Item 9
VALLEY CLEAN ENERGY ALLIANCE
Staff Report – Item 9
____________________________________________________________________________________ TO: Board of Directors
FROM: Mitch Sears, Executive Officer
Rebecca Boyles, Director of Customer Care & Marketing
SUBJECT: Electric Autonomous Tractor Swarms (EATS) Grant DATE: November 9, 2023
RECCOMENDATION
Approve Resolution ratifying VCE’s participation in the Electric Autonomous Tractor Swarms (EATS) grant program.
BACKGROUND
VCE partnered with Monarch Tractor and University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) to submit a proposal in response to the California Air Resources Board Advanced Technology Demonstration (CARBATD) and Pilot Projects solicitation. Applications were due in late October. The Electric Autonomous Tractor Swarms (EATS) project aims to engage the agricultural sector in integrating electrified tractors into VCE’s dynamic rates system with the goal of shifting electricity load out of critical peak hours and into hours where renewable energy is available on the grid. VCE will be a subrecipient to UC ANR and will be responsible for recruiting additional CCA’s to participate in the EATS program; and, integrate EATS electrified tractors deployed in VCE’s service territory in VCE’s dynamic rates system. In addition, VCE will collaborate with the recipient and subrecipients to develop a whitepaper that explores and documents the potential for the funded farm equipment to shift electricity load. EATS is a three (3)-year (March 1, 2024 through March 1, 2027) project and an in-kind cost share of VCE staff time totaling $86,000.
ANALYSIS
The EATS grant project is consistent with VCE’s multi-year Strategic Plan to effectively engage the agricultural sector and develop customer programs and initiates that prioritize carbonization, community resiliency and customer savings.
CONCLUSION
Staff is seeking approval of a resolution ratifying VCE’s participation in the EATS grant proposal.
ATTACHMENT
1. Resolution
Item 9
1 VALLEY CLEAN ENERGY ALLIANCE
RESOLUTION NO. 2023 - ____
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF VALLEY CLEAN ENERGY ALLIANCE RATIFYING VCE’S PARTICIPATION IN THE ELECTRIC AUTONOMOUS TRACTOR SWARMS (EATS)
GRANT PROJECT, ACCEPT FUNDS AS A SUBRECIPIENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA,
AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY RELATED
DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS GRANT
WHEREAS, Valley Clean Energy Alliance (“VCE”) is a joint powers agency established under the Joint Exercise of Powers Act of the State of California (Government Code Section 6500 et seq.) (“Act”), and pursuant to a Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement Relating to and Creating the Valley Clean Energy Alliance between the County of Yolo (“County”), the City of Davis (“Davis”), the City of Woodland and the City of Winters (“Cities”) (the “JPA Agreement”), to collectively study, promote, develop, conduct, operate, and manage energy programs; and WHEREAS, the California Air Resources Board solicited proposals as a part of their Advanced Technology Demonstration and Pilot Projects efforts;
WHEREAS, VCE partnered with the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) and Monarch Tractor to prepare and submit a proposal [the Electric Autonomous Tractor Swarms (EATS) project] in October 2023 in response to the solicitation; WHEREAS, EATS project aims to engage the agricultural sector in integrating electrified tractors into VCE’s dynamic rates system with the goal of shifting electricity load out of critical peak hours and into hours where renewable energy is available on the grid; WHEREAS, EATS is a three (3)-year (March 1, 2024 through March 1, 2027) project and an in-kind cost share of VCE staff time totaling $86,000.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Board of Directors of the Valley Clean Energy Alliance resolves as follows:
1. Ratify Valley Clean Energy’s participation in the Electric Autonomous Tractor Swarms (EATS) grant program; and negotiate and execute any related documents necessary to participate in this grant.
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Item 9
2 PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED, at a regular meeting of the Valley Clean Energy Alliance, held on the ______ day of _____________________ 2023, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
_____________________________________
Tom Stallard, VCE Chair
_________________________________
Alisa M. Lembke, VCE Board Secretary