HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESO 9034Resolution No. 9034
Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Approving
the Utilities' Legislative Policy Guidelines for 2010
WHEREAS, the City .of Palo Alto Utilities Strategic Plan ("Strategic Plan"),
approved by the Council of the City of Palo Alto on March 7, 2005, [CMR 148:05] provides a
set of Key Objectives for the City of Palo Alto Utilities Department (CPAU) to follow in the
areas of customer satisfaction and utility infrastructure, employment of balanced environmental
solutions, provision of fair and reasonable returns to the City and competitive rates to customers
through municipal ownership, and assurance of a safe and engaged workforce; and
WHEREAS, CP AU annually identifies Utilities' Legislative Policy Guidelines that
facilitate the Strategic Plan's Key Objectives; and advocates for utility-related issues at Federal
and State legislative forums in furtherance of those objectives; and
WHEREAS, in January 2009 CP AU staff updated the 2009 Legislative Policy
Guidelines to respond to recent legislative and regulatory trends, . in particular the increasing
emphasis on climate change at the State and Federal level; and
WHEREAS, the 2010 Legislative Policy Guidelines also support the City Council's
inclusion of "Environmental Protection" in the 2009 Council Top 3 Priorities, and the
recommendations ofthe Mayor's Green Ribbon Task Force on Climate Protection; and
WHEREAS, action on some of these issues may require active involvement of Palo
Alto elected officials; and
WHEREAS, the Utilities' Legislative Policy Guidelines for 2010 were presented to
the UAC at its December 2, 2009 meeting, and the UAC voted 6 to 0 (with Commissioner Berry
absent) to recommend that the City Council approve the Utilities' Legislative Policy Guidelines.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does hereby RESOLVE
as follows:
SECTION 1. The Council hereby adopts the resolution approving the Utilities'
Legislative Policy Guidelines for 2010.
SECTION 2. The Council finds that any revenue derived from the authorized
adoption enumerated herein shall be used only for the purpose set forth in Article VII, Section 2,
of the Charter ofthe City of Palo Alto.
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SECTION 3. The Council finds that the adoption of this resolution does not
constitute a project under Section 11065 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
and the CEQA Guidelines, and therefore, no environmental assessment is required.
INTRODUCED AND PASSED: January 25,2010
AYES: BURT, ESPINOSA, HOLMAN, KLEIN, PRICE, SCHARFF, SCHMID,
SHEPHERD,YEH
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED:
~Wgzgd/
Deputy C' y Attorney ~g~~ ff= i\_
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100128 syn 6051046
Utilities' Legislative Policy Guidelines for 2010
Advocacy positions taken in alignment with these guidelines will be subject to the approval of the
Utilities Director or City. Manager as per the City's legisla~ve advocacy process
ALL UTILITIES
Goals
·l.Preservelenhance local accountability in the control and oversight of matters impacting utility
programs and rates for our customers while balancing statewide climate protection goals.
2. Support legislation that makes bold progress in cost effectively reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
and recognizes early voluntary action.
3. Support efforts to maintain or improve the reliability of the supply, transmission and distribution
infrastructures.
4. Maintain CPAU's ability to provide reliable, sustainable, and competitively-priced utility service.
. Legislative Policy Guidelines Venue Goals
1. Local 2. Climate 3. Reliability 4. Service
Accountability Protection & & Cost
I1FfrQStructur~ Control
1. Advocate goals through active Federal, ./ ./ ./ ./
participation injoint action efforts. State, and
Regional
2. Communicate with Legislature, State ./ ./ ./
California Energy Commission (CEC),
California Air Resources Board
(CARB). and Natural Resources
Defense Ceuncil (NRDC) via California
Municipal Utilities Association
(CMUA), Northern California Power
Agency (NCPA), and the Bay Area
Water Supply and Conservation Agency
(BAWSCA) regarding the City's record
on environmental and energy efficiency
programs.
3. Support legislation that will result in the Federal ./ ./ ./ ./
most cost-effective reduction of GHG State, and
emissions, recognition of early action, . Regional
and inclusion of more efficient
. solutions, such as cogeneration,
distribution resources, and demand
control programs, in integrated resource
plans.
Utilities Legislative Policy Guidelines for 2010
1. Local 2. Climate 3. Reliability 4. Service
Accountability Protection & & Cost
Infrastructure Control
4. Support legislation to reduce onerous, State 0/ 0/ 0/
costly. redundant and time-intensive
reporting requirements with diverse data
recording mechanisms that keep the
various reports from being compara1?le.
Also. improve value of infonnation
reported to the public.
5. Oppose cost shifts from Federal or State Federal. 0/ 0/
budgets and California Public Utilities State, and
Commission (CPUC) jurisdictional CPUC
utilities. through active participation in
CMUA and NCPA legislative activities.
6. Advocate for and request State and Federal 0/ 0/ 0/
Federal grants for local and regional. and State
applications of energy efficiency,
. conservation, renewable resources, and
recycled water projects.
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Utilities Legislative Policy Guidelines for 2010
WATER
Goals
. 1. Increase the security and reliability of the regional water system owned and operated by the San
Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC).
2. Maintain the provision of an environmentally sustainable, reliable supply of high quality water at a
fair price.
3. Support ability of municipal utilities to develop and manage their own conservation and efficiency
programs and retain authority over ratemaking, including the imposition of non-volumetric customer
meter or infrastructure charges for water service. .
4. Support efficiency and recycled water programs in order to minimize the use of imported supplies.
Legislative Policy Guidelines Venue GOIIIs
1. 2. 3. Local 4.
Reliable Maintain Allo,oril)l Minimize
ilffraatructure supplies . Imports
1. Advocate goals through active participation in Local, ./ ./ ./ ./
the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Regional
Agency (BA WSCA) and California Municipal & State
Utilities Association (CMUA). with support
from Palo Alto staff for BA WSCA and the
San Francisco Bay Area Regional Water
System Financing Authority (RF A).
2. Participate in California Urban Water State ./ ../
Conservation Council (CUWCC) Best
Management Practice (BMP) revisions and
development to ensure that proposals are
reasonable. acbievable. and cost-effective.
3. Advocate to ensure that legislative actions Local, ./ ./
regarding the Hetch Hetchy R.eservoir include Regional
the following requirements: &:'State
• timely rebuilding of the regional water
system;
• maintains the quality of delivered water;
• minimizes any increase in the cost of
water;
• creates no additional exposure to more
frequent or severe water shortages;
• supports the existing water system and its
operation.
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Utilities Legislative Policy Guidelines for 2010
1. 2. 3. Local 4.
Reliable Maintain Authority Minimize
infrastructure supplies . imports
4. Advocate for interpretations or Local, -/ -/ -/
implementation of Water Code provisions Regional,
(such as those enacted by AB 1823 (2002), and State
AB 2058 (2002) and SB 1870 (2002» that
maintain or reinforce the authorities and
protections available to the City and
BA WSCA members outSide of San Francisco.
S. Support provision of sufficient resources for Local ~ -/ -/ -/
BA WSCA to enable it to advocate for: and
• an environmentally sustainable, reliable Regional
supply of high quality water at a fair
price;
• preservation of Palo Alto's existing
contractual water allocation and
transportation rights on the SFPUC Hetch
Hetchy system;
• regional planning for conservation,
recycled water, and other water supply
projects. .
6. Support infrastructure security and reliability Regional, -/
including equitable allocation of funds for arid State
increasing the security of infrastructure,
development of a regional crisis management
plan, and an interconnection between the
SCVWD West Pipeline with the SFPUC's
Bay Division Pipelines 3 and 4.
7. Advocate for financing or funding for water Regional, .-/ -/ -/ -/
conservation programs and for State and
solutions/options for recycled water projects Federal
that meet end-use needs and conserve potable
water.
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Utilities Legislative Policy Guidelines for 201 0
GAS
Goals
1. Preserve lenhance the ability of municipal utilities to develop their own demand side efficiency and
conservation programs, alternative gas supplies" and rate structure.
2. Support efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment.
3. Increase the security and reliability of the gas supply and transmission infrastructure. This includes
retaining access to intra-and interstate gas transmission systems to reliably serve customers.
4. Preserve just and reasonable utility rates.
Legislative Policy Guldelln .. Venue Goal.
1. Local 2. J. Reliability 4. Coat
jAuthoritY Environ--of Control
ment 11ffraatructure
1. Advocate most of these goals mainly Primarily '" '" '" '" through the American Public Oas Federal with
Association (APGA) wIth minor support minor
from Palo Alto staff. advocacy at
State level
2. Work with'Northern California Power Federal and '" '" '" '" Agency (NCP A) and Califomia Municipal State
Utilities Association (CMUA) to the extent
that the City's goals as a gas distributor
align with generators' use of natural gas.
3. Support increased production/incentives Federal and '" '" '" '" for renewable gas supplies. State
4. Support incentives for energy efficiency Federal and '" '" '" '" and solar water heating measures. State
S. Support maintenance of incentive ,for Federal '" municipal utilities to enter into pre-pay
transactions for gas supplies.
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Utilities Legislative Policy Guidelines for 2010
ELECTRIC
Goals
I. Preserve lenhance the ability of municipal utilities to exercise local accountability and oversight over
matters impacting customer serVice, programs (such as demand side efficiency and conservation
programs). and rate structure.
2. Protect/enhance the reliability and security of infrastructure.
3. Support legislation that makes bold progress in cost effectively reducing greenhouse gas emissions
and encourages early voluntary action.
4. Preserve just and reasonable utility rates/biUs.
Legislative Policy Guidelines Venue "Goals
1. Local 2. J.GHa 4. Cost
Accountability Reliability Reduction Control
1. Advocate goals through Northern California Fedeml 0/ 0/ 0/ 0/
Power Agency (NCPA), California Municipal and State
Utilities Association (CMUA), American P,ubJic
Power Association (APPA), Transmission
Agency of North em California (TANC). and
Bay Area Municipal Transmission Group
(BAMx) with support from Palo Alto staff to
speak with a coordinated voice.
2. Support legislation/regulations that pennit Federal 0/ 0/ 0/ 0/
solutions tailored to local needs 00: and State
• clean distributed generation and cogeneration
projects, and standards for connectiog such
resources to the local distribution system;
• energy efficiency programs;
• implementation of renewable portfolio ,
standards;
• Smart Grid design and implementation
• provision of reliable and competitively priced
service to customers; and
• allocation of public benefit funds (as allowed
in AB1890 (1996».
3. Support cap~and·trade market designs that Federal ./ 0/
protect consumers from the exercise of market and State
power. or advocate for alternative mechanisms
for achieving OHG emissions reductions.
4. Support/encourage transmission, generation, and Loca~ 0/ ./ 0/ ./
demand-reduction projects and solutions State,
including advocating for financing or funding and
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Utilities Legislative Policy Guidelines for 2010
1. Local 2. 3.GHG 4. Cost
Accountability Reliability If Control Reductio
solutions/options for projects that: Federal
• enhance/ensure reliability;
• ensure equitable cost allocation (including
protection against imposition of state-owned
electric: contnlCt costs on municipal utility
customers);
• improve procurement flexibility (e.g.
resource adequacy rules that ensure
reliability and provide flexibility or use of
Renewable Bnergy Certificates (RECs) in
meeting State reneWable portfolio standards);
• improve market transparency (particularly
transparency oflOU's transmission and
procurement planning and implementation
activities); and
• lower the environmental impact on the Bay
Area and the Peninsula.
S. Advocate for Congressional, legislative, or Federal, ./ ../ ../
administrative actions on matters impacting State and
costs or operations of the Western Area Power Regional
Administration suc:has:
• support of Congressional Field Hearings to
explore modernizing flood control strategies.
river regulation and generation strategies at
CVP plants to enhance generation, water
delivery, flood control and fisheries;
• protection of the status of Western Power
Marketing Administration and cost-based
rates; and
• provisions for preference customers' fust
take at land av,ailab,le with economic
potential for wind fanns.
6. Work with California Independent System Federal ../ ../ ../
Operator (CAISO) or through the federal and State
Energy Regulatory Commission (PERC):
• to give buyers of renewable intennittent
resources relief ftom imbalance penalties;
• to promote fInancial and operational changes
that result in timely and accurate settlement
and billing; and
• to protect value of existing contracts and
local regulatory approvals of such contracts.
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