COMMUNITY ENERGY TASK FORCE

Organizational Meeting

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Minutes Prepared by Cathie Currie, Secretary

The organizational meeting of the Community Energy Task Force (“CETF”) was held on May 5^th, 2009 in the Fellowship Hall of the Eagle Harbor Congregational Church, 105 Winslow Way West, Bainbridge Island, Washington, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Attendees: Jaco ten Hove (Interfaith Council), Jean Pearson (Transition Town), Barb Zimmer (Transition Town), Douglas Rauh, Janet Knox, Maradale Gale (Sustainable Bainbridge), Xander Fehsenfeld, Matt Olson, Charles Higgins (Distributed Energy Management, Inc.), Eric Rehm, Hilary Franz, Stephen Douglas (Community Energy Solutions), Chris McMasters, Cathie Currie (City of Bainbridge Island & Rotary Club), Bill Luria (Housing Resources Board), Kevin Dwyer (Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce), Glen Tyrrell (Bainbridge Island School District), Eric Moe (Community Energy Solutions), David Rapp (Community Energy Solutions), Tammy Deets (Community Energy Solutions) and Joe Deets (Community Energy Solutions)

Discussion of CETF Intentions and Deliverables

Following brief introductions, there was a request to define the problem CETF is addressing. Initial suggestions were:

1. Reduction of power usage during peak load and in general

2. Reliability

3. Develop a “Community Energy Plan”

Important background information was then offered:

· The proposed 25 MVA substation would add a degree of redundancy to the island’s power grid.

· There is a strong push from the Federal level for electric utility companies to reduce peak load demand.

· Puget Sound Energy (PSE) is required by law to put in infrastructure appropriate to meet the community’s needs. They will be continuing to move forward with siting and developing the substation.

· PSE has also indicated that they are willing to join CETF, and work with the community to develop a Community Energy Plan and help to implement its stated objectives; which would include the issue of peak load demand, energy efficiency, and reliability, and which may delay the need for new infrastructure.

· There are significant federal stimulus monies that are available in the area of energy efficiency, renewable energy, smart grid technology, and distributed energy systems. These funds are available to programs which have a public/private partnership (such as community with city with PSE), and can leverage dollars from other organizations.

· The issue of reliability is very important to the community, and solutions for increasing it need to be included in the Community Energy Plan.

· CETF needs to implement this effort quickly in order to access Federal grants which are expected to be available in early to mid-summer.

· Hilary Franz will likely be going to Washington DC at the end of May as part of a delegation of regional representatives to discuss regional energy programs, like the one CETF is proposing, that are being developed to address a clean energy future and as part of the federal stimulus competitive programs. We need to be prepared when these competitive grant dates start coming out.

· PSE has informed Joe Deets and Hilary Franz that if we succeed in reducing peak demand by 4 MW in one year they will be able to postpone the substation. We also need to show reliability achievements.

Discussion of Goals and Objectives:

CETF’s goal is to seek common objectives for the community, develop a Community Energy Plan that will detail how to meet those objectives, and then implement it. Puget Sound Energy and community organizations will be partners in developing the means available for achieving our goals.

The group discussed and there was agreement that it is not CETF’s objective to “stop the substation,” rather, the potential new substation and the community’s current peak load challenge are realities which mandate action – they constitute a tactical challenge. The postponement of the construction of the substation will be included in the measures to describe CETF’s success, since it will be an indication that we were able to reduce the island’s energy needs and address the peak load challenges.

What plan can CETF come up with that optimizes the outcome for the community? There was discussion of the specific objectives of a Community Energy Plan.

Initial suggestion for objectives:

· Reduce CO² emissions across the demand range.

· Reduce carbon footprint

· Reduce dependence on fossil fuels

Additional suggestion: Educating our community about how individual and collective actions can have an impact. Outcome: Members of the community understand the opportunities for reducing energy consumption, and the potential benefits to them and to the community as a whole.

Restatement of objectives:

· Increase conservation practices and distributive energy

· Reduce overall usage with emphasis on peak

· Improve reliability

Final restatement of the objectives of the Community Energy Plan:

1. Increase conservation and energy efficiency

2. Reduce peak load demand

3. Increase reliability

4. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

5. Educate the community as to how our individual and collective actions make an impact, and about opportunities for achieving objectives #1 through #4.

It was pointed out that the Community Energy Plan’s objectives align well with the key criteria for receiving Federal stimulus funding, which are:

1. Retain /create jobs

2. Save energy

3. Produce clean energy

4. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

5. Be ready to implement, using “real projects” which are ready to go

6. Leveraging with other funding sources

Ideas/information which surfaced during this discussion:

Part of developing this plan should be establishing a screen for evaluating potential alternatives. These should include:

· Viability in the community.

· Is it cost effective?

· Does it create new jobs? (CRITICAL for maximizing federal stimulus funding)

Fuel source shifting is one tactic we want to look at (note that it is a tactic, not an objective).

“Intentions” vs. “Responsibilities”:

There was a discussion about defining CETF’ responsibilities and deliverables, which then grew into a conversation about using the term “responsibility”; which could be misunderstood since CETF is a grass roots effort, and although it has strong support from Congressman Inslee, it has not been officially tasked with this effort. To avoid misunderstanding, it was agreed to communicate that it is CETF’s intention to develop a Community Energy Plan, the aim of which is to meet the objectives stated above.

Who else should be involved in this effort?

This is not a comprehensive list, just some of the thoughts that were thrown out. Attendees agreed to spread the word in the community, to make it clear to all parties that everyone is welcome

· Planner (the city’s Special Projects Planner, Kelly Dickson, will participate)

· Washington State Ferries (Hilary Franz will have reach out to them)

· Kitsap Transit (Hilary Franz is communicating with them, may not be necessary to have them at the table)

· Arts community (Cathie Currie has a call in to BIAHC)

· More representation from business community - downtown merchants, Day Road, Sage, retirement/assisted living communities. Joe Deets has been communicating with Larry Nakata

· Green Sanctuary

· Islandwood

· Men’s Oatmeal Breakfast group

· Squeaky Wheels

· BIDA

There was a suggestion that we request contacts from PSE for other communities which are working on similar initiatives. Hilary Franz has access to some of this information through her regional working group. She is in communication with Mercer Island and others.

Operating Procedures

We need to define specific goals in time. Metrics can include:

· Goal for reduction in peak energy use: 4 MW peak by 2011 (6% drop) 8000 MWh. (Based on the fact that peak demand growth is 1 - 2 MW/yr -- PSE believes we need to reduce by 1 - 2 MW/yr. to avoid substation)

· Need to define what “reliability” looks like – a measurable goal. Know where we‘re at with reliability. What is our baseline for availability so we can define where we want to go with a real number? Get data from PSE. Both for reliability during a short term event like a storm, and a catastrophic event. The key to this is distributed power storage around the island. PSE has a criteria, customer hours out per meter. Get that from them.

· Carbon Emissions -- align with a stated larger goal, in the state or nationally. It would also be good to know if our reductions were consistent with what climate scientists believe is necessary, 5, 10, 50 years down the road.

· Measures for public education? Communicate where we’re going and why…

* With enactment of ESSB 6001 in 2007, the following goals are established for statewide GHG

emissions:

• by 2020 reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels;

• by 2035 reduce GHG emissions to 25 percent below 1990 levels; and

• by 2050 reduce GHG emissions to 50 percent below 1990 levels, or 70 percent below the

state's expected GHG emissions that year.

There was a suggestion that this may all “unroll” beneath a metric for carbon output reduction; that may drive the achievement of all the other goals. This may allow us to achieve education via replication.

It was pointed out that distribution is not just about storage, but also about distributive generation. The grid must be able to support distributive energy solutions. This would be a mid-term outcome.

Carbon footprint is generally mid-term outcome as well.

May 7^th CETF Meeting on Thursday: What is the purpose/what do we want to achieve?

Puget Sound Energy is expecting a conversation, and will want to be part of the solution. We want to be able to go in with goals, metrics (SMART objectives), and request input from them -- what information are we missing? Are our goals too small or too big? What are the viable options? What data can they provide to help us identify the tools that will be most effective?

The meeting will give us an opportunity to do the following:

· Introduce CETF members to PSE

· Encourage others to join

· Inform that it is our intention is to create a Community Energy Plan with the objectives stated above. The actual implementation of the Plan can be called the “Bainbridge Island Community Energy Challenge”

· State that we are moving quickly

· That we are seeking to form a new partnership with PSE.

· Ask PSE what their needs are, that is, what kind of energy reductions are they looking for? What numbers would they need to see to feel satisfied to keep the infrastructure as it is currently?

A question was raised, are we going to be getting conservation teams, like Seattle City Light? -> That will be one of many tools.

It was also noted that it would be helpful for CETF members to go in to that meeting knowing what information we have already requested from and received from PSE. Hilary Franz agreed to send out the list that she provided PSE of data requested to date. Other sources for information on Bainbridge Island’s energy use are Zilla, Google.Earth, Kitsap County assessor’s site (square footages and heat sources for homes).

Regular Meeting Schedule:

CETF will meet every Thursday night, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Eagle Harbor Congregational Church’s Fellowship Hall. If that space is not available, we will meet in the church’s Singer Room. Joe Deets has the key.

Potential funding info:

· Grant deadlines aren’t available yet.

· Most grant applications will be built around partnerships.

· We don’t know how much money is there -- it is competitive. The fact that we have Congressman Jay Inslee’s support, and can participate in the four county strategy, means that there are significant opportunities.

· There regional and national interest in using Bainbridge Island as a test bed for ways in which communities can avoid significant infrastructure investments and create “smart jobs.”

· There are huge opportunities for this kind of effort and for potential funding for Bainbridge Island. With the organizing base we already have in place, the interest in sustainability, current economic realities. (Note that PSE budgets to pay a million a megawatt for conservation measures.)

Communications strategy:

· How are we communicating what we’re doing right now to the larger community?

· We need to publicize opportunities for people to come participate. Let the community know that we’re working towards a larger draft plan.

· Joe Deets is working with Sean Roach on coverage in the Bainbridge Island Review.

· Will have a sub-committee focusing on marketing, outreach and education.

· Once a plan is developed and aligned with PSE, next challenge is how it is communicated, rolled out into community, marketing, education, grassroots/neighbor to neighbor.

· We should consider having a dedicated website for the Bainbridge Island Community Energy Challenge, but for now Community Energy Solutions will host it (www.cenergysolutions.org) and all participating organizations will post links to drive people there.

Additional comments:

· One possible subcommittee might investigate what other communities are doing, what other resources are out there.

· It is important to give PSE credit for their interest in participating.

· For internal communication: It was stated that to limit overwhelming participants with emails, please use “reply all” ONLY WHEN NECESSARY!!

It was unanimously agreed that CETF officer positions would be filled as followed:

Chair: Hilary Franz

Vice-Chair: Joe Deets

Secretary: Cathie Currie

Xander Fehsenfeld said that he would be interested in serving as a liaison to the Earth Service Corps.

Nota Bene:

Technical/factual points which came up throughout the meeting:

· Consider the trend toward electric alternatives in transportation systems.

· Utilities look at peak and overall reduction as two different issues, short and long term goals.

· For more information on the substation, Google: “PSE Substation Bainbridge”, go to 3^rd website down from top of list.

· We already have meters installed in all homes that allow multiple readings per day; they report our energy use to PSE. This enables the time-of use (TOU) rates to be implemented. (This was done in 2001.) Currently, you can sign up with PSE for daily updates on your energy use; they have the technology to switch it to quarter/day or hourly.

· There are approximately 19000 meters on the island, the average use by island residences is 1800 kwh/month. The off-island average 1,200 kwhs/month.