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LAFCO approves Navigant contract for CCA risk assessment amid stakeholder objections
Summary
LAFCO voted to award a contract to Navigant for a risk assessment and term sheet to support Clean Power SF procurement. Public commenters and some advocates expressed concern about Navigant's methodology and urged LAFCO to bid all 17 tasks together; commissioners said oversight and peer review will guard against undesired outcomes.
The Local Agency Formation Commission voted at its April meeting to approve a contract with Navigant to perform a risk assessment and to develop a term sheet that will guide the Clean Power SF RFP. The interim executive officer, Ms. Miller, recommended Navigant based on experience with CCA projects, previous peer review, and cost; she told commissioners that Navigant was a low bidder for these specific tasks and that their risk-assessment experience includes work for the California Public Utilities Commission and other CCA programs.
Public opposition: Eric Brooks, speaking for stakeholder organizers including the San Francisco Green Party, urged the commission to continue the item or to require LAFCO to bid the full set of 17 implementation tasks instead of assigning two tasks to Navigant now. Brooks said stakeholders have "reached consensus" that giving these two tasks to Navigant at this time is alarming and criticized Navigant's fuel-price forecasting as "quite conservative" in ways that he said could bias results against renewables.
Staff response and oversight: Ms. Miller and several commissioners defended the decision as prudent and reversible if problems emerge. Ms. Miller said staff would use a mix of consultants and would not rely on a single vendor for all tasks; she added that the contract can be terminated on notice and work can be prorated. Commissioner Bevan Duffy and others said the selection diversifies the consultant base and allows LAFCO to move forward rather than stall the program.
Vote outcome and next steps: The commission approved the motion to enter the Navigant contract; the meeting record shows the motion carried ("Motion approved") but no roll-call tally was recorded in the public segment. Staff said Navigant's work will be subject to peer review and will inform the term sheet used in the RFP that the city plans to issue in October.
Why it matters: The risk assessment will shape contract terms and how the program allocates risks between the CCA and service providers, which can materially affect pricing and the availability of renewable resources in the program.
