The options of joining MCE or East Bay Community Energy (EBCE), or remaining with existing PG&E service all involve no direct costs to the County.
March 28, 2017 Board Workshop
On March 28, 2017, the Board of Supervisors held a Workshop on Community Choice Energy. The Workshop included a presentation from County staff and the consulting firm MRW & Associates concerning the final version of the Technical Study of Community Choice Energy (CCE) conducted by the County in partnership with the 14 cities
within the county not currently participating in a CCE program, as well as presentations by representatives from the two existing CCE programs considered in the Technical Study: MCE and EBCE. Refer to the March 28, 2017 Board minutes, item D.1, for the staff report and attachments associated with the Workshop.
At the March 28, 2017 meeting, the Board directed the County Administrator to submit a request to MCE to extend the deadline of its current Inclusion Period from May 31, 2017 to June 30, 2017. On April 4, the County Administrator submitted such a request (Attachment A) to MCE on behalf of the County and 11 cities within the county that asked to be included in the request. On April 17, 2017, MCE responded (Attachment B) to the County Administrator's request and approved an extension of MCE's Inclusion Period deadline to June 30, 2017 for the County and the 11 cities included in the extension request.
The Board made no decisions concerning the County's participation in a CCE program at the March 28, 2017 Workshop, and directed staff to bring this subject back to the Board for further discussion on May 2, 2017.
Outreach Activities
Following the Board's CCE workshop on March 28, 2017, County staff and consultants engaged in additional community outreach on this subject, including presentations to the Brentwood City Council on March 28, 2017 and the Danville Town Council on April 11, 2017.
In addition, the Office of Supervisor Burgis sponsored two Town Hall meetings on this subject in April: one in Tassajara on April 24, 2017 and one in Knightsen on April 27, 2017.
City Updates
The following is an update on the current status of CCE in the 14 cities not currently participating in a CCE program, based on information available to County staff:
Antioch: County staff and consultants provided a presentation to the Antioch City Council on February 14, 2017. No further action has been scheduled.
Brentwood: County staff and consultants provided a presentation to the Brentwood City Council on March 28, 2017. No further action has been scheduled.
Clayton: County staff and consultants provided a presentation to the Clayton City Council on January 17, 2017. The City Council has scheduled another discussion of this topic for its meeting on May 16, 2017.
Concord: The Policy Development and Internal Operations Committee of the Concord City Council has recommended that the City Council seek to join MCE. The City Council will consider this recommendation at its meeting on May 23, 2017.
Danville: The Danville Town Council has considered this topic several times in recent months, and is scheduled to take further action at its meeting on May 2, 2017.
Hercules: The Hercules City Council has not taken action on this topic.
Martinez: The Martinez City Council will be considering this topic at its meeting on May 3, 2017.
Moraga: The Moraga City Council has considered this topic several times in recent months and at its meeting on April 26, 2017 the Council determined to join MCE.
Oakley: The Oakley City Council has considered this topic several times in recent months, and is scheduled to take further action at its meeting on May 9, 2017.
Orinda: The Orinda City Council has not taken action on this topic.
Pinole: The Pinole City Council will be considering this topic at its meeting on May 16, 2017.
Pittsburg: The Pittsburg Power Company Subcommittee of the Pittsburg City Council has recommended that the City Council seek to join MCE. The City Council will consider this recommendation at its meeting on May 15, 2017.
Pleasant Hill: County staff and consultants provided a presentation to the Pleasant Hill City Council on February 6, 2017. No further action has been scheduled.
San Ramon: The San Ramon City Council will be considering this topic at its meeting on May 9, 2017.
Next Steps
Both MCE and EBCE are currently offering membership to the County and other jurisdictions within Contra Costa County at no charge. Both programs require those jurisdictions seeking membership to complete a number of procedural steps, which include adoption of a resolution and ordinance, no later than June 30, 2017.
County staff estimates it would take roughly six weeks to complete the required procedural steps following direction from the Board to move forward with seeking membership in either MCE or EBCE. The Board's last meeting in June 2017 is on June 20. In addition, several cities within the County have postponed their decisions concerning membership in a CCE program pending a decision by the Board of Supervisors. Therefore, should the Board decide to move forward with seeking membership in either MCE or EBCE during 2017, staff recommends the Board provide such direction to staff at its meeting on May 2, 2017 to allow sufficient time for the County and interested cities to take the required actions necessary to pursue program membership.
Don Kalb, Oakland City Council; Dawn Weisz, MCE; Albert Lopez, EBCE; Kevin Hafloff, MCE; David Potovsky, MCE; Justine Parmelee, MCE; Tom Butt, Mayor of City of Richmond and Vice Chair, Board of Directors, MCE; Ben Choi, MCE and City of Richmond; Dan Kalb, EBCE JPA; Darlene Jackson, resident of El Sobrante; Michael P. Cass, City of Concord; Kevin Wilk, resident of Walnut Creek; Bob Simmons, resident of Walnut Creek; Bob Herbst, resident of San Rafael; Robert J. Hayworth, resident of Martinez; Daniel Safran, resident of Pleasant Hill; Steve Larsen, resident of Byron; Harry Thurston, resident of Antioch; Fred Lucero, Richmond Build; Al Nenrub, Local Clean Energy Alliance; Howdy Goudey, resident of El Cerrito; Jim Moita, City of Clayton; Valerie Sauban, resident of Pleasant Hill; Mike Moore, resident of Oakley; Matt Renner, resident of E.Richmond Heights; Jerry F. McDaniel, resident of San Rafael; Maria Gastelumendi, resident of Lafayette; Nancy Rieser, Crockett-Rodeo United to Defend the Environment; Tom Price, resident of Berkeley; Lisa Chang, 350 East Bay; Nadine Peyrucain, CCC LC Council 57; Melissa Yu, Sierra Club; David McLaord, Sierra Club; Daniel Hilsinger, resident of Orinda; Heather Romarin, resident of Pleasant Hill; Carol Weed, Contra Costa Clean Energy Alliance; Shoshana Wechsler, Sunflower Alliance, 350 East Bay; Ann Puntch, resident of Rodeo; Don Tatzin, City of Lafayette; Catherine de Neergaard, Quaker Earthcare Witness; Dave Trotter, Town of Moraga; Alexandar McGee, MCE; Jenna Famular, MCE; Jean Tepperman, Sunflower Alliance; Charles Davidson, resident of Hercules; Shirley Helangaski, Sierra Club; Pello Wialileiz, resident of Pleasant Hill
The following did not speak but left written comments: Beverly Ann Razook, resident of Martinez; anonymous from Pleasant Hill.
CONSIDERED the County's potential participation in a Community Choice Energy (CCE) program, as previously considered at the March 28, 2017 CCE Board Workshop; ACKNOWLEDGED that MCE approved the County's request for an extension of its Inclusion Period deadline to June 30, 2017; and DIRECTED staff to take steps necessary to seek membership in MCE.