HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-01-21; Clean Energy Alliance JPA; ; Approve the 2021 Legislative and Regulatory Policy PlatformCLEAN ENERGY ALLIANCE
Staff Report
DATE: January 21, 2021
TO: Clean Energy Alliance Board of Directors
FROM: Barbara Boswell, Interim Chief Executive Officer
ITEM 5: Approve the 2021 Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform
RECOMMENDATION
The Clean Energy Alliance (CEA) Board approve the 2021 Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
At its regular meeting September 17, 2020, the CEA Board adopted the 2020 Legislative and Regulatory
Policy Platform (Platform). Pursuant to the Platform, the Board shall review and update, as appropriate
the Platform each January.
The Platform serves as a guide to the CEA Board and staff in their advocacy efforts related to policy
matters of interest at the state legislature and California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). It allows
both Board Members and staff to pursue actions at the legislative and regulatory levels in a consistent
manner and with the understanding that they are pursuing actions in the best interest of CEA and its
mission, member agencies and customers. It provides guidance to the Chief Executive Officer on the
support or oppose positions that should be taken on legislative and regulatory matters that come before
the California Community Choice Association (CalCCA) Board of Directors.
The adopted Platform was developed to be consistent with the CEA Joint Powers Authority (JPA)
Agreement. Specifically, the JPA Agreement identifies the following purposes of CEA:
•Procuring/developing electrical energy for customers;
•Addressing climate change by reducing energy-related greenhouse gas emissions;
•Promoting electrical rate price stability and cost savings;
•Fostering consumer choice;
•Local economic development, such as job creation, local energy programs, and local power
development.
Four basic principles were developed to ensure CEA's ability to achieve its purposes as stated above.
January 21, 2021
Legislative and Regulatory Policy
Platform
Page 2 of 2
The Platform is centered around these principles:
1.Protecting CEA's local control for the purpose of preserving the ability to self-procure its power
resources, to self-determine its rates and the energy programs it offers its residents, businesses,
and the communities it serves, through the mechanisms of local governance.
2.Ensuring fair treatment of CEA customers by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
and other state agencies.
3.Supporting recognition that electricity is an essential service, and that CEA should have the
ability to set electric rates that are affordable and competitive to the utilities.
4.Pursuing environmental initiatives that exceed minimum State mandates, promote the growth
in renewable energy capacity at the local level, encourage clean energy adoption by CEA
customers, and reduce fossil fuel dependency.
The Platform establishes the following positions:
•CEA will support legislation and regulatory actions which enables, protects and enhances
the development and expansion of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) programs, and
that supports CCA independence in procurement, program deployment, management and
decision making.
•CEA will support legislation and regulatory actions which allow CEA to develop and procure
local energy generation resources to meet the needs of its electric customers.
•CEA will support legislation and regulatory actions which promote a neutral, fair and
competitive energy market.
•CEA will oppose legislation and regulatory actions that jeopardize CEA's independence to
self-procure its power resources, determine its rates and the energy programs it provides to
its customers in the present, or could restrict its independence to do so in the future.
CEA's priorities and goals have not changed, and as a result there are no recommended changes to the
2021 Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform as compared to the 2020 Platform.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact as a result of this action.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment — Draft 2021 Legislative and Policy Platform
CLEAN ENERGYALLIANCE
CEA-10
2021 Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform
The Clean Energy Alliance (CEA) Board of Directors desires to establish the 2021 Legislative and
Regulatory Policy Platform to guide the CEA Board and staff in their advocacy efforts and
engagement on policy matters of interest to CEA. The Platform allows both Board members
and staff to pursue actions at the legislative and regulatory levels in a consistent manner and
with the understanding that they are pursuing actions in the best interest of CEA and its
mission, its member agencies and its customers. The Platform enables the organization to
move swiftly to respond to legislative and regulatory events. The Platform also provides
guidance to the Chief Executive Officer on the support or oppose positions that should be taken
on legislative and regulatory matters that come before the California Community Choice
Association (CalCCA) Board of Directors.
Unless otherwise approved by the Board, all CEA positions on individual bills will be presented
to the Board for approval. For urgent legislative or regulatory matters where time is of the
essence, the Chief Executive Officer, with Board Chair concurrence, will take a position,
consistent with the Policy Platform and report the action to the full Board at the next Board
meeting.
Policy Principles
CEA supports legislation and regulatory actions that enables, protects and enhances CEA's
priorities and ability to serve its customers as determined by the CEA Board of Directors.
The Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform is centered around four basic principles:
1.Protecting CEA's local control for the purpose of preserving the ability to self-procure its
power resources, to self-determine its rates and the energy programs it offers its
residents, businesses and the communities it serves, through the mechanisms of local
governance.
2.Ensuring fair treatment of CEA customers by the California Public Utilities Commission
(CPUC) and other state agencies.
3.Supporting recognition that electricity is an essential service and that CEA should have
the ability to set electric rates that are affordable and competitive to the utilities.
4.Pursuing environmental initiatives that exceed minimum State mandates, promote the
growth in renewable energy capacity at the local level, encourage clean energy adoption
by CEA customers, and reduce fossil fuel dependency.
CEA will support legislation and regulatory actions which enables, protects and enhances the
development and expansion of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) programs, and that
supports CCA independence in procurement, program deployment, management and decision
making.
CEA will support legislation and regulatory actions which allows CEA to develop and procure
local energy generation resources to meet the needs of its electric customers.
CEA will support legislation and regulatory actions which promote a neutral, fair and
competitive energy market.
CEA will oppose legislation and regulatory actions that jeopardize CEA's independence to self-
procure its power resources, determine its rates and the energy programs it provides to its
customers in the present, or could restrict its independence to do so in the future.
The Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform is to be reviewed and updated every January.
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2021 Legislative and Policy Platform
Adopted January 21, 2021