Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority
Board of Directors Meeting
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
5:30 pm
Cupertino Community Hall
10350 Torre Avenue
Cupertino, CA
Administrative Conference Room, Gilroy City Hall
7351 Rosanna St.
Gilroy, CA
Milpitas Police Department
1275 N. Milpitas Blvd
Milpitas, CA
Meeting Minutes
Call to Order:
Chair Walia called the meeting to order at 5:34 p.m.
Roll Call
Present:
Tina Walia (Chair), Saratoga
George Tyson (Vice Chair), Los Altos Hills
Elliot Scozzola, Campbell
Sheila Mohan, Cupertino
Zach Hilton, Gilroy (participated remotely; arrived at 6:55 p.m.) Pete Dailey, Los Altos
Rob Rennie, Los Gatos
Bryan Mekechuk, Monte Sereno
Yvonne Martinez Beltran, Morgan Hill (participated remotely; arrived at 7:45 p.m.) Larry Klein, Sunnyvale
Otto Lee, County of Santa Clara (arrived at 5:40 p.m.)
Absent:
Evelyn Chua, Milpitas
Pat Showalter, Mountain View
A quorum was present.
Public Comment on Matters Not Listed on the Agenda
No speakers.
Public Comment on Closed Session
No speakers.
Docusign Envelope ID: C8DE00E7-78E3-4399-B933-D1087077D93B Closed Session
The Board of Directors convened to Closed Session at 5:35 p.m. Director Lee arrived at 5:40 p.m. during Closed Session.
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
Title: Chief Executive Officer
CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS
Agency designated representatives: Director Walia, Board Chair, and Director Tyson, Board Vice Chair Unrepresented employee: Chief Executive Officer
Conference with Legal Counsel—Existing Litigation
(California Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1))
Name of case: Central Coast Community Energy, a California joint powers authority; Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority, a California joint powers authority v. Big Beau Solar, LLC, et al, Santa Clara County Superior Court Case No. 22CV398156
Conference with Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation
Initiation of litigation pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) of Section 54956.9: (two potential cases) The Board of Directors returned from Closed Session at 6:46 p.m.
Report from Closed Session
Chair Walia announced that the Board met in Closed Session and there was nothing to report.
Consent Calendar
There were no questions from the Board; there were no requests from the public to speak on any matter on the Consent Calendar.
1a) Approve Minutes of the September 11, 2024, Board of Directors Meeting 1b) Receive August 2024 Treasurer Report
1c) Adopt Resolution Supporting Proposition 4 on the November 5, 2024 California State Ballot 1d) Approve an Allocation of Program Fund Dollars of $6 million to Expand Three Decarbonization Programs and Initiatives
1e) Approve an Allocation of $20,000 from the Operating Budget for the Annual SVCE 2025 Youth Scholarship Competition
1f) California Community Power Report
1g) Additional Committee Reports
MOTION: Director Mekechuk moved and Director Lee seconded the motion to approve the Consent Calendar, Items 1a through 1g.
The motion carried by verbal roll call vote with Directors Chua, Hilton, Martinez Beltran, and Showalter absent.
Regular Calendar
2) CEO Report (Informational)
CEO Padilla reported the following:
Docusign Envelope ID: C8DE00E7-78E3-4399-B933-D1087077D93B a) Introduction of Santosh Muralidaran, Climate Corp Fellow, and Nalini Pillay, Deputy Board Clerk/Administrative Assistant, who both provided brief welcome comments; and b) An update on the SVCE organization realignment.
Chair Walia opened Public Comment.
No speakers
Chair Walia closed Public Comment.
3) Approve an Allocation of $100,000 from the Operating Budget for the Proposed 2024-2025 Expanded Education Fund (Action)
Director Hilton remotely joined the meeting at 6:55 p.m. during Item 3.
Juliette Pascual, Community Outreach Specialist, provided information relating to the $100,000 funding request for Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) Expanded Education Fund initiatives, which included:
Increasing engagement with California community colleges to expand opportunities in climate and clean energy education;
Enhancing education-based nonprofit organizations to support early workforce education, curriculum and educator training, and community workshops; and Prioritization of proposals received from underrepresented students and communities.
Staff responded to questions from board members regarding the number of students served through the program, hands-on student/parent workshops, and eligibility requirements for student participation.
Chair Walia opened Public Comment.
No speakers.
Chair Walia closed Public Comment.
Motion: Director Mekechuk moved and Director Scozzola seconded the motion to approve the Allocation of $100,000 from the Operating Budget for the Proposed 2024-2025 Expanded Education Fund.
The motion carried by verbal roll call vote with Directors Chua, Martinez Beltran, and Showalter absent.
4) Authorize the Chief Executive Officer to Execute a 10-year Power Purchase Agreement with VCI Energy for Glossy Garlic Solar + Storage (Action) Director Lee announced the need to recuse himself on Item 4 and exited the council chambers.
Britta Bradshaw, Power Resource Manager, provided information relating to the request to execute the 10-year Power Purchase Agreement with VCI Energy for Glossy Garlic Solar + Storage to meet SVCE goals, as follows:
Contributes 4 percent of RPS-eligible energy on an annual basis; Helps meet clean energy goals, SB 100, SB 350, and SB 1020; Reduces GHG emissions;
Provides Resource Adequacy capacity; and
Provides net positive portfolio value.
Staff responded to questions from board members regarding VCI Energy technology, contract tenure and project timeline.
Docusign Envelope ID: C8DE00E7-78E3-4399-B933-D1087077D93B Chair Walia opened Public Comment.
No speakers.
Chair Walia closed Public Comment.
MOTION: Vice Chair Tyson moved and Director Mekechuk seconded the motion to Authorize the Chief Executive Officer to Execute a 10-year Power Purchase Agreement with VCI Energy for Glossy Garlic Solar + Storage as follows:
50 MW or approximately 192,000 MWh per year of Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) Portfolio Category Content One (“PCC1”) eligible resources from solar PV; 50 MW, 4-hour or 200 MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system which is capable of charging from the CAISO grid;
10-Year term PPA with expected commercial operation date (COD) and term from February 28, 2029, through February 27, 2039; and,
Total amount not-to-exceed $138,000,000.
The motion carried by verbal call vote with Directors Chua, Martinez Beltran, and Showalter absent, and recusal by Director Lee.
Director Lee returned to the council chambers following the vote on Item 4. 5) 2023 Community-Wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Update (Discussion) Justin Zagunis, Director of Decarbonization Programs and Policy, provided information relating to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction targets, decreasing emissions rates since 2015 baseline year, and SVCE’s goal to meet the targeted 40 percent emissions reduction by 2025.
Director Martinez Beltran remotely joined the meeting from a Morgan Hill location at 7:45 p.m.
Staff responded to questions from the Board of Directors regarding transportation emissions reduction goals for the Bay Area, a methodology update in calculating off-road emissions, data center electricity usage and rates.
Chair Walia opened Public Comment.
Bruce Karney made the following comments: 1) Cultura, a non-profit company, is focused on equitability for long-range EV commuters, 2) Mr. Karney recommended that cities consider initiatives that create healthy competition to increase EV usage.
Chair Walia closed Public Comment.
Board Member Announcements and Future Agenda Items
Director Mekechuk provided CEO Padilla with memorabilia from the Oakland A’s final game.
Chair Walia expressed gratitude to SVCE for staffing a tabling event in Saratoga.
Director Lee provided information relating to the “Day on the Bay” event scheduled for October 13, 2024 at the Alviso Marina Park.
Adjourn
Chair Walia adjourned the meeting at 8:11 p.m.
ATTEST:
Docusign Envelope ID: C8DE00E7-78E3-4399-B933-D1087077D93B ______________________________
Andrea Pizano, Board Secretary
Docusign Envelope ID: C8DE00E7-78E3-4399-B933-D1087077D93B