direct - Means Direct Procurement: when a CCA directly procures from a supplier.
Sub - Means Subcontractor Procurement: when a prime contractor, in contract with a CCA, procures from a subcontractor to fulfil its contractual obligation(s).
% - Percentage of Net Procurement.
Redwood Coast Energy Authority 2022 GO 156 Section 9.1.2 Supplier Diversity Results of Goods and Services (non-power purchases) if Procured [Year] of Report
Total Minority Male
Minority Female
African American
Asian Pacific American
Hispanic American
Native American
Total Minority Female
Minority Male
African American
Asian Pacific American
Hispanic American
Native American
Total Supplier Diversity Spend
Net Procurement**
Total Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
Women Business Enterprise (WBE)
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Business Enterprise (LGBTBE) Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE)
Persons with Disabilities Business Enterprise (DBE)
8(a)*
$ 3,982,784.94
Total Number of Diverse Suppliers that Received Direct Spend 3 Net Product Procurement
Net Service Procurement $ 3,900,486.40
$ 82,298.54
35 1 2
9 9.1.2 Description of Diverse Suppliers with Majority Workforce in California All three of the Diverse Suppliers for which RCEA reported spend in 2022 have a majority workforce in California.
9.1.3 Supplier Diversity Program Expense
9.1.5 Description of Prime Contractors Utilization of Diverse Subcontractors RCEA very seldomly solicits work that entails hiring prime contractors who utilize subcontractors. To give some context, RCEA solicits an average of less than one Public Works construction project in a given year and over the last several years has had very few instances of contracted suppliers or service providers that engage subcontractors for their work. In 2022, RCEA has no recorded instances of contracting with a Prime who hired subcontractors, and thus has nothing to report in this section.
9.1.6 List of Supplier Diversity Complaints Received and Current Status RCEA did not receive any formal complaints this reporting cycle.
Expense Category Year (Actual)
Wages $ 7,564.00
Other Employee Expenses 1,130.00 $
Program Expenses
Reporting Expenses
Training Expenses
Consultant Expenses
Other Expenses
Total $ 8,694.00
Redwood Coast Energy Authority 2022 GO 156 Section 9.1.3 Supplier Diversity Program Expense
36 10
9.1.9 Description of Supplier Diversity Activities and Progress in Power (Energy) Procurement RCEA did not procure power products from a Clearinghouse-certified entity during reporting year 2022, nor did RCEA have any owned power plants or power purchase agreements (PPA) that required fuel provision.
RCEA did, however, post one solicitation to the Supplier Clearinghouse website; although no responses were received via the Clearinghouse, the amount of traffic RCEA’s posting received is included on page five of Section 9.1.1.
Despite this, RCEA does procure power products from a variety of small, local producers as part of our Board-directed effort to spur and sustain economic development within our service area. In 2022, RCEA procured energy and capacity from a local biomass plant, Humboldt Sawmill Company’s Scotia Cogeneration Plant (HSC). RCEA’s procurement from HSC sustains a number of local jobs and will continue to do so through the end of the PPA term in June 2031.
RCEA has issued a number of solicitations for renewable energy and energy storage projects in the last few years, all of which have expressed preference for local resources. As a result of these efforts, RCEA signed two contracts in 2022 for resources within its service territory. The first is a 17 MW battery storage project expected to be operational in 2024. The other is a 3 MW solar plus 1.25 MW/5 MWh storage project expected to be operational in 2024. RCEA will continue to seek procurement opportunities with an emphasis on projects within its service area to promote local economic development and grid reliability.
In addition, RCEA offers a Feed-In Tariff program, which launched in 2019 and offers above-market pricing for new, small-scale (<1 MW) renewable generation within RCEA’s service area. RCEA signed two PPAs under this program in 2020 for approximately 2 MW of new solar generation. The two solar facilities are expected to come online in 2024.
Lastly, RCEA funded about half the cost of the Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid (RCAM) project, which is an RCEA-owned hybrid solar plus storage resource at the California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport. Engineering and project management are being provided by the Schatz Energy Research Center, a research branch of Cal Poly Humboldt, and installation of the solar array was sub-contracted to a local company at prevailing wage. RCAM became operational in December 2021 and is providing energy reliability and resiliency to critical facilities including the airport, U.S. Coast Guard, and an animal shelter. 37 11
9.1.9 Supplier Diversity Results in Power (Energy) Procurement RCEA has no results to report in Energy Procurement from Diverse BEs in 2022, notwithstanding the efforts and activities outlined in the preceding section.
Direct Power Purchases $ %
Renewable and Non-Renewable Power Products Diesel Nuclear Natural Gas Direct Sub Total $ 1 African American $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
2 Asian Pacific American $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
3 Hispanic American $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
4 Native American $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
5 Total Minority Male $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
6 African American $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
7 Asian Pacific American $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
8 Hispanic American $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
9 Native American $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
10 Total Minority Female $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
11 Total Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 12 Women Business Enterprise (WBE) $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender
13 Business Enterprise (LGBTBE)
Disabled Veteran Business
14 Enterprise (DVBE)
15 Persons with Disabilities Business
Enterprises (DBE) $0 $0 $0 $0 0 0 0
16 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
17 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
18 Net Power Procurement $13,453,166
19 Net Direct Power Purchases $13,453,166
20 Net Direct Fuels for Generation $0
21 Total Number of Diverse Suppliers 0
8(a)
Total Supplier Diversity
$0 $0 $0
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Minority
Male
Minority
Female
$0 $0 $0 $0
GO 156 Section 9.1.9
Supplier Diversity Results in Power (Energy) Procurement Direct Fuels for Generation $ Totals $
Redwood Coast Energy Authority 2022
38 12
2023Annual Plan
10.2 Description of Supplier Diversity Program Activities Planned for the Next Calendar Year Overall, RCEA’s 2023 activities will focus on refining the activities we established last year to increase the number of local businesses and RCEA direct vendors that are certified, as opposed to developing new programs.
PLANNED EXTERNAL PROGRAM ACTIVITIES FOR 2023
Category Proposed Activity
Outreach and Education Continue to expand outreach to educate the public and vendors about the Supplier Diversity program through RCEA’s web presence, social media, and community events.
Continue to bolster the presence of supplier diversity on RCEA’s website. This may include highlighting certified vendors in RCEA’s Contractor and Vendor Network and routinely featuring supplier diversity information on RCEA’s homepage.
Continue to strengthen our partnership with the Norcal Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) to reach their local diverse membership and jointly implement local outreach to educate businesses about the CPUC’s Supplier Diversity program and certification opportunities.
Technical Assistance Continue to provide technical assistance to diverse BE’s and encourage local qualified firms and existing vendors to pursue certification. If RCEA finds that contractors or vendors are qualified for Clearinghouse certification or hold non-Clearinghouse certifications, encourage them to pursue Clearinghouse certification.
Follow-up with any Humboldt County-based vendors whose certification lapse to assist with recertification.
Provide Supplier Diversity information at future RCEA contractor and vendor workshops.
Upon awarding a contract, assess vendor for Clearinghouse certification or, when not certified, eligibility for certification. For vendors who are qualified, provide CPUC certification guidance materials and a description of the benefits of certification.
Diverse Organizations and
Chambers of Commerce
Identify local diverse organizations and chambers of commerce that would be interested in hearing about the benefits of Supplier Clearinghouse certification, partnering on supplier diversity activities, and participating in these organizations’ supplier diversity related efforts. Engage diverse and/or business student groups at local colleges to share Supplier Diversity information.
Engaging these groups may involve being a speaker at a regular meeting, providing information on the benefits of certification, or attending organization events to learn more about their supplier diversity related work.
Local, State, National
Supplier Diversity Events
Similar to the activity above, continue to identify and attend events where RCEA can engage with diverse supplier groups.
Attend CPUC Supplier Diversity meetings and events.
39 13
Prime Supplier
Engagement
RCEA plans to address prime and subcontractor certification efforts on a case-by-case basis when these rare opportunities present themselves.
PLANNED INTERNAL PROGRAM ACTIVITIES FOR 2023
Category Proposed Activity
Supplier Diversity Working
Group
Engage with appropriate RCEA staff to implement internal and external program activities for 2023.
Coordinate with internal staff who lead high-touch customer programs to evaluate how supplier diversity outreach could be integrated with their communications.
Board of Directors
Presentation
Staff will prepare a report summarizing the annual Supplier Diversity Report and Plan and deliver this report for review by the RCEA Board of Directors.
Collect and Report
Diversity Data
Collect and report workforce diversity data once CPUC guidance has been distributed. Collect and report board diversity data once CPUC guidance has been distributed.
Contracting Opportunities Increase the number of RCEA contracting opportunities shared with the Supplier Clearinghouse database with a priority on local suppliers; respond to diverse BE prospective supplier inquiries.
Provide staff trainings as needed to remind staff how to distribute opportunities on Supplier Clearinghouse platform.
Continue to integrate and update supplier diversity language in RCEA solicitations.
Staff-wide Training Staff will deliver a high-level presentation during an all-staff meeting to educate staff on GO 156 background, CPUC requirements, RCEA efforts, and the importance of supplier diversity.
ADDITIONAL 2023 ACTIVITIES NOT CAPTURED IN THE ABOVE TABLES ➢ Participate ongoing meetings with CPUC Supplier Diversity staff and CCAs to coordinate efforts to improve diverse spend. ➢ Continue implementation of RCEA’s Racial Justice Plan. ➢ Add tribal representative(s) into RCEA’s Board of Directors. 40 14
10.2 Plans to Encourage Prime Contractors to Subcontract Small, Local, and Diverse Businesses
As noted in previous sections, RCEA very seldomly solicits and contracts for work that entails hiring prime contractors who utilize subcontractors. As such, RCEA intends to educate prime contractors about utilization of diverse subcontractors on a case-by-case basis in upcoming years. As with all RCEA solicitations, supplier diversity information will be collected from vendors who contract with RCEA, and this request will extend to subcontractors when applicable. 41 This page
intentionally
left blank.
42 STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item # 6.1
AGENDA DATE: March 23, 2023
TO: Board of Directors
PREPARED BY: Matthew Marshall, Executive Director
SUBJECT: Update from the California Fishermen’s Resiliency Association
SUMMARY
One of the core stakeholder groups relevant to the development of offshore wind energy is the commercial fishing industry. RCEA has been working to actively engage and collaborate with local fishermen since RCEA’s local offshore wind development efforts began in 2017.
One key local fishing industry organizations is the Humboldt Fishermen’s Marketing Association (HFMA). After ongoing engagement RCEA entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with HFMA in 2018 to establish a shared understanding and set of goals around developing offshore wind energy in a manner that minimizes and mitigates impacts to commercial fishing as much as possible.
At the time that the MOU with HFMA was executed it was anticipated that other local/regional fishing organizations with an interest in the waters off Humboldt County would request similar agreements with RCEA. In 2020 RCEA provided a $20,000 grant to HFMA to fund external costs necessary to their effective engagement in the offshore wind development process, and HFMA used a portion of that RCEA funding to establish the California Fishermen’s Resiliency Association (CFRA).
CFRA is a new non-profit formed-by and representing the port associations from Crescent City south to San Francisco -- the ports of San Francisco, Bodega Bay, Fort Bragg, Shelter Cove, Humboldt Bay, Trinidad Bay, and Crescent City. The intended purpose of CFRA is to serve as a central “point of contact” for developers and projects intending to work in the ocean waters of the north coast, and particularly for the immediate purpose of negotiating a Fishing Community Benefit Agreement (FCBA) between commercial fishermen and offshore wind energy developers.
RCEA entered into a MOU with CFRA in October 2022, similar to the one executed with HFMA in 2018. The MOU between RCEA and CFRA establishes an agreement to cooperate and work together in good faith for the purpose of ensuring that the development of floating offshore wind energy off the coast of northern California proceeds in a way that effectively identifies, avoids, 43 •
REDWOOD COAST
Energy Authority
minimizes and mitigates impacts to the commercial fishing industry to the greatest extent possible so that commercial fishing and offshore wind energy can successfully coexist to the greater benefit of the community.
CFRA representatives requested an opportunity provide an update on the activities of the organization and will provide a presentation at the meeting.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
None – Information only.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Executed MOU between RCEA and the California Fishermen’s Resiliency Association 44 45
MEMORANDUM OF COOPERA TJON
BETWEEN
THE REDWOOD COAST ENERGY AUTHORITY
AND
THE CALIFORNIA FISHERMEN'S RESILIENCY ASSOCIATION
This Memorandum is entered into this the 31st day of October, 2022 ("Effective Date"), by and, between;
I. REDWOOD COAST ENERGY AUTHOR1TY ("RCEA"), a California Joint Powers Authority, having an office at 633 3rd Street, Eureka, CA, 9550 I, whose members include the County of Humboldt, the Cities of Arcata, Blue Lake Eureka, Ferndale, Fortuna, Rio Dell, and Trinidad, and the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District; and
2. The California Fishermen's Resiliency Association (CFRA), a California non-profit Mutual Benefit Corporation at 1118 6th Street, Eureka, California 9550 I.
The CFRA serves as a "point of contact'' for OSW developers and a Fishing Community Benefit Agreement (FCBA) negotiator for fishermen and OSW industry.
RCEA and CFRA are referred to herein either in singular as "Party" or in plural as the "Parties." PREAMBLE:
By creating access to economically priced renewable energy renewable resource diversification, and enhanced economic activity in coastal areas, floating offshore wind energy development represents tremendous opportunity for the State of California. This is especially true of Humboldt County where the wind resource offshore is particularly strong and Humboldt Bay is endowed with characteristics that make it well suited for harbor investment and utilization to support the deployment of offshore wind power systems.
The North Coast region's fishing grounds, the site of the Humboldt Wind Energy lease areas, have been occupied by the West Coast fishing fleet since the early l 900's. The North Coast 46 region, especially Eureka, Fort Bragg, Shelter Cove, Trinidad and Crescent City is home to a commercial fishing industry that provides sustainably caught seafood both for our community and for country wide distribution. For many generations, the North Coast community fishing grounds have provided a livelihood for fishermen and their families, as well as widespread employment in the seafood distribution economy. North Coast commercial fishing contributes to national food security.
The Parties recognize that a viable commercial fishing industry is integral to the economy and culture of the North Coast and that the development of offshore wind energy will pennanently impact the commercial fishing industry economically and culturally. They recognize that such development should be pursued in a manner that avoids, minimizes and mitigates impacts to fishing so that both endeavors can sustainably coexist for the benefit of our community.
AGREEMENT
The Parties agree to cooperate and work together in good faith for the purpose of ensuring that efforts to develop floating offshore wind energy off the coast of Humboldt County by RCEA, its project partners, and any other offshore wind developers proceed in a way that effectively identifies, avoids, minimizes. and mitigates impacts to the commercial fishing industry to the greatest extent possible. As part of this agreement, the Parties agree to work together:
I. To maintain open and honest communication and to inform the other Party in a timely fashion of relevant developments that could affect or impact the goals of this agreement;
2. To identify and evaluate any potential impacts to commercial fishing interests associated with the offshore wind project's development, operation, and decommissioning, and to take reasonable steps to avoid and minimize those impacts;
3. To work together with RCEA 's development partners to negotiate Fishing Community Benefit Agreements to address avoidance. minimization and long term mitigation of impacts to North Coast commercial fishing. These FCBA 'swill be broad based, democratic, and inclusive of all fishing gear types. These FCBA's will include the identification and contractual stipulation of sufficient pennanent sourced funding to insure and enhance resiliency in California fisheries and fishing communities. 2 47
4. To seek out and cooperate as appropriate on mutually beneficiid grant or public funding opportunities (such as for harbor infrastructure improvements) that are consistent with the goals of this agreement;
5. To coordinate and cooperate with state and other relevant officials in ways that advance the goals of this agreement;
6. To identify and reasonably address, in a timely manner, the additional needs of either party that may arise during the offshore wind project development operation and decommissioning process.
Thjg Memorandum does not establish a joint venture, partnership, or business unit of any kind between the Parties, nor does it necessarily create a financial or subsequent legal obligation on behalf of either Party. Further, the Memorandum does not grant or create an exclusive right to negotiate between RCEA and CFRA; and either party is free to negotiate or explore similar agreements with other persons and entities.
GOVERNING LAW
The substantive laws of the State of California shall govern this agreement and any questions concerning its validity, construction or performance, without regard to the conflicts of laws provisions thereof. The Parties agree to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in California in relation to any dispute arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, whether based in contract, tort (including negligence) ot otherwise.
TERM
This Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and terminate on the first to occur of any of the following events: (a) the passage of five years from the Effective Date; (b) the Parties mutual agreement to terminate this Agreement· (c) the Parties mutual agreement to supersede this Agreement with another form of legal agreement; (d) if either Party is placed into liquidation, bankruptcy, administration, receivership or any similar process; or (e) by material breach of a Party.
3 48
Signed (date): 10/28/2022
Matthew Marshall, Executive Director
Redwood Coast Energy Authority
633 3rd Street
Eureka, CA 95501
Ken Bates, President
California Fishermen's Resiliency Association
11 I 8 6th Street
Eureka, California 95501
California Fishennen's Resiliency Association
1118 6th Street
Eureka, California 95501
4 CALIFORNIA FISHERMEN'S RES-ILIENCY ASSOCIATION
1 t 18 6th St.
Eureka, CA 95501
The Interests of Fishermen…
• Not opposed to Renewable Energy
• Directly experience climate change on our oceans - We Get It! • Not trying to stop the development of Offshore Wind (OSW) • Simply want to survive OSW development
Impacts of OSW to
Fishing Fleet & Coastal
Fishing Communities
• Loss of 2,000 square miles of fishing
grounds
• Loss of 800-1,000 square miles of
fishing grounds to cable lanes
• Loss of shoreside fishing infrastructure
• Forecasted closing of Humboldt Bay to
vessel traffic during OSW operations
• Congestion of Humboldt Bay by
storage of up to 25 turbine units and
moorage for all OSW work vessels
Fishermen’s
Involvement
in California
OSW
Development
2015- Central Coast Commercial Fishing Associations engage 2017 - Humboldt Fishermen’s Marketing Association (HFMA) engages locally 2018 - HFMA/RCEA MOU, Federal and State meetings
2019 - North Coast Mapping Project
2022 - Formation of CFRA
OPC Mapping of North
Coast Fishing Grounds
2019
• First “fishermen driven” mapping
project in USA
• Joint effort by Crescent City, Trinidad,
Eureka, Shelter Cove, Fort Bragg
• Following completion of local mapping
project, State Agencies requested
mapping of Central Coast fishing
grounds
• Caoffshorewind.databasin.org; maps
are located under “North Coast
Fisheries”
Need for Unified Voice and Representation
• Repeated requests from California State Agencies 2018 -2021 • California Fishermen’s Resiliency Association
• Formed with RCEA grant support
• Funded by the Ocean Protection Council, a cabinet level agency • Membership from Oregon to Santa Barbara
• Board of Directors - Crescent City to San Francisco
• 501 (c) (6) Mutual Benefit Corporation
• Areas of interest - OSW, wind and wave energy, oil, gas, and mineral mining, energy and data transmission cables
CFRA goals
1. AVOID OSW impacts on fishing grounds and in harbor areas
2. MINIMIZE OSW impacts
• Seasonality of OSW operations
• Establishing OSW protocols
• 24 hour hotline
• Independent fisheries liaison officer
• Real-time impact adaptive management
3. MITIGATE impacts that can’t be avoided or minimized
• Last step in process
• Any mitigation fees directed to create long term resilience in the fishing industry Fishing Community
Benefit Agreements
(FCBAs)
• How is this done? Not a bag of
cash!
• Industry-to-industry contractual
agreement known as FCBAs
• First FCBAs in Southern CA in
1980s
• 1999 Central Coast
Cable/Fisheries Liaison Fund —
22 years of broad-based
democratic operation
• Any mitigation fees will be used
to fund a wide variety of
infrastructure and
organizational projects
Community/Agency
involvement in FCBA’s —
Best Intentions
• Terra-Gen wind power projects
• HFMA approached the City and BOS for Memorandum
of Cooperation (MOC) to avoid Terra-Gen style of
“progress”
• MOC rejected
• RTI Cable Project- Agency support letters
• Costs this community $9 million in impact assessments over project lifetime
• Lowered the bar for all West Coast cable mitigation
Local Knowledge
for Best Results • Best example - Native
American government on
Klamath River Dam removal • 20 years to get attention
• HFMA • 18 years to get Eureka
Fishe
rmen’s Terminal
funded and built
• Fishermen know this ocean • OSW sited without any consultation re: least damaging location
·------
...... "r,
' .
. .,
.
....
•
·-·
.
'
Fishermen think that it is a bad idea to trade sustainably harvested seafood for electricity.
We need both.
It is our community’s responsibility to protect and support commercial fisheries and develop OSW projects in a responsible and forward-thinking manner.
We Need Both
STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item # 6.2
GENDA DATE: March 23, 2023
TO: Board of Directors
PREPARED BY: Matthew Marshall, Executive Director
SUBJECT: RePower Humboldt Strategic Plan Overview of Agency Goals, Current and Upcoming Projects (Information Only)
BACKGROUND
The RCEA Board of Directors originally adopted the Humboldt County Comprehensive Action Plan for Energy (CAPE) in September 2012. CAPE was RCEA’s primary strategic planning document and identified implementation measures specific to fulfilling RCEA’s mission, as well as RCEA’s role as the regional energy authority.
In April 2019 RCEA undertook a comprehensive update of the CAPE to better coordinate RCEA’s targets and strategies with those of the County and seven member agency cities as they developed the County-wide Climate Action Plan. The update also adapted RCEA’s strategies to a quickly-changing energy landscape and integrated measures from other regional strategic planning documents, including:
• RePower Humboldt: A Strategic Plan for Renewable Energy Security and Prosperity (2013) • North Coast Plug-in Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan (2014) • Northwest California Alternative Fuels Readiness Plan (2016) • Board Adopted Community Choice Aggregation Program Guidelines (2016) • County General Plan Energy Element (2017)
• North Coast and Upstate Fuel Cell Vehicle Readiness Project (2019) The 2019 CAPE update involved a nine-month countywide education and public outreach campaign to gather community input on actions to accomplish the strategic plan’s goals. Over 1,200 written comments were received during the update process. RCEA’s strategic plan was updated and reviewed by RCEA’s Community Advisory Committee. Additional changes based on the Committee’s review were made and the document was adopted by the Board in December 2019 under a new title: “RePower Humboldt: The Redwood Coast Energy Authority’s Comprehensive Action Plan for Energy.” The plan establishes goals and strategies to guide RCEA’s work over the 2020-2030 period, and is available online at:
https://redwoodenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/RePower-2019-Update-FINAL-.pdf
SUMMARY
Staff provides RePower Humboldt Plan updates every six months to keep the Board informed on implementation progress. At the meeting RCEA department directors will provide a presentation on the current status of plan implementation and related activities. This will include updates on the four focus areas of the plan:
49 •
REDWOOD COAST
Energy Authority
1. Regional Planning and Coordination
2. Integrated Demand Side Management
3. Low-Carbon Transportation
4. Energy Generation and Utility Services.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
N/A – Information only.
ATTACHMENTS
Presentation slides will be shared at this meeting.
50 RePower Humboldt
Strategic Plan Introduction
March 2023
RCEA’s RePower Humboldt Strategic Plan
Updated December 2019 – 4 focus areas:
Regional
Planning &
Coordination
Integrated
Demand Side
Management
Low-Carbon
Transportation
Energy
Generation &
Utility Services
Main goals:
• Achieve net-zero greenhouse gas
emissions county-wide by 2030
• Establish Humboldt County as energy
secure community by 2030: local
capabilities/infrastructure to address
energy emergencies and disruptions
• Build the clean energy sector as a
cornerstone of the local economy:
innovation, R&D, business development
Regional
Planning &
Coordination
Current activities:
• Continuing work with County and Cities
on regional climate action plan
• Working with PG&E, regulators, and
others on grid capacity issues
• Exploring next phase of microgrids:
Tribes, other airport sites, essential
services, southern Humboldt
•Offshore wind leases auction held,
developer site assessment plans and
associated studies are the next step
Regional
Planning &
Coordination
Low-Carbon
Transportation
Main goals:
• Reach 6,000+ EVs in Humboldt by 2025
Reach 22,000 EVs by 2030
•Develop EV charging infrastructure to
support EV targets
• With other public entities, reduce vehicles
miles traveled at least 25% by 2030
• Reduce transportation greenhouse gas
emissions by over 65% by 2030
Low-Carbon
Transportation
Current activities:
• RCEA’s EV charging network
• 15 sites; 4 new sites to be added in 2023
• $200k CA Energy Commission (CEC) grant to
develop blueprint for medium-duty/heavy-duty
fleet conversions and fueling infrastructure
• $700k CEC grant to install EV charging at rural
community service centers with resiliency and
low-income emphasis
• RCEA-funded customer rebates for EVs, EV
chargers, and e-bikes
Low-Carbon
Transportation
2025 Goal: 6,000 EVs
• 2022 data not yet available
• 2021: 1,801
1000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0 Humboldt EVs on the Road
2.011 2012. 2013 2014 20115 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 --PHEV --BEV --TOTAL
Low-Carbon
Transportation
2025 Goal: 6,000 EVs
• 2022 data not yet available
• 2021: 1,801 Humboldt EVs on the Road
6000
R2 = 0.9972
5000
4000
3000
1000
1000
0 2.011 2.011 2013 20 4 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020, 20212022 2023 2024 2025 2026 -1000
-==== PHEV --BEV --TOTAL ----- Poly, (TOTAL)
Integrated
Demand Side
Management
AKA:
Customer
Energy
Solutions
Main goals:
• Support the wide-spread installation of customer
solar energy systems to reach 30MW of customer
solar installed by 2025 and 50MW by 2030.
• Provide energy efficiency and conservation
services to every household and business in the county by 2030. • Implement programs to reduce natural gas use by
20% by 2030 with a trajectory for 90% reduction by 2050. • Deploy microgrids and renewable back-up power systems to provide energy resiliency and emergency energy supply at all critical facilities by
2030.
Integrated
Demand Side
Management
AKA:
Customer
Energy
Solutions
What we do:
Provide customers …
• tools to manage energy use, costs, and
environmental impact
• One-stop-shop to access multiple programs
• rebates and incentives for energy saving equipment
• referrals to other state, utility, and federal programs • technical assistance and project management for
public agencies
• community outreach and education
…to help keep energy dollars local
Integrated
Demand Side
Management
AKA:
Customer
Energy
Solutions
What we do:
• Ratepayer-funded programs through the CPUC for
equipment (including lighting, heat pumps,
refrigeration) rebates and installation incentives.
$1.9M three-year program ending June 2023
• Local Government Partnership with PG&E to
provide customers with technical assistance,
assessments, and program referrals; help public
agencies secure and manage outside funding for
energy projects. $766k, three-year contract ending
June 2023; $1M, 2.5-year extension ending
December 2027.
Integrated
Demand Side
Management
AKA:
Customer
Energy
Solutions
What we do:
• TECH Clean CA Quick Start Grant: $161,480 for heat
pump rebates for propane and kerosene fuel users
• Customer programs internally-funded by RCEA’s
Community Choice Energy Program:
• Solar net-energy-metering program with enhanced
customer compensation compared to PG&E
• Key Account Services for public agencies, schools,
Tribes, and large commercial customers
• Free Residential Energy Kits
• Heat Pump Rebates
• “Community Grid Program” that pays customers with
battery storage to be part of a “virtual power plant” to provide grid benefits
Integrated
Demand Side
Management
AKA:
Customer
Energy
Solutions
Customer dolar PV Target: 30MW by 2025
Current: 22.75MW ->
25.0 20.0
>- .....
u
ro
0. ro 10.0
u
5.0 0.0 -
e Capacity in Year
-
I
I
I
I
I
I ■
- -
Prior Years' Capacity
Integrated
Demand Side
Management
AKA:
Customer
Energy
Solutions
2025 customer solar PV target: 30MW
Current: 22.75MW ->
3.1 - 5.4MW/yr added 2020-22 -->
2.5MW x 3 years hits goal
25.0 20.0
>- .....
u
ro
0. ro 10.0
u
5.0 0.0 -
e Capacity in Year
-
I
I
I
I
I
I ■
- -
Prior Years' Capacity
Integrated
Demand Side
Management
AKA:
Customer
Energy
Solutions
What’s next:
Rural “Regional Energy Network” (Rural REN)
• $90 million, four-year state-wide program proposal is currently going through
CPUC review/approval
process.
• RCEA designated as program
administrator on behalf of
seven implementation
partners serving different
part of the state.
Energy
Generation &
Utility Services
Main goals:
• By 2025, 100% of RCEA power mix will
be from renewable sources
• By 2030 Humboldt will be a net
exporter of renewable electricity
• By 2030, power mix will be 100% local
net-zero-carbon-emission renewables
•Humboldt County able to respond to
electric disruptions through grid
modernization, local resources,
microgrids
'
Energy
Generation &
Utility Services
Current activities:
• Airport microgrid getting fine-tuned; gained
positive national press for winter emergency
performance.
• Pursuing collaboration on resilient clean local
power generation in northeastern area served
by Hoopa and Willow Creek substations
•New solicitation just released; ideal offers
would help with State compliance while
building toward 100% local renewable goal
'
Energy
Generation &
Utility Services
2021 2022 2023 2024
Total Incremental Carbon Free 67,696 254,611 49,237 49,237 Total Renewables 219,421 256,972 321,266 427,330
State RPS Obligation 232,783 235,121 278,134 298,726
RCEA Renewables Target 232,783 284,525 327,475 343,168
RCEA RE+CF Target 232,783 519,099 606,838 644,977
-
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
Power mix procurement as of: November
'
-
-
-
-
-
Energy
Generation &
Utility Services
2021 2022 2023 2024
Total Incremental Carbon Free 67,696 265,464 49,237 49,237 Total Renewables 219,421 300,474 204,105 426,975
State RPS Obligation 232,783 230,798 274,857 298,726
RCEA Renewables Target 232,783 279,293 323,617 343,168
RCEA RE+CF Target 232,783 509,554 599,689 644,977
-
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
Power mix procurement as of: February
'
-
-
-
-
-
Energy
Generation &
Utility Services
Power mix procurement targets
RCEA Power Mix
100".6
15%
39%
76%
6%
48%
39%
l017 2018 2019 10:w 2.021 20Z2. 202'.3 1024 2025 2026 1027 2028 2029 l030 Actual Power Mix
Renew;ibl!!- • C rbon Fr e othl!r/Unsp cified Power
RCEA Portfolio Progress
Moving toward longer-term procurement
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2020 2023 2026 2030
% of total energy load
■ Long-Term (≥ 10 years) ■ Short-Term (≤ 1 year) LT Not Procured ST Not Procured Highlight: Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid
exceeds expectations
• Airport microgrid performed well during
worst-case earthquake, storm scenarios
• National press
• “Earthquakes? Winter Storm? No Problem for the Redwood Coast Energy Authority Microgrid”; Microgrid Knowledge
• “Clean Energy Microgrid Keeps Arcata Airport and U.S. Coast Guard Station Powered Following Humboldt Quake and Winter Storms”; PG&E Currents
• “Microgrid Keeps Airport Up and Running After Earthquake”; Flying Magazine
• Establishes the bar for future microgrid work
in the region and state
STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item # 6.3
AGENDA DATE: March 23, 2023
TO: Board of Directors
PREPARED BY: Eileen Verbeck, Deputy Executive Director
CAC Annual Report Subcommittee: Chair Dennis Leonardi and Vice-Chair Katherine Gurin SUBJECT: Community Advisory Committee Annual Report to RCEA Board
SUMMARY
At the July 2021 Community Advisory Committee meeting, the CAC agreed to report the group’s past year accomplishments and upcoming year goals annually to the RCEA Board of Directors.
The process aims to organize the body’s work within the framework of the agency’s work goals, and to help the Board thoughtfully utilize the committee as a resource to support Board decision-making and agency public engagement efforts. The Community Advisory Committee approved 2022 goals at its January 11, 2022, meeting. These goals were presented to the RCEA Board of Directors in February 2022. Due to the timeframes of the RCEA initiatives with which the CAC is being asked to assist, staff and the CAC recommend undertaking the work goal setting process every two years, rather than annually. Goals may be adjusted during non-goal setting years, if needed.
The Community Advisory Committee will report on 2022 activities at the meeting.
ALIGNMENT WITH RCEA’S STRATEGIC PLAN
The CAC’s 2022 - 2023 work goals are focused on community outreach for the successful implementation of the RePower Humboldt strategic plan goals.
EQUITY IMPACTS
The 2022 - 2023 CAC work goals have great potential to benefit underserved population segments, promote racially-diverse inclusion in energy infrastructure or policy decision making, access to energy, energy efficiency services and freedom from pollution.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
N/A.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Information only.
ATTACHMENTS
1. RCEA Community Advisory Committee 2022 Annual Report 51 •
REDWOOD COAST
Energy Authority
This page
intentionally
left blank.
52 Redwood Coast Energy Authority
COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
ANNUAL REPORT TO THE RCEA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
March 2023
The Community Advisory Committee meets on the second Tuesday of odd-numbered months, supports RCEA public engagement efforts and provides decision-making support and input to the RCEA Board.
2022 Committee Members Representing Jurisdiction:
Norman Bell Arcata
Elizabeth Burks Fortuna
Colin Fiske At-Large
Larry Goldberg At-Large
Catherine Gurin, Vice Chair Eureka
Roger Hess Rio Dell
Christopher Honar County 3 (Southern Humboldt)
Richard Johnson Trinidad
Luna Latimer County 1 (Eastern Humboldt)
Ethan Lawton Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District
Dennis Leonardi, Chair Ferndale
Emily Morris At-Large
Kit Mann Blue Lake
Jerome (Carman) Qiriazi County 2 (McKinleyville Area)
Jeff Trirogoff At-Large
Other Members in 2022:
Pam Halstead At-Large, January-March
2022 Board Liaison:
Sarah Schaefer, Scott Bauer (alternate)
Staff Liaison:
Matthew Marshall, Executive Director
I. ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The CAC was involved in the following activities in 2022:
Dennis Leonardi was elected to serve as Chair and Catherine Gurin was elected to serve as Vice Chair.
53 The Committee was updated on:
a. RePower Humboldt Strategic Plan status (biannually)
b. Redwood Region Climate & Community Resilience (CORE) Hub c. RCEA comments on the North McKay Ranch Project
d. Net Energy Metering Successor Tariff changes
e. Countywide Climate Action Plan development
f. Public Agency Solar Program and CalSHAPE (California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing and Efficiency Program)
g. Offshore Wind Project update by Aker Offshore Wind and Mainstream Renewable Power
h. RCEA’s Policy Platform
i. Humboldt Sawmill Company biomass plant operations (tour) j. PG&E’s Humboldt County grid issues.
The CAC ad hoc subcommittees accomplished the following in 2022:
Alternative Biomass Uses (Staff Liaison: Power Resources Director Richard Engel) a. Received report on first annual RCEA-HSC alternative biomass uses meeting resulting from a 2021 MOU reviewed by the subcommittee.
b. Received report on Firm Clean Resources joint procurement via California Community Power JPA. Geothermal and biomass companies responded. No biomass energy was procured.
c. Provided input on interests to be represented on the Biomass Technical Advisory Group and suggestions for group formation. The Alternative Biomass Uses Subcommittee will sunset upon formation of this group.
d. The full CAC requested that the Biomass Technical Advisory Group, within one year of formation, make a recommendation to the Board for a combustion-based biomass procurement sunset date no later than the end of the current contract in 2031, and preferably sooner.
Bond Subcommittee (Staff Liaisons: Executive Director Matthew Marshall and Legislative & Regulatory Policy Manager Aisha Cissna)
• The Subcommittee heard a presentation from clean energy financing company RaiseGreen on crowd funding and micro-bonds.
• At RaiseGreen’s suggestion, staff looked for specific projects for RaiseGreen to consider and visited the We Are Up community housing project as a potential solar project site.
Staff determined the site does not seem well-suited for utility-scale solar development. 54 • Staff began investigating other micro-bond financing projects, including substation microgrids and solar-plus-storage projects. Staff also assessed the viability of potential project financing through traditional municipal bonds.
• Staff re-engaged the Subcommittee to share project option updates, detailed financing information and discuss next steps.
• The Subcommittee recommended that the Board direct staff to issue a request for proposals for bond development and issuance services to identify suitable financing mechanisms for one or more projects from the Subcommittee’s shortlist.
Climate Action Plan Outreach Subcommittee (Staff Liaison: Legislative & Regulatory Policy Manager Aisha Cissna)
a. The Subcommittee received a report and overview of the Climate Action Plan timeline.
RCEA staff reached out to Humboldt County to determine initial 2023 outreach strategy and is waiting for a response. RCEA staff assisted in selection of the County’s Environmental Impact Report consultant.
b. The ad hoc subcommittee decided to start outreach efforts after the County releases the Climate Action Plan Notice of Preparation and distributes the Climate Action Plan’s EIR. Staff will publicize the Notice of Preparation’s publication. The Notice has not yet been published.
Critical Facilities (and At-Risk Communities) Subcommittee (Staff liaison not yet assigned.) The scope of work and sunset date for this subcommittee are yet to be determined.
Customer Programs Outreach Subcommittee (Staff Liaison: DSM Director Kullmann) The scope of work for this subcommittee are yet to be determined, pending CPUC approval of the proposed Rural Regional Energy Network in late 2023/early 2024.
Offshore Wind Outreach Subcommittee (Staff Liaison: Executive Director Matthew Marshall) a. Received updates on offshore wind development and expected timelines. b. Subcommittee members provided staff input on their four (4) most important points for the community to know about Humboldt County offshore wind development. Staff will compile this material into future educational material. c. Subcommittee members provided staff input on who should be in a short social media/website video about Humboldt County offshore wind development.
II. GOALS FOR COMING YEAR
At their January 10, 2023, meeting, the Community Advisory Committee revised the timing of their goal setting process to be done every two years, with adjustments made annually as necessary.
55 No changes were made to the CAC 2022 work goals:
a. Help guide community outreach and messaging for RCEA programs. b. Monitor and advocate for implementation of RePower Humboldt Comprehensive Action Plan for Energy goals and notify staff of community activities and projects that may have significant impact on the ability to reach these goals. c. Support and help guide offshore wind energy community outreach. d. Provide input on the development of new and expanding RCEA customer programs. e. Assist with identifying and prioritizing critical facilities and at-risk communities that would benefit from enhanced energy resilience infrastructure, including future microgrid deployment and/or facility-level renewable back-up power systems. f. Finalize recommendations to the RCEA Board and County Board of Supervisors for energy-project bond and/or alternative financing opportunities, support any resulting implementation efforts as appropriate.
g. Help facilitate community input on the finalization and adoption of the Humboldt Regional Climate Action Plan.
56
STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item # 6.4
AGENDA DATE: March 23, 2023
TO: Board of Directors
PREPARED BY: Matthew Marshall, Executive Director
SUBJECT: Board Ad Hoc Subcommittee Member Assignment
SUMMARY
There have been significant changes to RCEA’s Board membership this year. With directors leaving and joining the Board, a review and revision of the Board’s ad hoc subcommittee membership would facilitate these groups’ work. As part of any subcommittee discussion and review, the Board may choose to disband the body if it is no longer needed.
Staff requests that the directors review the list of current ad hoc subcommittees, work scopes and sunset dates/events.
2023 Zero Emission Resource Mid Term Reliability Solicitation (Active) Created: January 26, 2023, to review/approve offer shortlist, shortlisted offer replacement, continued negotiations after shortlisted respondent changes offer.
Purpose: To meet with staff periodically to review and discuss the mid-term reliability procurement process and report back to the Board with non-confidential information as appropriate. This subcommittee was created to address the Board’s desire to increase Board understanding of the agency’s finances, specifically proprietary pricing information.
Sunsets: When all contracts to which RCEA is a party resulting from the associated mid-term reliability solicitation are executed.
Members: Natalie Arroyo, Scott Bauer, Sarah Schaefer (up to 5 directors) Staff liaisons: Richard Engel, Jocelyn Gwynn
Nordic Aquafarms Non-Standard Rates (Not yet active)
Created: October 28, 2021.
Purpose: To meet with staff periodically to review and discuss the mid-term reliability procurement process and report back to the Board with non-confidential information as appropriate. The Board elected to form an ad hoc subcommittee for this non-standard rate negotiation because this is the first such negotiation and, if their facility is constructed, Nordic Aquafarms will be the largest electricity customer in Humboldt County.
Sunsets: After all contracts to which RCEA is a party resulting from the non-standard rate negotiation are executed.
Members: Chris Curran, Mike Losey (up to 5 directors)
Staff liaisons: Richard Engel, Jocelyn Gwynn
57 •
REDWOOD COAST
Energy Authority
Office Relocation (Active)
Created: August 26, 2021.
Purpose: To support real property negotiations, acquisition and development related to relocation to a new RCEA office space.
Members: Natalie Arroyo, Scott Bauer, Kris Mobley, Elise Scafani (up to 5 directors) Staff liaisons: Matthew Marshall, Lori Biondini, Eileen Verbeck Sunsets: After new office location is secured and a move in date is set.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
Determine whether the work of all active Board ad hoc subcommittees is still required.
Appoint (for a total of up to five Directors) to serve on X ad hoc subcommittee through (sunset date/event).
ATTACHMENTS
None.
58 STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item # 7.1
AGENDA DATE: March 23, 2023
TO: Board of Directors
PREPARED BY: Eileen Verbeck, Deputy Executive Director
SUBJECT: Approve Addition of a Power Resources Specialist Position and Approve Revised Organization Chart
BACKGROUND
In June 2022 the RCEA Board of Directors approved the addition of a second, full-time Power Resources Specialist position. The Community Choice Energy Department currently consists of a Director, Power Resources Manager, Account Services Manager, two Power Resources Specialists, and additional part-time or limited-term employees as needed. Staff recommends adding a third full-time Power Resources Specialist to assist the department with an ever-increasing workload. Below is a list of changes in recent years that have led to the need for additional staffing:
• RCEA’s portfolio of contracts has increased in size and complexity and new contracts and amendments are added annually.
• Contracted projects that have been in development are approaching construction and operation, requiring increased oversight and engagement from RCEA staff. • Recurring procurement mandates from the CA Public Utilities Commission require timely execution of contracts for new capacity with stringent deadlines and penalties. • Additional compliance filings are imposed by regulatory agencies every year as the state’s renewable, reliability and resource planning programs mature and are restructured.
• Rising retail electricity costs and increased customer offerings are causing increased customer service calls and data analysis requests.
• RCEA initiated its first late-payment noticing and debt collections, necessitated by the uptick in late payments during the COVID-19 moratorium on power shutoffs. • New transportation and Demand-Side Management programs will drive changes in electric load and procurement planning.
• A new Demand Response Program must be planned and implemented in 2023.
Currently, the department’s two Power Resources Specialists focus their efforts on customer account services and power procurement, with a termed staff member providing support on compliance and general program administration. Having a third Power Resources Specialist will ensure that the important compliance and general administrative tasks receive sufficient attention in the long term.
59 •
REDWOOD COAST
Energy Authority
FINANCIAL IMPACT
RCEA has calculated a $150,000 savings in personnel costs this fiscal year due to delays in hiring budgeted positions and vacant positions caused by employee turnover. The salary savings is more than sufficient to cover the cost of the position in FY 2022-2023. The full cost associated with creating an additional Power Resources Specialist position will increase the personnel budget by approximately $79,000 per year.
ALIGNMENT WITH RCEA’S STRATEGIC PLAN
All RCEA employees are tasked with working to advance the Strategic Plan. Below is a table of key strategic plan areas this position supports.
Position Strategy 1 –
Regional Energy
Planning &
Coordination
Strategy 2 –
Integrated
Demand Side
Management
Strategy 3 –
Low-carbon
Transportation
Strategy 4 –
Energy
Generation &
Utility Services
Power
Resources
Specialist
X X
EQUITY IMPACTS
The Power Resources Specialist positions should result in increased availability of services to a wide segment of Humboldt County’s communities through ongoing implementation of RCEA’s Community Choice Energy program.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Approve Addition of a Power Resources Specialist position and Revised Organizational Chart.
ATTACHMENTS
Proposed organization chart update
60 *Executive Director may approve the hiring of part-time, intern and limited-term positions if they fit within the Board adopted total personnel budget.
Community of Humboldt County
RCEA Board
Independent
Auditors Executive
Director*
Manager
Community
Strategies
Coordinator
Customer Service
Director
Infrastructure Planning &
Operations
Manager
Infrastructure
Programs
Specialist
Infrastructure
Director
Business Planning
& Finance
Manager
Finance
Coordinator
Admin
Manager
Contracts and Grants
Director
Power
Resources
Manager
Power Resources
Manager
Account Services
Specialist
Power Resources
Specialist
Power Resources
Specialist
Power Resources
Contractor
Wholesale Power
Procurement
&
Scheduling
Director
Demand-Side Management
Manager
Direct Install, Energy
Efficiency, & Conservation
Technician
Energy
Efficiency
Technician
Energy
Efficiency
Technician
Energy
Efficiency
Coordinator
Intake
Manager
Demand Side
Projects
Manager
Demand Side
Projects
Technician
Energy
Efficiency
Specialist
Programs
Manager
Regulatory and
Legislative Policy
General Counsel
Deputy Executive
Director
Community
Advisory
Committee
Manager
Human Resources
& Workforce
Development
Specialist
Administration
Technician
Information
Technology
Specialist
Executive Support
Clerk of the Board
Draft RCEA Organization Chart
March 23, 2023
61 ~ 1- - - - - - - - - · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · r· · · · · · ·· · · · · · · · T · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·· This page
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62 STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item # 8.1
AGENDA DATE: March 23, 2023
TO: Board of Directors
FROM: Matthew Marshall, Executive Director
SUBJECT: Executive Director’s Report
SUMMARY
Executive Director Matthew Marshall will provide updates on:
• CORE Hub offshore wind development community engagement, and • Other topics as needed.
RECOMMENDED ACTION
None. (Information only.)
63 •
REDWOOD COAST
Energy Authority
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64