Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
Wharfinger Building, Bay Room (downstairs)
1 Marina Way, Eureka, CA 95501
Thursday, May 28 2026
3:30 PM
Attendance
Present
Natalie Arroyo Meredith Matthews (Alt. Director)
Scott Bauer Elise Scafani
Carlos Diaz Jack Tuttle
Michael Gerace, Chair Frank Wilson
Skip Jorgensen
Absent
Jason Ramos
Staff and Others Present
Name Title
Ken Beals Information Technology Technician
Lori Biondini Business Planning & Finance Director
Elizabeth Burks Executive Director
Faith Carlson Regulatory & Legislative Manager
Ronnie Chaussé Finance Specialist
Nancy Diamond RCEA Legal Counsel
Jocelyn Gwynn Power Resources Senior Manager
Cash Long Development Director, Paradigm Energy, LLC
Lori Taketa Board Clerk
Eileen Verbeck Deputy Executive Director
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Open Session (Call to Order)
Chair Gerace called a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Redwood Coast Energy Authority to order at the above location and date at 3:30 p.m. Notice of this meeting was posted on May 22, 2026.
2. Reports from Member Entities
Director Arroyo invited people to attend the Harbor District Community Advisory Committee informational workshop on the Humboldt Bay heavy lift marine terminal at the Arcata Community Center.
4. Staff Reports
4.1. Executive Director’s Report
Four board and three staff members traveled to PG&E’s Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant on the San Luis Obispo coast. The plant’s 150-acre footprint is sited on 15,000 acres and is separated from residents by 7 miles, unlike the former King Salmon nuclear site. The plant provides 9% of California’s power and 17% of the state’s carbon-free power. The federal government granted the facility a 20-year license extension. Matching California licensing legislation will be introduced. Participating directors were impressed by the site’s magnitude, engineering and scale of energy production and expressed a desire to learn more about nuclear energy and feasible replacement energy when the plant ceases operation.
RCEA efforts to increase visibility in the community are accelerating with summer events and the Sponsoring Our Communities Program. Sponsored community projects include the Eureka Friday Night Market and Blue Lake Rancheria’s Pathways to Trust educational event (which was also sponsored by the Northern Rural Energy Network) about working with tribal partners.
Climate Action Plan participating city managers report that their jurisdictions may not be able to honor funding commitments for the Regional Climate Action Plan (RCAP) Administrator position this year due to budget shortfalls.
Martha Walden of 350 Humboldt supported funding the RCAP administrator position and not adding that position’s work to other staff positions. Ms. Walden requested transparency of RCAP working group meetings with inclusion of an at-large representative.
Colin Fiske of the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities stated that local environmental groups will advocate to local governments to fund their share of the RCAP administrator position.
Matt Simmons, Environmental Protection Information Center climate attorney, supported funding the administrator position and pointed to co-benefits of implementing the Climate Action Plan. The Chair closed the public comment period.
5. Consent Calendar
5.1. Approve Minutes of April 23, 2026, RCEA Board of Directors Meeting.
5.2. Approve Disbursement Report for March 2026, and Financial Reports for This Fiscal Year Through March 2026
5.3. Approve Payment of California Community Power Annual Dues of $178,049 and Joint Action and Special Projects Participation Fees of $667,682 for Fiscal Year 2026-27. 5/28/26
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5.4. Approve Payment of California Community Choice Association Annual Dues of $135,790 for Fiscal Year 2026-27.
5.5. Award Professional Services Agreement to CLEAResult for Commercial Direct-Install Implementation Services for the Northern Rural Energy Network for a Not-to-Exceed Value of $409,170 and Authorize the Executive Director to Execute All Applicable Documents.
Executive Director Burks requested discussion of item 5.5. There were no other requests for consent calendar item discussion.
M/S: Bauer, Arroyo: Approve Consent Calendar items 5.1 through 5.4.
The motion passed with a unanimous voice vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Bauer, Diaz, Gerace, Jorgensen, Matthews, Scafani, Tuttle, F. Wilson. Noes: None. Absent: Ramos. Abstain: None.
6. Items Removed from Consent Calendar
Executive Director Burks corrected the total not-to-exceed value of the professional services agreement.
M/S: Scafani, Diaz: Award Professional Services Agreement to CLEAResult for Commercial Direct-Install Implementation Services for the Northern Rural Energy Network for a Not-to-Exceed Value of $479,048 and Authorize the Executive Director to Execute All Applicable Documents.
The motion passed with a unanimous voice vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Bauer, Diaz, Gerace, Jorgensen, Matthews, Scafani, Tuttle, F. Wilson. Noes: None. Absent: Ramos. Abstain: None.
7. Old Business
7.1. CC Power Fish Lake Geothermal Power Purchase Agreement Amendment 1 Power Resources Senior Manager Gwynn presented details about the Fish Lake geothermal project, including RCEA’s annual offtake which will be enough to power about 500 homes, and the value of the project’s round-the-clock energy generation and resource adequacy in meeting state mandated procurement targets. The amendment updates the project’s commercial operation date, adjusts the contract price to cover increased tariff costs, increases the potential project capacity, and revises the project’s delivery point into California from Nevada. The directors inquired about the project’s water source and about geothermal power production in general. There were no public comments on this agenda item.
M/S: Scafani, Jorgensen: Approve RCEA’s Continued Participation in California Community Power’s Fish Lake Geothermal Power Purchase Agreement Under Amendment 1.
The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Ayes: Bauer, Diaz, Gerace, Jorgensen, Matthews, Ramos, Scafani, Tuttle, F. Wilson, M. Wilson. Noes: None. Absent: Ramos. Abstain: None.
8. New Business
The Chair reordered New Business discussion items to accommodate online participants.
8.3. Paradigm Wind Power Purchase Agreement (Information only) 5/28/26
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8.4. Senior Power Resources Manager Gwynn and Paradigm Energy’s Cash Long described the coming power purchase agreement for the 4-megawatt Paradigm Wind repower project in Kern County’s Tehachapi Wind Resource Area. The project will replace 8 existing turbines with 6 larger turbines and will require no ground-level changes. The project is expected to come online early next year and will generate enough power for about 2,000 homes, often during periods when solar energy is unavailable. The project was recommended despite a slightly negative net present value over the 15-year contract term, due to its low development risk and resource diversity benefits. The Paradigm project would be the first wind project in RCEA’s long-term power portfolio. The project may provide resource adequacy depending on grid upgrades by utility Southern California Edison and the California Independent System Operator. RCEA would receive this resource adequacy at the same contract price in exchange for covering the interconnection study fees. The board discussed the consistency of the Tehachapi wind resource, the area’s peak wind season, future potential battery storage, and low risk of bird deaths with new, slower-moving turbines. There were no public comments on this agenda item.
8.1 Budget Strategies for Fiscal Year 2026-2027
Executive Director Burks led a discussion to determine changes the Board was willing to make given upcoming budget challenges. Business Planning and Finance Director Biondini described forecasted power purchase and sales and operational factors leading to an anticipated $9.4 million operating loss for the next fiscal year. Potential strategies to address budget challenges include selling renewable energy certificates (RECs), reducing customer programs, delayed hiring for approved staff positions and strategic plan update work, and increasing retail generation rates to maintain cash reserves above $26 million thereby avoiding fees and a more drastic rate increase later. Some directors expressed reluctance to increase customer rates in the current economy while others expressed openness to considering a rate increase as a last resort. They discussed the challenges of selling RECs in a depressed market and considered offering a lower baseline product to mitigate customer opt-outs due to a rate increase. The group discussed other cost saving measures such as having in-house staff update the strategic plan rather than using consultant support, and the potential positive budget impacts of power purchase agreement prepayment and a low-cost loan for the office building purchase.
The Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities, the Environmental Protection Information Center, Humboldt Waterkeeper, 350 Humboldt and Redwood Coalition for Climate and Environmental Responsibility submitted a letter requesting hiring and funding a Regional Climate Action Plan Administrator and Director of Engagement and Regional Climate Planning, member agency funding of the RCAP administrator position, convening a Brown Act Regional Climate Committee as soon as possible and continued RCEA funding of programs implementing RCAP measures.
Colin Fiske of the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities reiterated the importance of funding the Engagement and Climate Planning Director position and member agency funding of the RCAP administrator to meet climate targets by agreed upon deadlines. Mr. Fiske reminded the Board that RCEA’s customer programs and 100% carbon free portfolio are included in Climate Action Plan measures and cutbacks will affect full implementation of those measures.
EPIC Climate Attorney Matt Simmons supported offering a lower-priced option to encourage customers not to opt out and enrolling new customers into RePower+ by default. Mr. Simmons reminded the group 5/28/26
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that electrification rebates such as for eBikes and electric vehicles represent an investment in growing customer electricity sales.
Member of the public Wendy Ring stated that local governments have authority to lower over 30% of regional greenhouse gas emissions. Dr. Ring supported funding the RCAP administrator position and stated that finding RCAP implementation to be economically infeasible threatens the County General Plan’s and RCAP’s CEQA status as a qualified plan. Dr. Ring supported RCEA funding of the RCAP staff position, pointed to state funding for new and used electric vehicle rebates, and requested that RCAP working group meetings be open to the public. The Chair closed the public comment period.
Board direction to staff when drafting the fiscal year 2026-27 budget included: funding the new Director of Engagement and Regional Climate Planning position; lowering cash reserves to a minimum before considering minimal rate increases; reducing the strategic planning budget to staff implementation levels; and reducing customer rebate programs minimally.
8.5. RCEA Office Building Purchase
Deputy Executive Director/Director of Operations Verbeck described the property which RCEA is in contract to purchase, the current tenant lease, planned improvements, staff move-in plans and reduction of RCEA’s rented office space expenses. The cash purchase is included in this fiscal year’s budget projections. Staff are applying for a low-interest loan to reimburse RCEA for the purchase cost and to pay for renovations. The potential loan/reimbursement was not reflected in next fiscal year’s budget. If granted, the loan would positively affect RCEA’s financial outlook in upcoming fiscal years, and rental income from the current tenant would cover the loan interest. The directors discussed how building ownership could impact grant-covered costs and congratulated staff for skillfully navigating office space negotiations. There was no public comment on this item.
M/S: Matthews, Tuttle:
Adopt Resolution No. 2026-5, Accepting Real Property Interests in Assessor’s Parcel Number 001-135-007, 718 3rd Street, Eureka, CA.
Approve the expenditure of $3,800,000 plus closing fees and costs for the acquisition of real property at 718 3rd Street, Eureka, CA, APN 001-135-007.
The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Ayes: Arroyo, Bauer, Diaz, Gerace, Jorgensen, Matthews, Scafani, Tuttle, F. Wilson. Noes: None. Absent: Ramos. Abstain: None.
Closed Session
10.1. Public Employment, pursuant to Government Code Section 54957(b): General Counsel.
There were no public comments on this closed session item. The Board adjourned to closed session at 5:59 p.m. and reconvened the open session at 6:34 p.m. Chair Gerace stated there were no closed session reports and adjourned the meeting at 6:34 p.m.
Lori Taketa, Clerk of the Board