12-02-11 BPU RPT 09 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES Board Memorandum P U B L I C ll T I L 1 i I E 5 BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES DATE: December 2, 2011 ITEM NO: 9 SUBJECT: THE CREATION OF THE ENERGY SAVINGS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ESAP) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAS COMPANY ISSUE: That the Board of Public Utilities approve the creation of a program to assist low-income qualifying customers to save energy through energy and gas conservations measures provided in partnership between Riverside Public Utilities and Southern California Gas Company. RECOMMENDATIONS: That the Board of Public Utilities recommend that the City Council: 1. Approve the Energy Savings Assistance Program; 2. Approve the Inter-Utility Agreement with Southern California Gas Company; 3. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to make any minor, non-substantive changes necessary to implement the Program modification; and 4. Approve funding in the amount of up to $100,000 for Fiscal Year 2011-12 and inclusion in the amount of$100,000 in the budget for the following fiscal year. BACKGROUND: Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) is the primary energy and water purveyor in the City of Riverside while Southern California Gas Company (SCG) provides the natural gas throughout the city. Recently, as part of the California Sustainability Alliance,the two(2)entities engaged in conversations to create a holistic energy and gas conservation program for qualifying low-income customers. The result was the development of a program that will provide both electric and gas conservation measures at no cost to the customers to assist in lowering their utility bills while improving the city's housing stock and showing constituents energy efficiency. By entering into an agreement with SCG, RPU is able to develop a cost effective program previously unavailable. By completing an Inter-Utility Agreement with SCG, RPU has formalized an arrangement that will allow RPU to weatherize low-income homes at a significantly lower cost to the utility by utilizing economies of scale and combining like interest. As part of the SCG's Energy Saving Assistance Program (ESAP)local contractors provide both insulation for both attic and walls,as well as other intemaI heated water saving fixtures, like aerators, to occupants. RPU will augment SCG's program in a co-branded effort to provide the electric saving measures including, but not limited to, CFL's, A/C tune-ups, and torchiere replacements. By augmenting SCG's program, RPU will be trained on SCG's reporting tools and collection methods used to account for the energy savings associated with the program. Additionally, RPU will be able to collect SCG electric and water savings that overlay both gas and electric savings while leveraging the cost of the improvement.