Item 10
VALLEY CLEAN ENERGY ALLIANCE
Staff Report – Item 10
TO: Board of Directors
FROM: Alisa Lembke, Board Clerk / Administrative Analyst SUBJECT: Community Advisory Committee December 15, 2022 Meeting Summary DATE: January 19, 2023
This report summarizes the Community Advisory Committee’s meeting held via Zoom webinar on Thursday, December 15, 2022.
A. Election of 2023 Chair and Vice-Chair. Mark Aulman will serve as Chair and Rahul Athalye will serve as Vice Chair for 2023.
B. Received 2023 Operating Budget and 2023 Customer Rates Update. CAC Members received a copy of Staff’s December 8, 2022 Report to the Board providing an update on the 2023 Operating Budget and 2023 Customer Rates.
C. Formation of 2023 Task Groups. The CAC discussed several topics such as outreach, programs, the customer interaction with VCE, decarbonization, electrification, energy resilience, funding opportunities, and rates. The CAC discussed combining the 2022 Outreach and Programs Task Groups to form one task group that addresses the customer experience. After a brief discussion with Staff, the CAC formed the Legislative/Regulatory and Customer Experience Task Groups and those present, volunteered to serve on these Task Groups. Staff asked that the Task Groups provide a draft Charge to be reviewed at the CAC’s next meeting and reminded the CAC that draft Charges are to list goal-oriented tasks and projects that can be accomplished.
D. Staff sought CAC recommendation to the Board to support proposed 2023 legislation to remove Assembly Bill 843 Sunset Limit for BioMAT program. Staff and the Legislative/Regulatory Task Group brought to the CAC a request for support to delete the sunset clause in existing Assembly Bill 843 Bioenergy Market Adjusting Tariff (BioMAT) program. Concerns were expressed about VCE’s need to discuss what types of bioenergy projects might be considered by VCE before participating in the BioMAT program, VCE’s lack of a bioenergy policy, possible expansion of the BioMAT program that could encourage siting of large scale dairy and feedlot operations, and the need for more information on the BioMAT program before considering whether to support or oppose he proposed legislation. As a result, the CAC did not adopt a recommendation because no motion was made.