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W A I IL E V E R(I Y I I F F <br />PUBLIC UTILITIES <br />BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES <br />RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES <br />Board Memorandum <br />DATE: August 26, 2019 <br />ITEM NO: 13 <br />SUBJECT: AWARD RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES' ENERGY INNOVATIONS GRANT TO <br />UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE TO FUND RESEARCH FOR OPTIMAL <br />PLACEMENT OF SMART METERS TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND RELIABILITY OF <br />POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS IN THE AMOUNT OF $100,000 <br />ISSUE: <br />Approve the award of the Riverside Public Utilities Energy Innovations Grant to the University of California, <br />Riverside, in the amount of $100,000, to be paid in three (3) installments funded in Fiscal Year 2019-20, <br />to fund research for the Optimal Placement of Smart Meters to Improve Efficiency and Reliability of Power <br />Distribution Systems for an initial one-year term. <br />RECOMMENDATIONS: <br />That the Board of Public Utilities recommend that the City Council: <br />1. Approve the award of the Riverside Public Utilities Energy Innovations Grant to the University of <br />California, Riverside, in the amount of $100,000, to be paid in three (3) installments funded in Fiscal <br />Year 2019-20, to fund research for the Optimal Placement of Smart Meters to Improve Efficiency <br />and Reliability of Power Distribution Systems for an initial one-year term; and <br />2. Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute the agreement and extensions to the <br />agreement, including making minor, non -substantive changes, to sign all documents and <br />instruments necessary to complete the transaction, and execute amendments. <br />LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: <br />Assembly Bill (AB) 1890 (1996) requires that 2.85% of electric revenue be utilized to fund public benefits <br />programming and must be used in at least one (1) of four (4) areas: 1) demand-side management (energy <br />efficiency); 2) renewable energy; 3) low-income assistance; or 4) research, development and <br />demonstration. <br />BACKGROUND: <br />Established in November 2000, Riverside Public Utilities' (RPU) Energy Innovations Grant (EIG) Program <br />offers funding to public or private post -secondary institutions within the city limits of Riverside in support of <br />research, development and demonstration projects that advance energy-related fields. <br />Educational institutions traditionally provide a venue for innovative, leading-edge research in the field of <br />energy. To date, the EIG Program has contributed over $2 million in research funds to local universities <br />supporting research ranging from the development of new strategies to lower the cost of silicon solar cells <br />