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LAFCo hears Clean Power SF enrollment gains, district delinquency heat map and DOE virtual-power-plant grant bid
Summary
At its Oct. 16 meeting the San Francisco LAFCo received Clean Power SF enrollment and delinquency data, learned of a DOE grant application for a virtual power plant pilot at affordable housing sites, and heard public calls for stronger action on the PCIA and PG&E’s CPUC filing.
The San Francisco Local Agency Formation Commission on Oct. 16 heard updates from Clean Power SF showing continued enrollment growth and localized delinquency concerns, and learned that SFPUC staff joined a DOE grant application to pilot a virtual power plant at affordable multifamily properties.
Barbara Hale, Assistant General Manager for Power at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, told commissioners Clean Power SF now serves just over 409,000 customer accounts with a cumulative opt-out rate of roughly 3.9% (about a 96% retention rate). Hale said the program’s Super Green upgrade rate remained about 2%, and a June enrollment reported earlier showed a 1.2% opt-out for that cycle.
Hale presented delinquency data broken down by supervisor district and said District 6 showed the largest share of accounts delinquent within the 0–30 day band (reported in the presentation at 51% for that bracket), declining to roughly 16% in the 31–60 day column and about 10% beyond 60 days. She said an overall 61-day overdue total was near 6%, representing an estimated under-collection of about $2,000,000 and an average delinquency of roughly $101 per affected account.
On a separate effort, SFPUC staff and the Department of the Environment submitted a joint application to the U.S. Department of Energy to pilot a virtual power plant that would aggregate distributed resources in participating affordable housing properties (the presentation cited Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation sites as potential participants). The project would include building electrification (heat pumps), integration of distributed energy resources, and a third-party flexible-demand aggregator to respond to hourly price signals. The presenters said the DOE would notify applicants in January 2021 if awarded; contract negotiations were projected for Q1 2021, with pilot implementation phases through 2022–23 and analysis and results dissemination expected in early 2024.
Hale also briefed the commission on a PG&E application filed Sept. 28 at the California Public Utilities Commission seeking recovery of a stated $252,000,000 through the indifference (PCIA) adjustment; she said that filing could raise the PCIA by about 1 cent per kilowatt-hour in 2021 if approved. Hale said Clean Power SF and other community choice aggregators are coordinating to request a longer, 36‑month collection period rather than a 12‑month recovery to reduce short-term rate impacts, while broader PCIA reforms would require new CPUC rules or legislative fixes.
Public commenters urged more aggressive action. Eric Brooks of Californians for Energy Choice and San Francisco Clean Energy Advocates said cities must “go to war” with the CPUC and investor‑owned utilities over exit fees and urged phasing out the charge; Jed Holtzman (350 Bay Area) recommended pursuing legislative fixes and increasing pressure beyond regulatory engagement.
Votes at a glance: the commission approved the Sept. 18, 2020 minutes by roll call and later voted to excuse Commissioner Gordon Marr for the remainder of the meeting (motion seconded; roll call approvals recorded).
Next steps: commissioners requested follow-up materials (detailed delinquency breakdowns by district, opt-in/opt-out rates for specific product tiers and a 12‑month milestone schedule from Clean Power SF). The presenters said they would report back at upcoming LAFCo meetings and that the DOE grant competition decision is expected in January 2021.
