HomeMy WebLinkAboutGeneral Managers Update Public Utility District
General Manager's Updates
August 8, 2023
Electric and Water Utility Performance Metrics
Water Utility Deliveries
• Total year to date water deliveries (Jan-Jun)were down 6.7% compared to 2022. This is
likely due to the extended winter season and the delayed irrigation season.
Water Infrastructure Improvement Projects Currently in Progress
• Pioneer Trail pipeline Project
• 6170 Water Storage Expansion
• Pioneer Pump Station
• Annual Water Main Replacement Project
• Glenshire Master Meter Installation
Energy Production
• Total year to date energy deliveries (Jan-Jun)were up by 8.1% over 2022. This is due in
large part to of an extended winter season. One additional data point is year to date
energy use by second home owners is up 11.3% compared to 2022, while primary home
owner accounts are 4.9%.
• Total year to date energy usage for public EV charging stations in the District's service
territory have increased by 41% over 2022, with the most significant increases coming
from the Tesla charging facilities located at the Raley's One Market and the new Rivian
charging stations located on the west end of Donner Pass Road.
Electric Infrastructure Improvement Projects Currently in Progress
• Bridge Street Undergrounding Project
• Pole Replacement Project
• Martis Valley Substation Upgrade Project (Preliminary Design)
Legislative and Regulatory Updates
• CAISO issued an Energy Emergency Notification on Wednesday, July 261h, advising of a
statewide energy resource deficiency, asking water utilities to reduce pumping loads and
consider utilizing back-up generators for energy resources. Because the District is not
dependent on the CAISO grid for energy resources staff acknowledged the emergency
notification but did not take any formal operational action.
• Staff attending NCPA legislative tour with our public utility partners and legislative staff
on August 2"d. This will be an opportunity for staff to participate in continued
discussions and review of the CARB ACF zero emissions vehicle rule making
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Financial Planning:
Energy rates through the UAMPS pooled energy procurement markets have continued to
normalize following the recent energy price spikes experienced in the second half of 2022 and
early 2023. Average pooled energy rates for June 2023 were at$53/MWH, the lowest they have
been since the energy price spikes last year.
Community and Customer Ensaiement:
• Truckee Donner PUD Community Circles
o On July 181h the GM was a guest on Good Morning Truckee, taking the
opportunity to update the community on the District's strategic planning process,
revised strategic initiatives and the opportunity to participate in"Community
Circles" in September.
o The District has announced locations and scheduling of Strategic Planning Update
"Community Circles", offering a unique opportunity for local community
participation in discussions regarding the District's key strategic initiatives in a
more informal setting. Look for social media and online announcements
highlighting locations and scheduling.
• Donner Lake Interagency Partnership for Stewardship (DIPS)
o GM attended DIPS workshop to review recent Nevada County Grand Jury Report
on the health of Donner Lake. The workshop provided an opportunity for DIPS
membership agencies to review the role and opportunities for stewardship of the
Donner Lake watershed.
• Truckee Tahoe Workforce Housing Association
o TTWHA continues to develop housing assistance solutions for local workforce.
For 2023 the TTWHA is expanding the scope of services offered beyond local
public agency workforce needs to the larger local workforce population. The
expansion of services is intended to enhance the long term sustainability of
programs through a broader range of funding opportunities and measureable
impacts to our communities. In July, TTWHA
o Executive Director of TTWHA, Emily Vitas has announced her plans to step
down from her position later this summer to pursue other opportunities for her
and her family. TTWHA has announced the selection of Emily's successor,
welcoming Heidi Allstead as the new executive director. Heidi comes to
TTWHA with extensive leadership experience working with regional non-profits
and JPAs. Emily intends to remain connected and involved with TTWHA in
support of achieving the long term strategic goals,but from more of an advisory
role.
• West River Street Streetscape Project
o District continues to collaborate with Town of Truckee on this project. The
District's major contribution is partnering in cost sharing opportunities for
undergrounding of overhead electric utilities and water pipeline alignments.
• River Street Revitalization Steering Committee
o On July 27th, the Town of Truckee held the kick-off meeting for the committee.
The committee re-visited the original project vision, explored opportunities and
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lessons learned, set Chair and Vice Chair appointees, and calendar for future
meetings.
• Truckee Area Managers Meeting- July 261h
o Local public agency managers meet every other month as an opportunity to
update our public partners with upcoming projects, trends, challenges and
opportunities, collaborate on potential solutions or shared resources, and build
communication.
o A few items of note discussed at the meeting
■ Cal-Fire—Current wildfire fuel assessments indicate vegetating moisture
contents are still much higher than average for this time of year.
Reviewed potential cost saving opportunities to coordinate shared fuel
reduction resources between local agencies
■ Town of Truckee—Workshop scheduled for August 23rd to provide
additional information on the Town's Home Access Program(THAP)to
assist with local housing funding
• New Agenda Management Software
o The District has deployed a new Agenda Management Software intended to bring
more streamlined efficiencies and consistency to the board agenda and staff report
development process. The Board of Directors will be introduced to some new
tools associated with the software in the coming months.
Strategic Planning
• Electric Utility Director Recruitment
o The District has engaged WBCP as our recruiting firm.
o The deadline for applications is June 5, 2023. We have received a rich list of
interested applicants to date.
o Staff will have the opportunity to review the pool of applicants with the recruiter
on June 201n
o The first phase of interviews are scheduled to be held on June 26ffi.
• District Strategic Plan Update— Strategic Initiatives Review Workshop
o A very productive and collaborative Strategic Planning Workshop was held with
TDPUD Board of Directors and executive leadership staff. The primary topics of
discussions were related to review and evaluation of the District's four strategic
initiatives, how they have evolved, new relevant information, and how best to
develop them moving forward. The District will be scheduling future workshops
to further develop the initiatives with metrics for success.
o In June, the District hosted six strategic plan benchmarking workshops with utility
industry experts and public utility partners with the goal of gaining insight as to
their best practices and forecasts for the future.
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