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Home My WebLink About2022-01-27; Clean Energy Alliance JPA; ; Review and Approve the 2022 Clean Energy Alliance Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform-■--,:,-1:. CLEAN ENERGY ALLIANCE DATE: TO: FROM: ITEMS: Staff Report January 27, 2022 Clean Energy Alliance Board of Directors Barbara Boswell, Chief Executive Officer Review and Approve the 2022 Clean Energy Alliance Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform RECOMMENDATION Approve Clean Energy Alliance 2022 Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform. BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION Clean Energy Alliance's (CEA) Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform (Platform) states that the Board shall review and update the Platform as appropriate 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 to 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 27, 2022 Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform Page 2 of2 The Platform is centered around these four principles: 1. Protecting CEA's local control for the purpose of preserving the ability to self-procure power resources, to self-determine rates and the energy programs offered to residents, businesses, and the communities it serves, through the mechanisms of local governance. 2. Ensuring fair treatment of CEA customers by the 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. Taking into account CEA's purpose and the principles above, 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 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. CEA's priorities and goals have not changed, and as a result there are no recommended changes to the 2022 Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform as compared to the 2021 Platform. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact as a result of this action. ATTACHMENTS Attachment -Draft 2022 Legislative and Policy Platform -..._; CLEAN ENERGY ALLIANCE CEA-10 2022 Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform The Clean Energy Alliance (CEA) Board of Directors desires to establish the 2022 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 power resources, to self-determine rates and the energy programs offered to 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 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. 2 CEA will oppose legislation and regulatory actions that jeopardize CEA's independence to self- procure power resources, determine rates and the energy programs it provides to 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. 2022 legislative and Policy Platform Updated January 27, 2022