Item 11 – Reappointment / appointment of members to the Community Advisory Committee. — Valley Clean Energy Board of Directors, June 13, 2024

Item 11
1 VALLEY CLEAN ENERGY ALLIANCE
Staff Report – Item 11
TO: Board of Directors
FROM: Mitch Sears, Executive Officer
Gordon Samuel, Chief Operating Officer
Alisa Lembke, VCE Board Clerk/Administrative Analyst
SUBJECT: Consider Reappointment/Appointment of At-Large seats and City of Davis jurisdiction vacant seat on Community Advisory Committee
DATE: June 13, 2024

RECOMMENDATION

1. Consider reappointments to three (3) At-Large seats for a three (3) year term to expire in June 2027 (Class 3);

2. Approve recommendation of appointment from the jurisdiction Board Members (City of Davis) to vacant City of Davis jurisdiction seat for two (2) years to expire in June 2026 (Class 2); and,

3. Continue to solicit candidates for vacant unincorporated Yolo County jurisdiction seat.

BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
The Board at their September 9, 2021 meeting, adopted a revised Community Advisory Committee (CAC) structure with eleven total members: eight jurisdictional members (two per jurisdiction) and three additional seats for At-large members intended to fill specific subject matter expertise/experience areas. VCE currently has two jurisdiction vacancies: City of Davis and unincorporated Yolo County. The three (3) At-Large appointments (Class 3) expire in June 2024. Staff advertised on VCE’s website, social media, through local newspapers and jurisdiction partners seeking applicants for the Davis, unincorporated Yolo County, and At-Large seats.

The process for CAC applications to fill jurisdictional seats is:
• Staff reviews the application and confirms that the applicant resides within the jurisdiction they are being considered to represent and is a current VCE customer; • the applications are provided to the jurisdiction Board members for review and consideration; • the jurisdictional Board Members recommend who to appoint to represent their jurisdiction at a Board meeting; and,
• the VCE Board collectively votes who to appoint or reappoint to each seat taking into consideration the jurisdiction Board members’ recommendation.

Item 11
2 The process for At-Large applications is, Staff:
• reviews the application and confirms that the applicant is a current VCE customer; • reviews the application along with the At-Large guidelines; • considers the applicant’s subject matter expertise/experience related to the goals contained in the VCE Strategic Plan, including:
o Energy Sector (e.g. procurement)
o Community engagement
o Environmental Justice
o Agricultural Sector
o Grid reliability and sustainability
o Decarbonization; and,
• provides a recommendation to the Board for reappointment/appointment.

Over the past several years, appointments have been made to the three (3) At-Large seats (Class 3), they are as follows:
• Lorenzo Kristov (November 2021, prior to CAC structure reorganization, held City of Davis seat since July 2017);
• Keith Taylor (May 2022); and,
• Danielle Ballard (September 2023).

Each of these incumbent At-Large CAC Members are seeking reappointment. We have received one (1) application for an At-Large seat, who is also a resident of the City of Davis.

The City of Davis jurisdictional seat has been vacant since October 2023 and the unincorporated Yolo County seat has been vacant since December 2023. Both of these seats are within Class 2, term expiring June 2026.

A few applications were on file from residents of the City of Davis, who had previously applied for consideration for appointment to vacant Davis seats. Staff contacted those applicants and there was no interest in being reconsidered for appointment.

In response, a total of four (4) new applications were received – one (1) for At-Large and three (3) for the City of Davis seat. Staff reviewed the four (4) applications and confirmed that each are VCE Customers. In summary:

At-Large:
• Robert Traverso is interested in ensuring that VCE is a viable, reliable, cost-effective, cost-competitive option providing renewable resources to VCE customers; he is interested in reducing carbon-emissions and greenhouse gases; he has been a participant of home solar systems for 12 years, including battery backup, and electric vehicles; and, he has over 38 years working with government, public and private agencies including working on the first commercial scale photo-voltaic system in the City of Davis. Lastly, Mr. Traverso is a City of Davis resident.

Item 11
3 City of Davis:
• Ari Halberstadt is interested in creating a clean, equitable and sustainable energy system; he has over 12 years experience in energy and sustainability working with nonprofits, local governments and utilities; he has been involved with a grant proposal to enable community microgrids, a supporter of renewable energy ordinance to require renewable generation on new construction, and as a volunteer where he assisted in a local-certification program for solar energy companies to hire locally; and, has an interest in supporting VCE’s mission and help create the energy system of the future.
• Mitchell Marubayashi is passionate about solving the global warming crisis by decarbonizing our energy systems; he has experience working with community organizations and has a broad knowledge of the energy consumer experience; is a small family farmer and has a good understanding of government programs, political economics, and the legislative process; and, is interested in promoting a model for decarbonizing of energy supply and community investment.
• Mark Murray is interested in expanding and promoting the community’s efforts to be the model for clean energy; he is a proponent and participant of solar energy, electric vehicles, electric heat pump, and the promotion of the economic benefits for homeowners to go electric; and, he has over 35 years of experience in researching, developing, advocating and monitoring public policy in the environmental, waste reduction and recycling realms and has served on numerous advisory bodies.

Staff provided all four (4) applications to the jurisdiction Board Members (City of Davis), for their review and consideration for recommendation to the Board for appointment. Although Mr. Traverso is seeking appointment to an At-Large seat, consistent with past practice, since he is a resident of Davis, Staff provided his application to the City of Davis jurisdiction Board Members.

Davis VCE Board Members
The VCE Board Members from the City of Davis reviewed the applications and would like to acknowledge the richness of the applicant pool and their gratitude that so many greatly qualified people are willing to serve on the CAC as representatives of the City of Davis. While each possessed important qualifications, the following candidate is being recommended for appointment to the vacant City of Davis seat:
• Ari Halberstadt
The three candidates not recommended at this time are:
• Mitch Marubayashi
• Mark Murray
• Robert Traverso
///
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Item 11
4 At-Large Seats:

After a review of Mr. Traverso’s application and the requirements of the At-Large selection guidelines, Staff recommend reappointing the following to the three (3) At-Large seats:
• Lorenzo Kristov – Energy Sector
• Keith Taylor – Energy Sector Research
• Danielle Ballard – Agricultural/Customer Service

CONCLUSION
Staff recommends:

1. Reappointing Lorenzo Kristov, Keith Taylor and Danielle Ballard to the three (3) At-Large seats for a three (3) year term to expire in June 2027 (Class 3);

2. Approve recommendation from the jurisdiction Board Members (City of Davis) to appoint Ari Halberstadt to the vacant City of Davis jurisdiction seat for two (2) years to expire in June 2026 (Class 2); and,

3. Have Staff continue to solicit candidates for vacant unincorporated Yolo County jurisdiction seat until filled.

For your information, below is a listing of the other “classes” and expiration terms:

CLASS 1 - term expires in June 2025:

Winters Rep. – David Springer
Woodland Rep. – Mark Aulman
Davis Rep. – Rahul Athalye
Yolo County Rep. – Cynthia Rodriguez
CLASS 2 - term expires in June 2026:

Winters Rep. – Jennifer Rindahl
Woodland Rep. – Diccon Westworth
Davis Rep. – Vacant
Yolo County Rep. – Vacant
Attachments:

Four (4) CAC Applications (REDACTED):

1. Ari Halberstadt

2. Mitch Marubayashi

3. Mark Murray

4. Robert Traverso
Return to:

VALLEY CLEAN ENERGY
Valley Clean Energy COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
604 Second Street APPLICATION
Davis, CA 95616

PERSONAL DATA SHEET
Received on:

Name: Are you at least 18 years old?
First Middle
Home Address:

Number/Street City/State/Zip
Email Address:

Daytime Phone Evening/Weekend Phone
Business Title or Occupation:

Company/Organization:

Address:

Street Address City, State and Zip
Which Valley Clean Energy jurisdiction do you reside in? City of Davis City of Woodland County of Yolo (Unincorporated) If you do not reside in Valley Clean Energy's jurisdictions, please include a separate statement to address why you are applying for this committee.

Are you seeking to fill an At-Large Seat? Yes No
Background Information:

Why do you wish to serve as a member of the VCE Community Advisory Committee? Last
City of Winters
5/31/2024 AML
Halberstadt Ari yes Davis, CA 95618 Consultant
I am focused on creating a clean, equitable, and sustainable energy system. I believe Valley Clean Energy has an important part in this transition and I look forward to applying my experience and abilities to help VCE achieve its mission and help to create the energy system of the future.

I have over 12 years experience in energy and sustainability, an MBA in which I focused on innovation and the energy transition, and an advanced degree in the biological sciences and experience in software engineering. I have been a co-founder of a cleantech company and have worked with nonprofits, local government, and utilities. My experience encompasses a broad understanding of energy issues and demonstrated ability to advance and implement solutions. I envision a more equitable grid with significant distributed resources that benefit more people, improve resilience, and protect and restore the earth and its wildlife.

In the new energy world everyone has access to clean, reliable, affordable, and resilient energy.

The grid is built from the bottom up with distributed energy resources and new business models.

Communities own and control shared energy resources, benefiting all members of the ✔
What experience/perspective would you bring to the committee? Please reference the professional sector and related professional experience below for At-Large member applications in this section.

Please list your previous and present governmental and civic experience. Indicate when, position and duties:

List any special training or experience you have that you feel would benefit your committee service:

I have focused on the clean energy transition for over 12 years, with experience spanning technology, business, and policy.

I am currently involved in developing novel approaches to grid and energy system modernization. I am involved in an intiative to create a new approach and product vision for a scalable roadmap to enable locally owned community microgrids that provide lower-cost equitable access to resilient and clean energy. Our approach can cut energy costs, increase local renewable generation, slash greenhouse gas emissions, increase resiliency, and address interconnection delays, while allowing for integration with new technologies like V2G. To accomplish this, I am building partnerships with cities and organizations to inform, facilitate, and develop local resilient distributed energy solutions. I am pursuing grants to fund this work in collaboration with cities in Yolo County and with VCEs support.

I have extensive experience in load flexibility and distributed energy resources, a topic directly relevant to grid modernization and current projects at VCE. As co-founder at Extensible Energy, I created a service to provide load flexibility and enable grid-interactive buildings to support a grid with high-penetrations of renewable power. I understand the opportunities and challenges associated with advanced load control, associated technologies, end-customer concerns and issues, as well as enabling systems such as time-varying rates and automated controls. I worked with and am familiar with a range of customers, including businesses, small churches serving lower-income communities, and a central-valley school district. I continue to consult on related projects, such as a transactive load flexibility system. As part of this work, we partcipated in the California Energy Commissions CalFlexHub project to test the use of hourly time varying rates in our system; VCE is now integrating an hourly rate using the CECs system.

My experience working with cities, nonprofits, and utilities on energy issues provides additional proven skills relevant to the role of community advisor. I consulted on innovative renewable energy policies with San Francisco, including interacting with multiple stakeholders and performing a detailed analysis of solar costs and benefits. At a nonprofit, I led work on a local solar certification program to promote living wages and local purchases. I have worked on pilot projects with utilities on load flexibility and managed EV charging. I have also worked on creating guidelines for utilities to deploy programs integrating community solar, load flexibility, and battery storage. These guidelines were developed with input from SMUD and from multiple rural and cooperative utilities.

I led creation of a recent grant proposal to California’s Office of Planning and Research to enable community microgrids, which included the City of Davis as co-applicant, with Valley Clean Energy and Woodland as several of the supporters on the proposal. The grant would fund development of a stakeholder-informed roadmap and toolkit to simplify the development of community microgrids across the state, prioritizing energy self-sufficiency, affordability, and sustainability. By focusing on locally-owned and operated microgrids, we will create clean, resilient energy networks capable of withstanding extreme heat and other climate-related disruptions.

I am a board member and on the finance committee at Peregrine School, a private school providing childcare and elementary education. This has allowed me to help support the school in fulfilling its educational mission. As a member of the finance committee, I have worked on financial matters including budgets and have proposed financial changes to support the environment. I was previously a board member and the treasurer for the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (Norcal SETAC), an environmental toxicology nonprofit with a strong educational mission and support for students in environmental toxicology.

As a consultant to the San Francisco Department of the Environment, I provided support for a renewable energy ordinance to require renewable generation on new construction. I worked closely with the city and participated in stakeholder meetings to understand the range of perspectives of various constituencies. I provided advice and a detailed analysis of the costs and benefits of the ordinance across multiple building types. This ordinance was integrated along with a green roofs initiative, and ultimately became the first such requirement in the nation. I also consulted with the department to support a Healthy Nail Salons program to mitigate exposure to toxic chemicals by nail salon workers, who are often economically disadvantaged and particularly vulnerable to exposure.

At Solar Sonoma County, as a volunteer, I led creation of a ground-breaking local-certification program for solar energy companies that incorporated local hiring and fair wage guidelines. For Californias Office for Environmental Health Hazard Assessment I provided research and advice on incorporating hazards into regulations.

As noted above, I have extensive experience directly relevant to the committees work. This includes my years of experience in energy and sustainability, my MBA in which I focused on innovation and the energy transition, and an advanced degree in the biological sciences and experience in software development. My experience includes advanced load-flexibility spanning thermal and electric systems and business creation and technology development. I have worked with nonprofits, local government, and utilities. I have served on the boards of a for-profit company and of two nonprofits, including roles as treasurer and finance committee member. I hold an MBA from UC Davis and an MSc from UNC Chapel Hill.

Do you have any interests or associations which might present a conflict of interest? If yes, please explain:

I have been working in the clean energy space for over 12 years. I have a breadth of knowledge and skills, including in technology, business, and the environment, and bring an integrative approach to understanding and solving issues. I work collaboratively with others to identify and accomplish shared goals and seek out different perspectives. I believe that I have the qualifications and skills to contribute to the work of the Community Advisory Committee.

Some issues communities in VCEs territory will face include:

The provision of reliable, safe, and affordable energy. PGEs electricity grid is increasingly unreliable and dangerous, sparking massive fires, killing people, and destroying towns. At the same time, PGEs rates continue to skyrocket. Ways to stabilize the grid and ensure affordable energy must be implemented. The utility business model needs to evolve as well, and different approaches implemented to access the grid and provide power.

Climate change requires many changes to our energy systems, including decarbonization (which has many other benefits as well). Climate change increases hazards, including extreme heat, wildfires, drought, and grid instability. VCE has an important role in finding and supporting solutions, and in implementing the changes.

Energy use in buildings must be improved. Buildings must be electrified, a significant undertaking with no current clear path to 100% electrification in the necessary timeframe. New buildings must be built from the start to be all electric, while existing buildings must transition to all-electric systems. Buildings must be made more energy efficient as well. This requires code changes and workforce development, among other factors.

Transit must be electrified and improved to reduce its negative impacts. Transit electrification is ongoing and expected to accelerate significantly. Reliable energy must be provided to ensure that people can remain mobile. This includes reliable electricity supply as well as a widespread and reliable charging infrastructure, available where people need it: in single family homes, rental homes, apartment buildings, at work, on the road. In addition, vehicle-to-grid technologies offer tremendous grid support capabilities, if they are widely available, and this requires technology and grid support to be properly integrated. Shared mobility, buses, and other infrastructure to improve transit also intersects with our energy systems.

Unmet housing needs require housing to be built. How and what types of homes are built will affect residents energy consumption. In addition, it will affect where and how people commute and travel, which will impact their electricity consumption. VCE can help communities plan for and manage the changes in their energy needs. In addition, by supporting local energy systems, VCE can reduce the need for remote power sources.

The energy transition should be equitable. Currently, lower-income people have a higher energy burden and less ability to manage energy use. Renters cannot upgrade energy systems, while low-income homeowners may not have the means to afford upgrades. Equitable rate design, changes to who owns and controls energy systems, and other approaches are needed to support an equitable transition. Community microgrids, for instance, can ensure that everyone in a community has access to resilient energy, not just those who can afford to individualy install solar and batteries.

Electrification, especially from transit, will increase electricity demand. Rate design and technologies like load flexibility can help manage this increase, spreading it out over time and matching demand to supply. In addition, managing and coordinating distributed resources will further reduce strain on the grid, and this requires integrating the right technologies and designing a grid and systems to support them. VCE can participate in and support these changes. 5/31/2026
Return to:

VALLEY CLEAN ENERGY
Valley Clean Energy COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
604 Second Street APPLICATION
Davis, CA 95616

PERSONAL DATA SHEET
Received on:

Name: Are you at least 18 years old?
First Middle
Home Address:

Number/Street City/State/Zip
Email Address:

Daytime Phone Evening/Weekend Phone
Business Title or Occupation:

Company/Organization:

Address:

Are you seeking to fill an At-Large Seat? Yes No
Background Information:

Why do you wish to serve as a member of the VCE Community Advisory Committee? Last
City of Winters
5/23/2024 AMLembke
Marubayashi Mitchell Conrad Yes Davis/CA/95616 Physician Dept. of Veterans Affairs Northern CA I am passionate about solving the global warming crisis by decarbonizing our energy systems. I am inspired by the work that VCE is doing and I would like to join the VCE CAC to participate in the important work that the organization is doing.
✔
What experience/perspective would you bring to the committee? Please reference the professional sector and related professional experience below for At-Large member applications in this section.

Please list your previous and present governmental and civic experience. Indicate when, position and duties:

List any special training or experience you have that you feel would benefit your committee service:

I work as a physician in the VA and in a rural ER. I am also a small family farmer currently farming walnuts. I studied energy security at the London School of Economics and I studied US history at UC Berkeley. I have worked with community organizations doing urban tree plant and providing a recycling center. I have lived in a lot of places including Yolo county, Berkeley, San Francisco, Brooklyn, London, Kansas City, Wichita and these experiences give me a broad base of experience with the energy consumer experience.

VA Physician Feb 2024 - Present - Clinical hospital, supervisor of DoD - VA interhospital transfer relationship
CA Dept. of Mental Health - May 2008 - Sep 2008 - Program analyst in contract’s division responsible for department contracts
Internship with Barry Broad and Associates, Labor Lobbyist - June 2022 - Interned in the office of a labor lobbyist, shadowing and gaining an understanding of the CA legislative process and labor unions.

I have experience as a small family farmer and as a medical doctor, both of which are greatly impacted by access to energy and are greatly affected by the effects of global warming.

Do you have any interests or associations which might present a conflict of interest? If yes, please explain:

I am passionate about the mission of VCE. I have a background in understanding government programs and political economics through my training at LSE and work with the former CA Dept. of Mental Health and my current work as a doctor. I trained at safety net hospitals and clinics and have experience understanding government health programs. I worked with a labor lobbyist and I have experience and interest in the legislative process.

All communities are facing the dire consequences of global warming and the VCE has an opportunity to flourish and by example promote a model for decarbonizing our energy supply and community investment rather than draining the money from the community to enrich investors in for profit stock corporations.

What do you hope to accomplish as a committee member?
I am aware of the obligations and responsibilities of this committee and am willing and able to fulfill this commitment should I be appointed: (Initial here: ) Please attach your resume or any additional information or statements which you feel would be helpful to the Valley Clean Energy Board of Directors in reviewing your qualifications.

AUTHORIZATION AND RELEASE
I understand that in connection with this application for appointment, the information contained herein will be made available to the general public upon request. I further understand that if appointed, I may be required to take the oath of office and may be subject to requirements for filing financial disclosure statements.

Please Sign Here Date
NOTE: This document is a public record and may be disclosed/released pursuant to the California Public Records Act.

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Applications will be kept on file for two years. This application will expire on:

Date of appointment by the Valley Clean Energy Board: ____________ Length of term: ____________
Is this a re-appointment?
5/23/2026
I would like to gain a better understanding of the work the VCE is doing, to contribute to the VCE’s work by sharing insights to allow VCE to thrive and succeed in it’s mission of improving the local community with affordable, environmentally responsible energy.

MM
Return to:

VALLEY CLEAN ENERGY
Valley Clean Energy COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
604 Second Street APPLICATION
Davis, CA 95616

PERSONAL DATA SHEET
Received on:

Name: Are you at least 18 years old?
First Middle
Home Address:

Number/Street City/State/Zip
Email Address:

Daytime Phone Evening/Weekend Phone
Business Title or Occupation:

Company/Organization:

Address:

Are you seeking to fill an At-Large Seat? Yes No
Background Information:

Why do you wish to serve as a member of the VCE Community Advisory Committee? Last
City of Winters
5/16/24 AMLembke
Murray, Mark yes Davis, CA 95616 Executive Director Californians Against Waste As a long-time Environmental Advocate and resident of Davis/Yolo County I am interested in expanding and promoting our community’s efforts to model ’Clean Energy’ for other communities in California and across the country. At home we have invested in the transition to Clean Energy with Solar, EV and most recently Electric Heat pump. While we made these changes on their environmental merits, I am increasingly enthusiastic about promoting the very real economic benefits for homeowners, as well as the opportunity to grow our community’s ’resiliance’ from PG&E.
✔
What experience/perspective would you bring to the committee? Please reference the professional sector and related professional experience below for At-Large member applications in this section.

Please list your previous and present governmental and civic experience. Indicate when, position and duties:

List any special training or experience you have that you feel would benefit your committee service:

For 35 years I have worked professionally in the non-profit environmental sector, and for the last 25+ years as the Executive Director of Californians Against Waste. In this capacity I have researched, developed, advocated, and monitored public policy in the environmental, waste reduction and recycling realm.

I have helped craft one hundred plus state laws, dozens of local ordinances as well as a couple of Statewide ballot measures.

In 1988-89, I worked on the successful campaign to close the Rancho Seco nuclear power plant.

I have served on multiple, local, state and Federal advisory bodies.

Global Electronics Council, Sustainability Technical Committee, 2023 to present.

Campaign Committee, Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, 2022 Ballot (withdrawn) Campaign Chair, Yes on Prop 67, 2016 Ballot, Plastic Bag Ban Advisory Board, California Environmental Voters, 1996-2014 Board Member, Planning & Conservation League, 1995-2000.

Member, National Recycling Congress, 1988-Present.

Member, California Resource Recovery Association, 1988-Present.

Member, Northern California Recyclers Association, 1997-Present.

Member, Sacramento County Keifer Landfill Citizens Advisory Committee, 1995-97.

Member, U.S. EPA Recycling Advisory Committee, 1994-1996.

Member, Sacramento City Recycling Advisory Committee, 1988-1994.

Board Member, Sacramento Local Conservation Corp, 1990-1994.

Board Member, Environmental Council of Sacramento, 1988-1992.

Member, California Beverage Container Recycling Advisory Committee (Appointed by Assembly Speaker Willie Brown), 1989-1994.

Candidate, Sacramento City Council, 1989.

Campaign Chairman, No on Measure F, 1988 (Successful campaign to defeat ballot measure aimed at ending green waste composting program).

For nearly 35 years, Mark has been the primary advocate behind much of California’s nation-leading waste reduction and recycling policy. Beginning in 1987, Mark helped guide the implementation of California’s unique ‘market-based’ beverage container recycling law. Due in large part to Mark’s creativity, political expertise and persistence, the program has evolved into the largest, most successful and cost effective recycling incentive program in the country.

Mark has helped develop and enact dozens of innovative and successful waste reduction and recycling policies that have helped cut California’s waste in half, while creating green jobs and economic development in the process.

Do you have any interests or associations which might present a conflict of interest? If yes, please explain:

What do you feel are your most important qualifications? What do you see as some of the significant issues facing the community in the next few years that might pertain to Valley Clean Energy's Community Advisory Committee? Not that I'm aware of Experienced environmental policy understanding and advocacy. A proven consensus builder with many, many years of experience on multi-stakeholder advisory and governing bodies.

Helping community members to stay committed to renewables/transition to solar as state financial incentives are phased down/out, and PG&E continues to pursue higher electric rates.

Please Sign Here Date
NOTE: This document is a public record and may be disclosed/released pursuant to the California Public Records Act.

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Applications will be kept on file for two years. This application will expire on:

Date of appointment by the Valley Clean Energy Board: ____________ Length of term: ____________
Is this a re-appointment?
I’m a satisfied and enthusiatic advocate for pragmatic transition to renewables/Clean energy.

And I have a track record of successfully working with conservatives & business community on conservation policy. I would like the opportunity to apply those skills and experience extending the mission of Valley Clean Energy!
mm

3/27/2026

Valley Clean Energy Board of DirectorsJune 13, 2024

Valley Clean Energy Board of Directors
June 13, 2024