November 18, 2025
Public Works
DATE: November 18, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Daniel Chavarria, PE, Director of Public Works
Ana Crespin, Senior Administrative Analyst
Subject:
Contract with Xebec Data Corporation for Conversion of
Electronic Data to an Importable Format for the Utility Bills
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed total three-year not to exceed contract cost of $30,000, with the option of two one-year extensions of $10,000 per year is included within the approved Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Public Works budget. The expenditure
will be budgeted accordingly in subsequent fiscal year
budgets (Account Code: 01231031-400201).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City of Richmond requires specialized data services to continue receiving, processing, and analyzing utility billing information from Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E).
This process ensures accurate, timely, and cost-efficient handling of energy billing across all City departments.
The City’s existing contract with Xebec Data Corporation expired on September 30, 2025. City staff are requesting approval to retroactively extend and renew the
agreement to maintain uninterrupted service.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution to APPROVE a sole-source contract
with Xebec Data Corporation for conversion of electronic data to an importable format, for a three-year term, in an amount not to exceed $30,000, with an option to extend
for two additional one-year terms, in an amount up to
$10,000 per year – Public Works Department (Daniel
Chavarria 510-620-5478/Ana Crespin 510-307-8095).
DISCUSSION:
AGENDA
REPORT
November 18, 2025
Since May 2010, the City of Richmond has partnered with Xebec Data Corporation, the only firm specializing in Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) for converting utility billing data from Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) into a format compatible with the City’s Energy Manager Software System. In 2018, the service was upgraded to a web-based platform, improving automation, data accuracy, and security.
The City receives approximately 350–400 utility invoices each month from PG&E for facilities, streetlights, and other infrastructure. Without Xebec’s automated EDI service, staff would be required to manually process each invoice — a time-consuming and error-prone process.
The Xebec ECLynx Web EDI solution automates the entire billing process by:
Receiving and translating PG&E billing files (EDI 810s) into a readable format for the City’s Energy Manager software.
Automatically verifying invoice accuracy, flagging any billing discrepancies, mismatched totals, or unusual usage patterns.
Generating key reports that allow departments to monitor and manage energy use and costs.
Creating PDF bill images to replace discontinued paper statements. Delivering all data securely via SFTP for direct integration into the City’s financial and payment systems, enabling electronic payment processing and eliminating paper requisitions, purchase orders, and manual checks.
This system provides daily automation, transparency, and reliability, significantly reducing manual workload and ensuring financial accuracy.
Key Deliverables
The Xebec ECLynx Web EDI system provides several essential deliverables that ensure efficient, accurate, and transparent management of the City’s utility billing data.
These outputs allow staff to easily import, review, and validate PG&E invoices while maintaining complete digital records for reference and analysis. Energy Manager Import File: Allows seamless upload into the City’s Energy Manager system.
Summary Report: Summarizes all processed bills and total charges. Error Report: Identifies discrepancies or abnormal billing activity. PDF Bill Images: Provide visual records of utility bills for reference and archiving.
Operational Benefits
The implementation of Xebec’s automated EDI service delivers significant operational advantages that enhance efficiency, financial accuracy, and environmental responsibility across City departments.
Improved budget control and transparency: Departments can track and forecast energy use and costs more effectively.
Error reduction: Automated validation minimizes duplicate payments and missed invoices.
November 18, 2025
Enhanced reporting and accountability: Enables detailed energy consumption reports by division for performance tracking and conservation analysis. Regulatory and audit compliance: Maintains consistent, digital records for reliable auditing and reporting.
Environmental sustainability: Reduces paper usage and manual processing.
SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION
Xebec Data Corporation is the only vendor offering full EDI data translation and integration services specifically designed for PG&E billing data and compatible with the City’s Energy Manager Software System. Xebec manages the entire workflow — from receiving and validating raw billing data to producing fully formatted files and reports. No other vendor provides this combination of technical capability, system compatibility, and support for the City’s existing infrastructure (Attachment 1 and 2).
The estimated annual costs total approximately $5,320, based on:
$75 monthly subscription fee, and
$0.99 per invoice, with about 4,465 invoices processed per year.
The proposed contract amount of $30,000 over three (3) years, with two optional one- year extensions up to $10,000 per year, allows for budget flexibility to accommodate fluctuations in invoice volume or service needs. Funding is available within the City’s operational budget for utilities and energy management. The original contract expired on September 30, 2025. Therefore, staff is requesting to retroactively date the contract to October 1, 2025. The delays for contract issuance were due to vendor issuing an inaccurate scope of work to reflect the City’s requirements.
CONCLUSION
City staff recommend that City Council adopt a resolution renewing the contract with Xebec Data Corporation ensures the City of Richmond continues to receive accurate, timely, and automated processing of PG&E utility billing data (Attachment 3 and4). This service is vital for effective energy management, improved budget oversight, and the City’s transition toward fully electronic payment processing, reducing costs and administrative effort while supporting sustainability and operational efficiency.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Sole Source Form
Attachment 2 – IT Authorization
Attachment 3 – Resolution
Attachment 4 – Contract