REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approve Actions Related to Providing Administrative Support to the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority and Budget Modification No. 31, and Find that Action is Exempt from CEQA Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15378(b)(4) and 15378(b)(5)
Report
BACKGROUND
On December 15, 2015, the Sunnyvale City Council unanimously approved the actions required to form and participate in the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority (SVCEA). The Authority, once established, will operate a Community Choice Energy (CCE) program to pool the electricity demand within the twelve participating jurisdictions to directly procure or generate electrical power supplies on behalf of their residents and businesses.
The December 2015 report to Council detailed the next steps for forming SVCEA and the early operational steps to develop and launch a CCE program. The report discussed that early staffing of SVCEA would come from a mix of consultant support and local agency staff. As part of the December report, staff was directed to return to Council with a proposal to provide interim project and/or staffing support to SVCEA via a separate services agreement.
EXISTING POLICY
Climate Action Plan, Provide a Sustainable Energy Portfolio (EP), Reduction Measure EP-1.1: Create or join a community choice aggregation (CCA) program to take control of power generation for city residents and businesses
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a "project" with the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15378(b)(4) and (5) in that it is a governmental fiscal, organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
DISCUSSION
The existing CCE programs in California have launched by leveraging local member agency staff and consultant support in the early months and bringing on permanent staff as the CCE agenc...
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