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Community Power requires project labor agreements for utility-scale projects, tightens workforce scoring
Summary
Staff told the advisory committee it has adopted changes to its Inclusive and Sustainable Workforce Policy and Energy Proposal Evaluation Criteria that require project labor agreements (PLAs) for utility-scale solar, wind and battery storage projects (10 MW and up) and expand quantitative scoring for workforce, local-hire and diverse-business commitments.
Andrea Torres, Community Power’s director of origination, presented revisions to the agency’s Inclusive and Sustainable Workforce Policy and the Energy Proposal Evaluation Criteria and said the board adopted the changes at its most recent meeting. Torres said the package includes a new requirement: "we are adopting a requirement for a PLA for all utility scale projects that are solar, wind, or battery storage." She defined "utility scale" as "10 megawatts and greater."
The updates formalize a more quantitative scoring system for workforce commitments, prevailing-wage alignment and use of an accredited skilled-and-trained workforce. Under the revisions, developers can earn the highest evaluation rankings by executing a PLA or by meeting alternative thresholds for high scores — for example, committing to at least 50% union labor, 80% local hire or adopting union maintenance agreements during operations. Torres said the approach separates utility-scale projects (10 MW+) from community-scale projects to allow tailored standards for smaller distributed-energy resources.
Committee members pressed staff on whether the scoring and PLA requirement will advance supplier diversity and build a trained local pipeline. Matthew Vasilakis, a longtime CAC member and managing director at the Building Electrification Institute, asked whether the changes would help promote "supplier and workforce diversity, including returning veterans and communities of concern." Torres said the board requested higher rankings for commitments to diverse business enterprises, including veteran-owned firms, and that those provisions are reflected in the policy and staff materials. "Those are covered in state law," she added, explaining how the scoring incentives were designed to reward such commitments.
Members also raised implementation questions: several asked whether Community Power would develop a model PLA or continue to rely on negotiations between developers and unions. Torres said the agency does not yet have a model PLA and historically has relied on developer-union negotiations, but that creating a model PLA could be appropriate for assets the agency may directly own in the future. Another member asked whether the EPEC would bar the board from selecting a low-scoring proposal; Torres said EPEC is an evaluation tool that does not categorically exclude offers and that the board retains discretion when there are compelling reasons to pick a lower-ranked project, while noting the PLA requirement for utility-scale projects is intended as a go/no-go criterion.
The presentation and discussion were informational; the committee treated the item as "receive and file." The CAC did not take formal action on the item at the meeting.
