12/18/2025 Meeting 3 notes
Working Group Member Attendees:
• Brian Siana
• Tom Evans
• Dr. Matt Barth
• Mark Dowling
• David Hahn
• Michael Berger
Staff Member Attendees:
• Andrew Galvan
• Ryan McManus
• Ryan Gleason
• Zoe Ridgway
• David Garcia
• Kelly Murillo
• Tracy Sato
• Fortino Morales
• Raphael Guzman
Recap of Meeting #1-2
• Review of purpose and objectives of the group
• Next steps
• Review of Public Benefit (PB) funds and allowed spending • Topics and themes
Big Project Ideas and Concepts: Solar
• Concentration on solar projects: rooftop solar on commercial and residential properties, over the Gage Canal, solar in parking lots, solar on City facilities (including replacing solar no longer working)
• Review of current pricing trends to construct and operate solar facilities for different categories, recent solar and other renewables procurement pricing o Review of the PPA of solar at Tequesquite Landfill
Concept: Installed Solar Needs Battery Storage
• Review of solar production and RPU load and the benefits of energy storage o Question: How many solar installations have battery storage? RPU does not have that data currently
• Batteries would decrease peaker plant operation runtime. Gas savings can be shown in battery cost-benefits
o Question: When do City peaker plants operate? Approximately 2pm to 10pm daily.
Battery Information and considerations
• Review of capital expenditure and costs to operate for residential, commercial, and utility-scale batteries
• Questions on how much battery capacity is installed at RCC and CARB o Battery capacity is publicly available on their respective websites
Discussion of Proposal on PB Fund Utilization
All options should include time factor, when can funds be spent
Proposal 1: Energy Storage Rebate Program
Comments/questions:
• Funds should be made available for all that want to participate. Project should not be overfunded with funds unused
Proposal 2: Resiliency Center(s)
Questions/Comments from members:
• Which centers are ready to receive and utilize funds
• Parks and Rec to weigh-in
• One project has been requested
• Project could be marketed as a learning center
• How many community centers does the City have?
• The City has about 50 community centers
• The project proposal should be specific. Resiliency Centers can include community centers, libraries, cooling centers.
Comments from RPU/City:
• The project would make centers with no backup resilient or minimize usage of diesel backup generators and/or mobile generators
Proposal 3: Resiliency at Utility Operation Center (UOC) and Emergency Operation Center (EOC)
Comments from members:
• Customers won't intellectually see the benefit of this option or the Springs Battery Energy Storage Project (Proposal 4)
• Upkeep and improvements would be expected to be covered by rates • Improvements are not included in rates, if PB funds were to be utilized it would offset potential increases in rates
• Project must include battery storage
• Explanation of why the UOC/EOC is important would be helpful • This project could be marketed as a learning center
Comments from RPU/City:
• The project engineering and design can address concerns • This project proposal can be removed from PB fund uses • PB funds can leverage grant funding
• Current design is the UOC project would be a front-of-the-meter community solar project with the ability to microgrid the facility
• The UOC/EOC is currently utilizing diesel backup generators in the event of an outage
• City to clarify if the property(s) will be utilized in the long-term for UOC/EOC or be sold to a third-party
Proposal 4: Springs Battery Energy Storage Project
Questions/Comments from members:
• How was the proposed $19M of PB funds determined? The first three proposals of $5M each with the remainder going towards this project. Project would require additional funds from other sources to make up the balance • Calculate how much battery capacity is needed for excess solar on our grid • The current proposal would be to provide 4 hours of capacity, this project addresses resource adequacy
• What is the location of the project? To be determined
Open Discussion/Roundtable
What are other utilities doing with their PB funds?
• Demonstration centers, this proposal removed based on feedback in meeting #2 • Renewable energy procurement
PB fund utilization for the different proposals will cover what percentage? • Grants and other sourced funds can be used to cover scope where PB funds cannot (matching funds)
• Priority should be to spend PB funds quickly and efficiently
Free solar and battery storage in exchange for no Net Energy Metering (NEM) • Target homes near the Riverside Transmission Reliability Project (RTRP) right-of-way • Estimated 200-300 homes
• Concern raised of those homes that already have solar and/or battery storage
• There is a potential program idea for free solar and storage for customers based on an offering by PG&E
RPU response:
• The program referenced by a Member may be referring to the Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP). SGIP rebate offering:
Rebate may cover 15%-100% of the installation. Installation included battery storage, or solar and battery storage for residential customers only
Eligibility:
• Residential customers must participate in a Demand
Response Program.
• Residential customers who meet 80% or lower of the area median income.
• Residential customers with verified income who participate in one of the following programs: California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE), Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA), Energy Saving Assistance (ESA)
• Renters are eligible for this program (with approval from their landlord before installation)
• Financial incentives that pay for the battery do not count as income, will not affect eligibility for MediCAL/Medicare benfits. • Eligibility requires income verification.
Additional eligibility categories:
• General Market Rebate for residential customers covers about 15% of the cost of installing a battery storage system, solar customers must be on the Solar Billing Plan to qualify. • Equity Resiliency Rebate for residential customers. Rebate may cover 80%-100% of the cost of installing a battery storage system. Eligible residential customers must:
• Live in a Tier 2 or Tier 3 High Fire-Threat Districts or • Have experienced more than two Public Safety Power
Shutoffs (PSPS) or
• Have experienced five or more Enhanced Powerline
Safety Setting (EPPS) outages since 2023 and
• Meet one of the following:
• Be on the Medical Baseline Program
• Meet income eligibility standards
• Rely on an electric well pump for water
• Have incentives reserved in the income-qualified solar programs (SASH or DAC-SASH) or
• Be enrolled in the ESA program
Additional SGIP information can be found here
4th meeting requested
• The meeting will have to be held in early January
Compensation for shifting load should be considered
• We need to incentivize customers to address and shift load, charge EVs at non-peak times
• Gamify good behavior
Concerns of PB funds
• Consider revisiting PB funds:
• The 2.85% surcharge should only apply to certain, commodity based items • RPU should advocate against it
RPU advocates to the State that local control of PB funds should be maintained and not be handled by the State