HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Read Before Packet - 11/17/2020 - Memorandum From John Phelan Re: Energy Board Support For Riverside Solar Program Ordinance No. 141, 2020 - Agenda Item #8
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: November 16, 2020
TO: Mayor Troxell and City Councilmembers
FROM: John Phelan, Energy Services Senior Manager
THROUGH: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Theresa Connor, Interim Utilities Executive Director
RE: Energy Board support for Riverside Solar Program Ordinance No. 141, 2020
The purpose of this memo is to summarize the Energy Board’s advice to Council regarding the Riverside
Community Solar Program (Program) and outlines next steps underway to address several Board concerns.
BOTTOM LINE
The Energy Board unanimously supported Council approval on second reading of Ordinance No. 141, 2020
Approving the Administrative Rules, Regulations and Standards for the Riverside Community Solar
Program (Item 8 on November 17 consent agenda). The Energy Board also requested staff to investigate
options for provision of a comprehensive insurance solution and to proactively engage participating
customers about potential future operations and maintenance costs.
BACKGROUND
While the Energy Board supported Council approval of the Ordinance which formalizes the Program rules,
they also requested staff follow up on several items, specifically:
Solar panel insurance coverage: there are scenarios where the current plan for customer provided
insurance for their solar panels may not suffice to maintain ongoing system operations. Utilities’
existing insurance covers the remaining assets at the site.
Operations and Maintenance (O&M) fund: The Board expressed concern about potential risk that
the available monies in the O&M fund will not be sufficient and that customer owners may not be
aware of this risk.
NEXT STEPS
Identify insurance policy options to mitigate the risk of hazards to the solar panels owned by
customers;
Forecast the range of O&M expenditures during the Project life cycle and review the fund’s health
under existing withholding rates, and
Incorporate information about potential future changes to the O&M fund into ongoing customer
communications.
CC: Gretchen Stanford, Interim Deputy Director Utilities Customer Connections
Leland Keller, Energy Services Engineer
DocuSign Envelope ID: 53E4449B-6809-498F-9ADE-8C67FB00AB46
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