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 MINUTES
Wharfinger Building, downstairs Bay Room January 25, 2024 1 Marina Way, Eureka, CA 95501 Thursday, 3:30 p.m.
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 3:32 p.m. Notice of this meeting was posted on January 19, 2024.
PRESENT: Natalie Arroyo, Scott Bauer (arrived 3:50 p.m.), Skip Jorgensen, Kris Mobley, Alt.
Dir. Sherri Provolt, Jason Ramos, Elise Scafani, Vice Chair Sarah Schaefer, Jack Tuttle, Frank Wilson, Chair Sheri Woo. ABSENT: Frankie Myers.
STAFF AND OTHERS PRESENT: Senior Project Manager Mike Avcollie, Finance Specialist Ronnie Chausse, General Counsel Nancy Diamond, Senior Power Resources Manager Jocelyn Gwynn, Human Resources & Workforce Development Manager Kristy Siino, Deputy Executive Director Eileen Verbeck, Humboldt Transit Authority Planner Jerome Qiriazi, Calpine Energy Solutions Data Manager Mahayla Slackerelli, Community Advisory Committee nominees Deborah Dukes, Ethan ‘Red Eagle’ Lawton and Dennis Leonardi.
BOARD APPOINTMENTS
2.1 Election of Officers and Community Advisory Committee Liaisons Chair Woo nominated Vice Chair Schaefer for Board Chair.
M/S: Schaefer, Arroyo: Appoint Sarah Schaefer as RCEA Board Chair to serve through January 2025 and authorize them as a signer on RCEA bank accounts.
The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Jorgensen, Mobley, Provolt, Ramos, Scafani, Schaefer, Tuttle, Wilson, Woo. Noes: None. Absent: Bauer. Abstain:
None.
Vice Chair Schaefer nominated Scott Bauer as Vice Chair.
M/S: Schaefer, Woo: Appoint Scott Bauer as RCEA Board Vice Chair to serve through January 2025 and authorize them as a signer on RCEA bank accounts.
The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Jorgensen, Mobley, Provolt, Ramos, Scafani, Schaefer, Tuttle, Wilson, Woo. Noes: None. Absent: Bauer. Abstain:
None.
Newly elected Chair Schaefer facilitated the remainder of the meeting.
The Board discussed the time commitment of the CAC Board Liaison position. Director Arroyo nominated Director Mobley to continue as Board Liaison. Director Arroyo volunteered to be Alternate Board Liaison.
RCEA January 25, 2024, Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
M/S: Arroyo, Jorgensen: Appoint Kris Mobley as Board Liaison and Natalie Arroyo as Alternate Board Liaison to the Community Advisory Committee to serve though January 2025.
The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Jorgensen, Mobley, Provolt, Ramos, Scafani, Schaefer, Tuttle, Wilson, Woo. Noes: None. Absent: Bauer. Abstain:
None.
2.2 Board Subcommittee Member Assignment
The staff and Board expressed support for keeping the Finance Subcommittee.
M/S: Mobley, Tuttle: Continue the standing Finance Subcommittee and reappoint current members Sarah Schaefer, Scott Bauer, Skip Jorgensen and Frank Wilson to serve for one-year terms ending on the first regular Board meeting of 2025.
The motion passed with the following show of hands vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Jorgensen, Mobley, Provolt, Ramos, Scafani, Schaefer, Tuttle, Wilson, Woo. Noes: None. Absent:
Bauer. Abstain: None.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Member of the public Joanna Welch from Eureka opposed RCEA's use of biomass power and called for the closing of Humboldt Sawmill Company’s power plant.
Dr. Wendy Ring on behalf of Humboldt Coalition for Clean Energy opposed RCEA’s use of biomass power and described Humboldt Sawmill Company’s permit status.
Jane Hartford of Scotia opposed Humboldt Sawmill Company’s operation under its permit status.
Written comments submitted by members of the public Matty Tittmann of Greenwired Renewable Energy, and Ben Scurfield supported solar battery incentives.
Written comments submitted by members of the public Martha Walden, Diane Ryerson, Lynda McDevitt, Patty Harvey, Wendy Ring, Jon and Kathy Reisdorf, Sue Lee Mossman, and Walt Paniak opposed RCEA’s power purchase agreement with Humboldt Sawmill Company.
The North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District submitted a press release correcting information on the Humboldt Sawmill Company Scotia facility’s operating permit.
CONSENT CALENDAR
5.1 Approve Minutes of December 21, 2023, Board Meeting.
5.2 Approve Disbursements Report.
5.3 Accept Financial Reports.
5.4 Approve 2024 RCEA Board of Directors Meeting Calendar.
Neither the Board nor public requested items be removed from the consent calendar.
M/S: Arroyo, Mobley: Approve Consent Calendar.
RCEA January 25, 2024, Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Bauer, Jorgensen, Mobley, Provolt, Ramos, Scafani, Schaefer, Tuttle, Wilson, Woo. Noes: None. Absent: None.
Abstain: None.
NEW CCE BUSINESS
8.1 Calpine Energy Solutions Data Manager Presentation. Information only.
Calpine Energy Solutions Data Manager Mahayla Slackerelli described services Calpine Energy Solutions provides RCEA and other California and East Coast CCAs, including electronic data reporting and CAISO settlement processes. Calpine maintains a customer billing accuracy rate of 100% and timeliness rate of 99.99%. Calpine provides RCEA with data visualization and warehouse tools for load monitoring and planning, website forms support, an interactive voice response system and a Customer Relationship Management system.
Manager Slackerelli discussed Calpine’s partnerships with See Change Institute and Recurve Analytics to research customer energy use behavior and develop a platform to help RCEA staff target customers for specific energy-saving programs.
The Board discussed Calpine’s 0% error rate and requested the customer behavior studies.
Deputy Executive Director Verbeck thanked Calpine for providing RCEA with incoming customer phone coverage support. There was no public comment.
NEW BUSINESS
10.1 Community Advisory Committee Member Appointments
Deputy Executive Director Verbeck reported on eight upcoming CAC member term endings and conversion of two at-large positions to new Board member Yurok Tribe and Blue Lake Rancheria nominee seats. An ad hoc Board committee will be formed in February to review applications and recommend appointees to fill the remaining two at-large seats.
Eureka, Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District, and Ferndale nominees Deborah Dukes, Ethan ‘Red Eagle’ Lawton, and Dennis Leonardi introduced themselves to the Board. The directors thanked outgoing CAC Vice Chair Jerome Qiriazi for their service. There was no public comment on this item.
M/S: Arroyo, Bauer: Appoint Deborah Dukes to the Community Advisory Committee for a term ending March 31, 2025, and reappoint Elizabeth Burks, Ethan Lawton, and Dennis Leonardi to the Community Advisory Committee for terms ending March 31, 2026.
The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Bauer, Jorgensen, Mobley, Provolt, Ramos, Scafani, Schaefer, Tuttle, Wilson, Woo. Noes: None. Absent: None.
Abstain: None.
10.2 Presentation on RCEA’s Transportation Program, with Information on EV and Hydrogen Charging Station Planning (Information only)
RCEA January 25, 2024, Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
Senior Project Manager Mike Avcollie updated the Board on RCEA’s key strategies of getting 6,000 EVs in Humboldt County by 2025, developing EV charging infrastructure, reducing vehicle miles traveled in Humboldt County by at least 25% by 2030, and reducing transportation greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by over 65% by 2030. Transportation makes up a large part of Humboldt County’s GHG emissions. Manager Avcollie provided status updates on current and pending RCEA programs and regional collaboration work.
Board and staff discussed eco-tourism, the cost of installing and implementing a charging station, light duty fleets, the future of external batteries for passenger vehicles, and collaborations with other California regions.
Humboldt Transit Authority Planner Jerome Qiriazi updated the Board on HTA’s fuel cell electric bus fleet and hydrogen fueling station projects. HTA aims to open the fueling station by the fall of 2026, with the first bus arriving at the end of 2024. HTA received funding confirmation for developing a hydrogen fuel cell over-the-road coach and a medium duty cutaway bus prototype. Planner Qiriazi described HTA collaborations and grant efforts.
The Board discussed local hydrogen fuel production potential. Member of the public Deborah Dukes described her experience finding EV charging stations.
10.3 Drifter Battery Energy Storage Services Agreement with Prologis Senior Power Resources Manager Jocelyn Gwynn presented the procurement objectives the project would help meet: compliance obligations, integrating in-development solar resources, and building a diverse portfolio. RCEA would procure 50 MW of the Drifter project’s 500 MW total capacity. RCEA would pay a fixed price in exchange for full control over the battery system. The project is expected to come online in June 2027 and will deliver for 20 years with a positive financial impact.
The Board discussed the percentage of midterm reliability needs this project will meet and restrictions on battery charging power sources. There was no public comment for this item.
M/S: Bauer, Arroyo: Approve Resolution 2024-1 Approving the Form of and Authorizing Execution of the Drifter Energy Storage Services Agreement with ESCA-PLD-RCEA1, LLC.
The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Bauer, Jorgensen, Mobley, Provolt, Ramos, Scafani, Schaefer, Tuttle, Wilson, Woo. Noes: None. Absent: None.
Abstain: None.
STAFF REPORTS
11.1 Deputy Executive Director’s Report
Executive Director Verbeck reported that the Hoopa Valley Tribe has expressed interest in joining the RCEA Board. There was no Board or public comment.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
The directors requested a presentation and possible advocacy actions to offset recent legislative residential and small scale solar disincentives; a presentation from PG&E on plans RCEA January 25, 2024, Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
for powering Humboldt County; a collections process status update; and information to clarify the Humboldt Sawmill Company power plant permit status from staff and the Unified Air Quality Management District. The Biomass Technical Advisory Group will meet to discuss the Air Quality Management District violations and HSC’s operating permit. The Board will receive a report on the group’s discussion.
The Board thanked outgoing Board Chair Sheri Woo for her service.
CLOSED SESSION
13.1 Conference with Legal Counsel: Existing Litigation, CPUC 22-02-005, Petition for Modification of D. 23-06-055, pursuant to Government Code 54956.9(d)(1).
13.2 Public Employee Performance Evaluation, pursuant to Government Code Section 54957(b)(1): Executive Director.
There was no public comment regarding the closed session items. The Board adjourned to closed session at 5:16 p.m. and reconvened in open session at 6:42 p.m. Chair Schaefer stated there were no closed session reports and adjourned the meeting at 6:43 p.m.
Ronnie Chaussé
Finance Specialist