Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
Wharfinger Building, Bay Room (downstairs)
1 Marina Way, Eureka, CA 95501
Monday, November 24 2025
3:30 PM
Attendance
Present
Natalie Arroyo Scott Bauer, Chair Skip Jorgensen
Elise Scafani Sarah Schaefer Frank Wilson
Sheri Woo, Vice Chair
Absent
Carlos Diaz Michael Gerace
Jason Ramos Jack Tuttle
Staff and Others Present
Name Title
Ken Beals IT Technician
Lori Biondini Business Planning & Finance Director
Elizabeth Burks Executive Director
Brytann Busick Community Strategies Manager
Faith Carlson Regulatory & Legislative Policy Manager
Ronnie Chaussé Interim Finance Manager, Acting Board Clerk Nancy Diamond RCEA Legal Counsel
Richard Engel Power Resources Director
Kristy Siino Human Resources Manager
Eileen Verbeck Deputy Executive Director
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Staff and Others Present (continued)
Nathan Hightower Ignite Energy, California Condor, LLC (project company) Tyler Noble Managing Director, Municipal Capital Markets Group, Inc.
Blake Sweeney Sr. Research Manager, ReconMR
Christian Riepe Sr. Vice President, Insights & Analytics, ReconMR Open Session
Chair Bauer called a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Redwood Coast Energy Authority to order at the above location and date at 3:34 p.m. Notice of this meeting was posted on November 21, 2025.
Consent Calendar
4.1. Approve Minutes of October 23, 2025, Board Meeting.
4.2. Accept Disbursement Report for September 2025, and Financial Reports for This Fiscal Year Through September 2025.
4.3. Receive Federal Activity Report.
4.4. Approve Task Order Services Through December 2026 with each Northern Rural Energy Network Implementing Partner Under Their Respective NREN Program Implementation Agreements and Authorize the Executive Director to Execute All Applicable Documents for the Following Not-to-Exceed Amounts:
4.5. $1,000,000 with Lake Area Planning Council
4.6. $1,000,000 with Mendocino Council of Governments
4.7. $5,700,000 with Sierra Business Council.
4.8. Cancel the Regular RCEA Board Meeting of December 22, 2025, at 3:30 p.m.
4.9. Authorize the Executive Director to Select the Energy Efficiency Kit Service Vendor(s) that Best Meet the Needs of RCEA and NREN for Service Contract(s) for a Not to Exceed Value of $290,000 and, Upon the Review and Approval by RCEA Legal Counsel, Authorize the Executive Director to Execute All Applicable Documents.
Director Wilson requested item 4.5 be removed from the Consent Calendar for clarification.
M/S: Arroyo, Jorgenson: Approve all Consent Calendar items except 4.5.
The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Bauer, Jorgensen, Scafani, Schaefer, Wilson, Woo. Noes: None. Absent: Diaz, Gerace, Ramos, Tuttle. Abstain: None.
Staff provided clarifying details for the December Board meeting cancellation.
M/S: Wilson, Woo: Approve Consent Calendar item 4.5.
The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Bauer, Jorgensen, Scafani, Schaefer, Wilson, Woo. Noes: None. Absent: Diaz, Gerace, Ramos, Tuttle. Abstain: None. 11/24/25
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Old Business
9.1. Diablo Canyon Power Plant Nuclear Allocation for 2026 Director Engel reported on the Board’s request to reconsider whether RCEA should accept another year’s worth of carbon-free credits from continued operation of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.
All California load-serving entity customers are required to help pay for the plant’s operation, which was extended due to growing energy demand and lagging renewable energy development to supply that demand. The directors verified that the Energy Risk Management Policy reflects a prohibition on procuring energy from nuclear power plants, and that it had been revised to say the Board will reconsider accepting the carbon free credits from Diablo Canyon each year they are offered to RCEA. The RCEA Policy Platform also includes opposition to policies extending the life of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. RCEA’s financial position is more positive than when the Board first considered accepting the allocation last year. The directors will consider potential uses for last year’s carbon-free attribute credits at a future meeting. Some directors expressed opposition to Diablo Canyon’s continued operation given the spent fuel’s extremely long-lived hazardousness and the geological risk of the waste storage location. Staff will report on opportunities for the Board to comment on the facility’s license renewal at a future meeting. There was no public comment on this item.
M/S: Arroyo, Scafani: Accept the 2026 nuclear allocation, making a short-term exception to the RCEA Energy Risk Management Policy’s prohibition on nuclear power procurement, as allowed for in the Energy Risk Management Policy.
The motion passed with a show of hands vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Jorgensen, Scafani, Wilson, Woo. Noes: Bauer, Schaefer. Absent: Diaz, Gerace, Ramos, Tuttle. Abstain: None.
New Business
10.1. Flycatcher Local Distributed Energy Resources Energy Storage Services Agreements Located at the Site of the Formerly Operational Fairhaven Biomass Plant Power Resources Director Engel described the Flycatcher battery storage project. The project was one of two shortlisted respondents to the Local Distributed Energy Storage request for offers issued in 2024 to increase local grid reliability and capacity. The directors discussed the potential to expand the project’s storage capacity, the short construction timeframe to take advantage of disappearing federal energy storage incentives, and capacity at the project’s substation to put energy on the grid. There was no public comment on this item.
M/S: Schaefer, Scafani: Approve Resolution 2025-7 Approving the Form of and Authorizing Execution of the Energy Storage Service Agreements with California Condor, LLC.
The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Jorgensen, Scafani, Wilson, Woo, Bauer, Schaefer. Noes: None. Absent: Diaz, Gerace, Ramos, Tuttle. Abstain: None.
10.2. Northern Rural Energy Network 2028 Business Cycle Implementation Plan – Inclusion of Yolo County
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Executive Director Burks reported on customer program work performed to date by the fledgling NREN program across rural Northern California. Yolo County expressed interest in joining NREN. NREN’s governing partners proposed requesting additional funds for the 2028-2031 business cycle to cover Yolo County Sustainability Office staff implementing NREN programs in their service area as well as RCEA’s corresponding administrative costs. The directors discussed how the California Public Utilities Commission is favoring consolidation of Regional Energy Networks (RENs) over creation of new RENs and how the NREN’s budget could include outreach to entities in other parts of rural Northern California about joining NREN. There was no public comment on this item.
M/S: Jorgenson, Arroyo: Approve the Inclusion of Yolo County as a Participant in the NREN 2028-2031 Business Plan.
The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Bauer, Jorgensen, Scafani, Schaefer, Wilson, Woo. Noes: None. Absent: Diaz, Gerace, Ramos, Tuttle. Abstain: None.
10.3. RCEA and Desert Community Energy Joint Pre-Payment of Power Purchase Agreement Advisory Service
Municipal Capital Markets Group Managing Director Tyler Noble described how municipal utility districts and Community Choice Aggregators can take advantage of their ability to pay in advance for existing power purchase agreements with tax-exempt municipal bonds, partner with taxable investment companies, and gain electricity cost savings for their customers from the difference in interest rates for taxable corporate and tax-exempt municipal debt. The directors clarified safeguards for RCEA ratepayer funds and expressed concern over using CCA governmental status to create profit for large corporations and their shareholders. Mr. Noble explained that the impetus behind the enabling legislation was to provide some relief to CCA and municipal utility district customers facing high energy bills. The group considered how governmental bonds offer some stability to investor portfolios. There was no public comment on this item.
M/S: Arroyo, Wilson: Authorize Executive Director to take necessary steps to pursue an energy pre-payment transaction including:
1. Develop and execute an agreement with John Norman and Tyler Noble of Municipal Capital Markets Group, Inc. jointly with Desert Community Energy for advisory and related services in support of an energy prepayment transaction for the two CCAs at a total shared cost not to exceed $350,000, and
2. Select and negotiate an agreement with Project Participant Legal Counsel at a total shared cost not to exceed $300,000, all contingent upon successful execution of an energy pre-payment transaction.
The motion passed with the following vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Jorgensen, Scafani, Wilson, Woo, Bauer. Noes: Schaefer. Absent: Diaz, Gerace, Ramos, Tuttle. Abstain: None.
10.4. ReconMR Presentation on RCEA Brand Awareness Survey Results 11/24/25
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Executive Director Burks described staff’s motivation for undertaking a brand awareness survey. The survey’s results can give RCEA’s staff and Board a more comprehensive understanding of customer needs and priorities to better focus programs and policy decision making. ReconMR Senior Research Manager Blake Sweeney presented the brand awareness survey’s high-response rate results. The general community had relatively low awareness of what RCEA is, but relatively high regard for the agency among those who are aware of RCEA. Customer priorities are electricity reliability and lower cost first, followed by values aligning with RCEA’s mission: local, renewable energy generation and use. Staff will consider the survey’s results when planning outreach efforts, programs and messaging .
There were no public comments on this agenda item.
Staff Reports
11.1. Executive Director’s Report
Executive Director Burks described staff outreach efforts for the past and coming months. Six Regional Resilience Planning and Implementation Grant-funded battery trailers were delivered and distributed to remote Humboldt County fire stations. The CADEMO offshore wind project loan funds have not yet been disbursed but the loan committee was scheduled to meet soon. Executive Director Burks anticipated a lengthy January Board meeting due to the December meeting cancellation.
Closed Session
There were no public comments on the closed session items. The RCEA Board of Directors convened in closed session at 5:34 p.m.
13.1. Real Property Negotiations Pursuant to Government Code § 54956.8 in re: APN 001-135- 007; RCEA negotiator: Executive Director; Owner’s negotiating party: Wells Commercial; Under negotiation: price and terms.
13.2 Public Employee Performance Evaluation, pursuant to Government Code § 54957:
Executive Director.
Reconvene Open Session
The Board of Directors reconvened in open session at 6:50 p.m. Chair Bauer stated that there was nothing to report from the closed session.
Adjournment
Chair Bauer adjourned the meeting at 6:50 p.m.
Ronnie Chaussé
Acting Board Clerk