BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES
Wharfinger Building, Great Room August 28, 2025
1 Marina Way, Eureka, CA 95501 Thursday, 3:30 p.m.
Chair Scott Bauer called a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Redwood Coast Energy Authority to order on the above date at 3:36 p.m. Notice of this meeting was posted on August 21, 2025.
PRESENT: Natalie Arroyo, Chair Scott Bauer, Carlos Diaz, Michael Gerace, Skip Jorgensen, Alt. Dir. Cheryl Kelly, Elise Scafani, Sarah Schaefer, Frank Wilson, Vice Chair Sheri Woo.
ABSENT: Jason Ramos, Jack Tuttle.
STAFF AND OTHERS PRESENT: Information Technology Technician Ken Beals, Executive Director Elizabeth Burks, Legal Counsel Nancy Diamond, Power Resources Director Richard Engel, Power Resources Specialist Forrest Novotny, Board Clerk Lori Taketa, Deputy Executive Director Eileen Verbeck.
REPORTS FROM MEMBER ENTITIES
Vice Chair Woo asked the group to encourage people to run for the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District Board District 3 vacancy. Director Arroyo reported that the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors passed a non-street light lighting ordinance for the unincorporated areas of the county.
CONSENT CALENDAR
3.1 Approve Minutes of July 24, 2025, Board Meeting.
3.2 Accept Disbursements Report for June 2025, and Financial Reports for This Fiscal Year Through June 2025.
3.3 Receive Federal Activity Report.
3.4 Approve Sole-Source Procurement of a Two-Year Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Agreement with BlastPoint, Inc. for Northern Rural Energy Network (NREN) Customer Analytics and Outreach, Not-to-Exceed $250,000, and Authorize the Executive Director to Execute All Applicable Documents.
RCEA August 28, 2025, Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
3.5 Authorize the Purchase of a Sixth Sun Titan L30 Power Trailer from RPS Solar Pumps for the Energy-Resilient Fire Services in High-Threat Communities Project and Amend the Total Not-to-Exceed Amount from $157,101 to $188,522 and Authorize the Executive Director to Execute All Applicable Documents in Fulfillment of Regional Resilience Grant Program Requirements.
M/S: Wilson, Schaefer: Approve Consent Calendar items.
The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Bauer, Diaz, Gerace, Jorgensen, Kelly, Scafani, Schaefer, Wilson, Woo. Noes: None. Absent: Ramos.
Abstain: None.
COMMUNITY CHOICE ENERGY (CCE) BUSINESS - Chair Bauer confirmed that a CCE quorum was present.
NEW CCE BUSINESS
6.1 RCEA’s Community Choice Energy 2024 Power Sources
Power Resources Specialist Novotny described the state power source reporting requirements and outlined where RCEA’s REpower and REpower+ electricity comes from. Despite temporarily halting RCEA’s higher-than-state-targets renewable energy procurement strategy last year due to forecasted poor financial conditions, RCEA is on track to achieve its 100% carbon-free and renewable electricity portfolio goal on schedule in 2025. The group discussed that the goal may be difficult to maintain in the volatile energy and political environment and how public messaging must take this uncertainty into account. There were no public comments.
M/S: Arroyo, Schaefer: Adopt Resolution 2025-5 Approving and Attesting to the Veracity of RCEA’s 2024 Power Source Disclosure Report.
The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Bauer, Diaz, Jorgensen, Kelly, Scafani, Schaefer, Wilson. Noes: None. Absent: Ramos. Abstain: None. Non-Voting:
Gerace, Woo.
STAFF REPORTS
7.1Executive Director’s Report
Staff expect to hear from the Federal Department of Energy about the Tribal Energy Resilience and Sovereignty project funding status soon. The Karuk Tribe has withdrawn from the project and the group is working with Schatz Energy Research Center to identify minimum viable solar microgrid and battery storage projects within the original, larger plan for which funding can be pursued. Staff are providing NewGen Strategies and Solutions data to begin the cost-of-service analysis. Customers have reserved almost all RCEA’s new and used electric vehicle rebates and the soon-to-be-launched e-bike rebate program is already oversubscribed. There are 200 customers on the e-bike voucher waiting list. Executive Director Burks listed the many community outreach RCEA August 28, 2025, Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
events and presentations in which the Community Strategies team have participated.
Staff will send Board directors invitations to the Foster Avenue Solar Project ribbon cutting. RCEA received 114 customer calls in July about billing concerns, solar program checks, collection agency notices and opt out requests. Of the 18 opt out requests, 9 customers decided to stay with RCEA when staff explained what RCEA does. The directors clarified that RCEA’s electricity load is smaller due to loss of cannabis industry customers and a lack of large industrial customers rather than customers switching back to PG&E electricity generation service. Staff will provide the Board with a list of federal tax credits which are ending much sooner than originally planned, as well as brief responses to common customer questions, “Who is RCEA?” and “Is RCEA an extra charge on my electricity bill?” There were no public comments.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Director Gerace requested a staff report on efforts by other agencies to oppose unilateral Federal government shutdowns of renewable energy projects, including those that are already underway.
Chair Bauer adjourned the meeting at 4:16 p.m.
Lori Taketa
Board Clerk