Item 4
1 VALLEY CLEAN ENERGY ALLIANCE
Staff Report – Item 4
TO: Board of Directors
FROM: Alisa Lembke, Board Clerk / Administrative Analyst SUBJECT: Approval of Minutes from September 14, 2023 meeting DATE: October 12, 2023
RECOMMENDATION
Receive, review and approve the attached September 14, 2023 meeting Minutes.
Attachment: 9/14/23 meeting Minutes
VCEA Minutes September 14, 2023 Board Meeting Page 1 of 4
MINUTES OF THE VALLEY CLEAN ENERGY ALLIANCE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2023
The Board of Directors of the Valley Clean Energy Alliance duly noticed their regular meeting for Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. to be held at City of Woodland Council Chambers located at 300 First Street, Woodland, California 95695. VCE Chair Tom Stallard stablished that there was a quorum present and began the meeting at 5:30 p.m.
Board Members Present: Tom Stallard, Will Arnold, Lucas Frerichs, Jesse Loren, Mayra Vega, Bapu Vaitla, Angel Barajas (Alternate – Yolo County), Albert Vallecillo (Alternate – City of Winters)
Members Absent: Richard Casavecchia
Welcome and
Recognition of
Service of VCE Board
Member (Yolo
County Board of
Supervisor) Gary
Sandy
Chair Stallard welcomed the Board members. He recognized the service and valuable contributions of Yolo County Board of Supervisor and VCE Board Member Gary Sandy who passed away recently.
Appointment of Vice
Chair
Director Loren made a motion to appoint Lucas Frerichs as VCE Board Vice Chair, seconded by Director Barajas (alt.). Motion passed with Director Casavecchia absent.
Public Comment –
General and Consent
Chair Stallard opened the floor for public comment on both the agenda and Consent agenda items. There were no verbal or written public comments.
Approval of Consent
Agenda / Resolution
2023-011 thru 2023-
012
Motion made by Director Barajas to approve the consent agenda items, seconded by Director Loren. There was no verbal or written public comments as stated above. Legal Counsel Inder Khalsa read off information regarding the employment agreement between VCE and Mitch Sears in accordance with California State law. Motion passed with Director Casavecchia absent. The following items were:
5. approved July 13, 2023 Board Special meeting;
6. received 2023 Long Range Calendar;
7. received Legislative update provided by Pacific Policy Group;
8. received August 2023 Regulatory update dated September 6, 2023 provided by Keyes & Fox;
9. received Community Advisory Committee August 24, 2023 meeting summary;
VCEA Minutes September 14, 2023 Board Meeting Page 2 of 4
10. accepted and attested the accuracy of Valley Clean Energy’s 2022 Power Content Label for the Standard Green and UltraGreen products;
11. received biannual Enterprise Risk Management update;
12. approved updated Wholesale Energy Procurement Risk Management Policy;
13. approved VCE applying for and accept funds from the Strategic Growth Council’s Community Resilience Centers grant program as Resolution 2023- 011; and,
14. approved Employment Agreement between VCE’s Executive Officer Mitch Sears and VCE as Resolution 2023-012.
Item 15: Consider
appointment to At-Large seat on
Community Advisory
Committee. (Action)
Mr. Sears introduced this item. Danielle Ballard was present and introduced herself and expressed her interest in serving on the Community Advisory Committee. There were no verbal or written public comments.
Motion made by Director Vega to appoint Danielle Ballard to vacant At-Large seat on Community Advisory Committee (CAC), in Class 3 of Committee members, with a term that expires in June of 2024, seconded by Vice Chair Frerichs. Motion passed by the following vote:
AYES: Arnold, Frerichs, Loren, Vega, Vaitla, Barajas (Alt.), Vallecillo (Alt.), Stallard
NOES: None
ABSENT: Casavecchia
ABSTAIN: None
Item 16: Energy
Markets update and
procurement
Direction: A) 2024
and 2025 Resource
Adequacy Market
and procurement
framework; and, B)
Renewable Portfolio
Content Category
(PCC) option for
Compliance Period 4
(ending 2024).
(Discussion/Action)
Mr. Sears introduced this item. VCE Chief Operating Officer Gordon Samuel provided options to procure a percentage of VCE’s load from eligible renewable resources to meet California’s reporting requirement to achieve and report interim targets referred to as Compliance Periods. Mr. Samuel reviewed the definition of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), the measurement of Megawatts (MWhs) generated with an eligible renewable technology, and the different categories of RECs called Portfolio Content Categories (PCC). He also provided an overview of 2024 and 2025 Resource Adequacy (RA) energy markets; Power Content Label; the use of purchasing different REC categories to bridge VCE’s long-term energy portfolio; and, Staff’s approach to satisfying Compliance Period 4 reporting requirements. The Board and Staff discussed:
value of resources; power content label, emissions and RECs; and, rate of transmission and load. There was no verbal public comment.
Written Public Comment: Written public comment was received from James Skeen, which was read into the record by the Board Clerk.
Motion made by Director Loren to authorize VCE the use of Portfolio Content Category (PCC) 3 RECs, up to the maximum amount allowable, for Compliance VCEA Minutes September 14, 2023 Board Meeting Page 3 of 4 Period 4, seconded by Director Barajas (Alt.). Motion passed by the following vote:
AYES: Arnold, Frerichs, Loren, Vega, Vaitla, Barajas (Alt.), Vallecillo (Alt.), Stallard
NOES: None
ABSENT: Casavecchia
ABSTAIN: None
Item 17: Consider
adoption of minor
update of VCE’s
Strategic Plan and
extension of the
planning period to
the end of 2025.
(Discussion/Action)
Mr. Sears introduced this item. VCE Director of Finance and Internal Operations Edward Burnham briefly reviewed highlights of the proposed minor update to VCE’s Strategic Plan. Mr. Burnham reminded those present that Staff, in coordination with the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) Strategic Plan Task Group, developed the minor updates. The Board and Staff discussed carbon neutrality and what energy is considered renewable. There was no written public comment.
Verbal Public Comment: Christine Shewmaker commented that each regulatory agency has a slightly different definition of renewable energy.
Motion made by Director Vallecillo (Alt.) to approve the minor update of the VCE Strategic Plan and extend the current end of the planning period to the end of 2025, seconded by Director Barajas (Alt.). Motion passed by the following vote:
AYES: Arnold, Frerichs, Loren, Vega, Vaitla, Barajas (Alt.), Vallecillo (Alt.), Stallard
NOES: None
ABSENT: Casavecchia
ABSTAIN: None
Item 18: Consider
approval of Phase 2
of VCE’s Electric
Vehicle Rebate Pilot
Program.
(Discussion/Action)
VCE Director of Customer Care & Outreach Rebecca Boyles introduced this item. She informed those present that there was no staff report for this item and that originally this was going to be an action item; however, due to significant changes of the California Vehicle Rebate Program (CVRP), this became an information item. Ms. Boyles informed those present that VCE uses CVRP eligibility as proxy for Customer eligibility for VCE’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Rebate Pilot Program. In addition, the CVRP in 2024 is allowing only low-income residents incentives up to $12,000 with upper income limits of $43,740 for an individual and $90,000 for a family of four.
She reviewed a few concepts that could be included in Phase 2 and Phase 3, which may include home charging equipment, residential panel upgrades and possibly bidirectional charging. Ms. Boyles informed those present that the CAC recommended Phase 2 of the EV Rebate will need to be reworked. She stated that the next steps will be to communicate with Customers who are on the EV Rebate waitlist; develop full list of eligibility criteria with terms and VCEA Minutes September 14, 2023 Board Meeting Page 4 of 4 conditions; research methods and cost of new eligibility criteria verification process; outline and establish new proposed Customer application process; discuss new direction with the Programs and Outreach Task Group and/or CAC; then, return to Board for approval.
Board and Staff discussed: qualifications for low income, incentives, and outreach. There were no verbal or written public comments.
Item 19: Board
Member and Staff
Announcements
Director Loren invited others to participate in the Carnitas Festival in Winters on Saturday, September 30th. VCE will have a booth at the Festival.
Mr. Sears informed those present that the League of California Cities will holding their 2023 Annual Conference and Expo in Sacramento. CalCCA will have a booth there and VCE Staffer Yvonne Hunter will be assisting CalCCA.
Mr. Sears announced that a tour of the Putah Creek Solar Farm has been scheduled for a group of Graduate students from UC Davis for Thursday, September 21st at 9 a.m. Board members are invited to attend. If interested, please contact VCE Staff Rebecca Boyles.
Mr. Sears informed those present that Staff have been working diligently to submit VCE’s Strategic Growth Council Grant application (Esparto-Capay Microgrid) to meet the due date of September 19, 2023. He informed those present that the Sacramento Basin-wide Air Pollution Control Council is having an Agricultural Biomass Utilization conference on October 4th in Winters, which he will be attending and was asked to speak at. Lastly, he spoke at CalCCA’s Partner Briefing meeting recently held.
Announcement Chair Stallard ended the Board’s meeting in honor of Gary Sandy.
Chair Stallard announced that the Board’s next scheduled regular meeting is Thursday, October 12, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. at the City of Davis Community Chambers located at 23 Russell Blvd., Davis, Californian 95616. Chair Stallard adjourned the regular Board meeting at 6:25 p.m.
Alisa M. Lembke
VCEA Board Secretary