HomeMy WebLinkAbout7 General Manager Update AGENDA ITEM #7
Public Utility District
MEETING DATE: May 3, 2023
TO: Board of Directors
FROM: Brian Wright, General Manager
SUBJECT: General Manager Updates
APPROVED BY
Brian C. Wright, General Manager
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive these updates and provide feedback.
DISCUSSION
The following items are updates from the general manager related to ongoing projects,
initiatives and topics of interest.
Water and Electric Utility Production and Billing Updates:
YTD March 2023 compared to YTD March 2022 (billing data)
Electric— KWH per account per month average of 1 ,238 up 8.8%
Electric— KWH billed per billing day up 9.5% (0.6% account growth +
8.8% volume)
Water— Gallons billed down 2.5%
"Past Due Accounts - The spike in past due delinquent accounts experienced
during the COVID pandemic continues to reduce in numbers. In 2020 the
District allocated community benefits funds to payment assistance programs for
customers who experienced financial hardship due to the economic impacts of
COVID. In 2021-22 the State of California provided relief funds for utility
arrearages which were applied to qualifying past due accounts. While the
numbers have not returned to pre-COVID conditions, the District continues to
experience a gradual decline in utility billing arrearages. As of 3/31/2023
accounts past due totaled $110,000, an improvement of 30% to last month.
There are now fewer than 60 accounts 90days+ past due.
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District Received Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Certification of
Excellence award for 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR)
In recognition of the District's finance and accounting team's commitment to excellence in
transparent, comprehensive financial reporting, the Executive Director of GFOA has issued
the District a Certification of Excellence.
Electric Rebates Survey: Staff has developed a customer electric energy use survey to
help better inform the District's future energy efficiency rebate programs. The survey is
design to identify the energy use characteristics for which rebate programs will be the
most impactful and the most beneficial to our rate payers. The survey is under final
review and expected to be sent out to rate payers in early May.
Staff attends California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA) 2023 Annual Conference
(April 16-18): General Manager attended CMUA's Annual Conference held in San Diego
the week of April 16th. CMUA's Annual Conference is an opportunity for representatives
from all of its member agencies to collectively participate in strategic panel discussions,
regulatory and legislative update workshops, and presentations on emerging opportunities
and trends. This year's conference afforded the opportunity to participate in strategic
discussions related to emerging challenges and opportunities in clean energy markets, DEI
in public utilities, regional transmission strategies, California water rights, and emerging
technologies such as Al.
Climate Transformation Alliance (CTA) Quarterly Membership meeting (April 14th): The
CTA's most recent quarterly membership meeting was held on April 14th at the Truckee
Tahoe Airport. The District is a founding and governing partner of the CTA, formed in
partnership with the Town of Truckee and Truckee Tahoe Airport District to facilitate the
collaboration of public agencies, non-profits, businesses and individuals with the common
goal of further reducing greenhouse gas (GHG)emission across the Truckee-Tahoe basin.
Director Finn and staff attended the quarterly meeting that included the continuation of a
project accelerator forum in which members were challenged to develop innovative projects
related to carbon neutrality goals.
CARB Board Expected to Adopt ACF, AB 1594 (E.Garcia) Passes Transportation:
A California Air Resources Board (CARB) Public Hearing on the Advanced Clean Fleets
(ACF) Rule was scheduled for April 27-28, 2023 where the CARB Board is expected to
adopt the ACF with no changes. The District, along with almost all California electric
and water utilities remain very concerned about the ACF's negative impacts on our
ability to maintain critical infrastructure, provide essential services, and respond to
emergencies. While the District was directly successful in changing the definition of low-
population counties to account for multi-county agencies along with removing the
requirement that snow removal equipment be fully dedicated to count for an exemption,
the regulation remains very problematic for the District and our community. If adopted
as expected, the District will continue strategic planning for regulatory compliance.
District Staff Participate in NCPA/NWPPA Federal Policy Forum in Washington DC:
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District staff will attend the Northern California Power Agency (NCPA) and Northwest
Public Power Association (NWPPA) annual Federal Policy Forum April 301" to May 4t" in
Washington, DC to directly advocate for the interests of the District and to support the
complimentary missions of Public Owned Utilities (POUs). District staff will participate
in meetings with our House/Senate representatives/staff, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC) commissioners, and Department of Energy (DOE) key staff.
Lineman Appreciation Day: April 20t" was Lineman Appreciation Day to recognize the
hard work and commitment of our lineman in keeping the lights on for our community.
The Truckee-Tahoe region experienced a very challenging 2022-23 winter season, with
nearly record breaking snow fall and blizzard conditions. Even with the extreme winter
weather conditions the District's line crews answered the calls to ensure our
community's power systems remained energized. The hard work and dedication paid
off with the remarkable performance of the District's electric utility infrastructure
throughout the winter.
Administrative Professionals Day: April 26t" was Administrative Professionals Day to
celebrate and show appreciation for the hard work and daily commitment to service
excellence by the District's administrative staff. The District's administrative teams
ensure coordination and efficiency of critical operational and support services, essential
to the reliable and safe delivery of water and power to our community. Their skills and
expertise are truly appreciated.
Community and Customer Engagements:
April 14t"—Community Wide Broadband Initiative - Collaboration with Plumas Sierra in
support of grant application to fund fiber grade internet services to underserved members
of the community
April 14t"— Climate Transformation Alliance — Quarterly membership meeting
April 19t"—Truckee Chamber of Commerce— Introductions with President/CEO Jessica
Penman, expanding District participation in Chamber of Commerce Programs, preliminary
discussions on a potential partnership between TDPUD, the Chamber of Commerce and
TTUSD in the development of a utility industry vocational training and internship programs
for local students
April 24t" — CTA Monthly Governing Partners Meeting
April 26t" — Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District — Project support and
coordination meeting
April 28t" — Truckee Rotary
May 1st — Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) District 5 Water Agencies
Coordination Meeting — Strategic updates between Placer County water agencies
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FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this item
ATTACHMENTS:
None
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