City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire Mayor's Blue Ribbon Energy Advisory Committee, 8 Dec 2022

Previous Meeting Next Meeting

⏯

youtube image

►

From YouTube: 12.8.2022 Portsmouth Energy Advisory Committee

Description

12.8.2022 Portsmouth Energy Advisory Committee

A

They're really working hard on the three big policy documents: the risk management.

A

The rate making and the cost sharing um kevin's at a meeting now and over.

A

um The key changes to the risk management is the reserve fund.

A

There's going to be a general reserve fund and then municipalities and towns can add their own.

A

Reserve fund, where they can sock away money for their own energy projects. I think sorry tactic.

A

So you can set your rates where you want to do to have a sinking fund of some kind to solar panels.

A

uh The ceo firm search firm is contracted they're, getting getting the job specs. They want to have a.

A

Ceo by late march, calpine is the contractor for all the customer service and the billing and.

A

The utility info interface they're hard at work that contract's done and that with that comes 750.

A

000 of startup funding, so the coalition is liquid. The ascend analytics contract is almost done.

A

um And they're securing agreements with a load serving entity to be their purchasing agent, so.

A

They'll provide the portfolio management brains of what to buy and um then they're.

A

Also reviewing and then they'll the load serving entity will will do the purchasing.

A

That should be temporary until cpcnh can itself become a load serving entity.

A

And uh ascend is also going through the business plans, updating all the models, which is good.

A

Because some of those are 18 months old, clean energy, new hampshire has entered their contract.

A

To have henry and lisa sweet and others be going town to town and um all folk. All efforts are.

A

Really focused on a go live in may for the first wave, so all those pieces are being put together.

B

So our henry and lisa sweet actually part of clean energy. New hampshire, I'm not clear on that.

A

I wish I could answer that henry used to work for clean energy and now he's independent.

A

He, where it all falls out he's very able, I think, and then uh last bit of news is concord, is.

A

The next town that we think nice we'll join very good. uh The logos.

A

Thank you, wicked good logo. Thank you. I, like sunshine, I like the sunlight in it. You know.

A

I think that's a good metaphor.

B

I'm sure it can be done better. It was just what I threw together on we're.

B

Using powerpoint, you know, and those were commercially available, non-trade marked.

B

Images, yes, I like it because it has the north church people. You know. That's really.

C

What people think of, when they think of words yeah first stephanie? When do we need a local.

D

um Yeah I mean as soon as we decide on one we'll start using it and everything.

D

So, and I I think, when henry sent his there was discussion that what did he say he wanted to.

D

Do things with it by december 15th? So, um but I don't know what things he's doing you know.

A

Yeah, I guess it was for material they're preparing um and I I think the temptation.

D

Is to try to use it in the survey and on the survey postcard. But I think until we explain.

D

To people that that's our logo, I think that would be a disservice with the postcard I think, having.

D

The cpc logo and our own and the city logo gives it that grab that gravitas, right, gravitas and and.

D

um Authentication um because nobody will have seen the other one and won't know what it is right.

A

Would it make sense for us to choose one and say this is what the working group.

A

Thursday night thought was the best.

A

Awesome decision making power and I'm not a committee member, so it's up to the three my.

D

My democratic spirit says: do we want to float it to the others or you know it's it's one of those.

D

Too many cooks in the kitchen as well designing is very fraught right, and can we float it without.

A

Violating the right to know, if we're asking for decisions, that's sort of having a meeting, because.

D

Otherwise, you have to wait till january. I and I don't really think, there's a downside. I mean it.

D

Might be great to time the whole identity with your public hearing, the first public presence.

D

That's kind of nice and you could reveal the logo. You could have like a logo up with a sheet over.

C

It, yes, we are now. Yes, we reports with community power. This is our new logo. It's got to be exciting.

A

um Okay, so we'll tee it up for the january meeting and in the meantime I can go back to henry and say.

D

What is your you know for what are for? What do you need the logo, and when do you need to buy.

D

And say: we've, you know: we've got a local entry in send that to him. Yeah.

A

Latest on the survey, um I things ground to a halt there. When it looked like we had to spend money.

A

So um karen was away thanksgiving week. I got together with her.

A

Tuesday and uh it's in the process of rfp right yeah, the last because friday was looking for.

D

Specifics on whether we needed design services as well as just printing and the mail house services.

D

She offered the ad hoc opinion that this the cost wasn't rising.

D

To a level that she thought it needed to be bid, that's anecdotal, but that's.

A

So she did talk to or she is talking to three different vendors yeah. I got a text from her.

A

um Saying it's in the hands of.

A

Thought she said the.

A

Purchasing department, but I might have missed that.

C

It's called they need to do anything formal right, okay, so it might not go.

A

Through an rfp it just might be, they call the three vendors and get quotes.

A

That's probably what it is yeah, because that's what we had talked about earlier. She and I so well.

B

When they're they're talking about design services, I mean really it's just a bunch of questions.

B

I think and well you have that one logo in there, but it's it's designed. It's ready, yeah.

B

It's ready right, um so we don't need designs yeah, so I wouldn't think that we need an rfp.

B

It's just simply a print, then britain, mail, yeah yeah, and I worked up some specs for.

A

Her on the assumption that we wanted all the residences and the businesses.

E

Maybe a lot of those larger businesses have a third party vendor, but.

A

Buzz's backhoe service yeah, that's probably neat he'd, be interested.

A

um So I it's doubtful we'd, get it out in december, as our timeline originally said, but kevin, and I.

A

Were having a little strategy conversation yesterday and you know we're concluding that.

A

Probably the best way for things to fall is the survey to go out second third week of january.

A

And then the survey can say for more information. Come to the public hearing.

A

Which would follow right on in, like first week of february,.

B

Yeah, but I wonder if that would stop people from completing the survey.

B

You think that, well we do it at the end. You get that message at the end, yeah, okay,.

B

Trying to get all there we make them answer the questions. Yeah yeah. I think that's logical. If.

C

You can get it out the second week. That would be great. We could get it out by then, but people won't.

C

Look at anything between now and the second week of january, so it doesn't even there's no logical.

C

Sense in setting out before then yeah, that's mine, so you want to wait till school's back.

A

Yeah and the beauty of the qr code is that the the postcard can be ready to go whenever.

D

But the the nuance of when the hearing is, is you know, instantaneous right right.

A

Since the surveys web-based, we can change that copy right up until the last minute.

A

Yeah and thank you stephanie she's done our creative we're good to go. Yep. That's great.

B

E

um So that's our big our big project for the start of the new year.

A

Let's look at our and then our public hearings.

A

We could look at our calendars and just float some dates for those.

B

I I'm wondering at all I was thinking of um so I'm I'm part of another group uh that we're looking.

B

To do community engagement as well, and uh one of the things that we're going to do is we're.

B

Going to- and this is for the climate action plan and um we're going to get on the speaker.

B

List for the rotary club- and I'm just wondering if that might be something that we want to do.

A

Mm-Hmm yeah, I'm a member. So oh there you go. Let's see so here right here. What I, what I hear is that.

B

You get 20 minutes to present and then you get 10 minutes of questions and you're good to go.

A

uh More like 15 minutes to present and five to ten minutes. Okay,.

A

And we don't, I mean we could do it in 10 minutes.

A

So I could do that or henry could do that.

A

I talked to one of the kids from the eco club today.

A

Who wants to have us as a speaker so.

A

Our other pull out stephanie's community engagement plan.

A

Oh, I I'm supposed to write an op-ed prior to the survey.

A

I need that I can't I can't do anything until the deadlines close so.

A

A

Then we had talked about a community forum prior to the public hearings.

C

Do we have time yeah.

D

And why does the distinction from the resonance point of view I mean, I understand the technical.

D

Distinction, but if I'm saying do I go to the public forum or community forum, do I go to the.

D

Public hearing yeah, where is my time better spent, I would think the public hearing would be more.

B

Official and people might want to speak out there more yeah and I'm also thinking when we get closer.

A

To implementing, like once the plans approved by the puc and the council, you know then we're.

A

Getting close to the rubber hitting the road and then I think we really need a public public forum.

C

You can call the public hearing a public hearing and community forum, so people feel like it's not.

C

Just I'm coming to hear things right, I'm coming to have a discussion as well. That makes sense.

E

A

And we ought to think about earth day.

A

In april and of course, in the background we were getting the aggregation plan.

A

A

Cbc and h and and.

A

Also going to our council- and I know from just proofreading the portsmouth 400 wall calendar- I.

D

Was reminded that the it's not the eco club, but it's the high school group that put up.

D

Put together an earth day, rally in market square last year is doing that again this year on earth.

D

Day they're calling it a day of action now that seems like a perfect place for this to hit sure.

C

It would be nice to coordinate with a sustainability committee too.

C

um Because I know they're thinking about what is happening for earth day.

C

So if we have a coordinated effort- and we just have more and more people.

C

Available right, we'll have more invites, I think more people show up yeah.

C

Also with the climate action group, the wednesday portsmouth climate solutions group.

A

Another reason I'm glad we're doing the survey in january is it's. It's always.

A

Possible that things for the first wave can slip. You know so we'd be way out ahead. If.

A

If, if our implementation in the second wave was slipping back towards the end of the year,.

A

So this gives us a little time, they're, making very steady progress.

A

So far there they're on schedule, but.

A

They're starting to say things like well, the ceo will start probably late march, so.

C

You know it it'll be interesting to see how many applicants well they're going to received pay 300.

A

000 a year so I know you'd hope, um but it's a it's somebody who's willing to take on all that risk.

A

Liability so huge.

A

Thoughts on that sequence of milestones did you want.

D

To look at calendars to figure out when you wanted to have the public yeah, look at that.

A

Assuming I'm just wondering if we want to move our first public hearing to february, just because.

B

We've got the survey coming out yeah in january. I think so and for like that first week of february.

A

uh There's not much of it wednesdays, the first thursday's, the second oh yeah,.

C

I was thinking the next week yeah the next week. First full week, yeah.

A

Maybe a thursday thursday, the 9th.

A

And um we could do a second one, maybe march 2nd.

A

Space in between.

D

Who's, the public hearing with council. No, no, so you could have the hearing and.

D

Then you go to council after you, after we've taken any revisions.

A

Yes, the great news is that this committee can do its own I'll double check with legal, but.

A

And that's good because I don't if we wedge it into a council meeting.

C

Can inform and invite.

E

Yeah, that's why you're about here? Yes,.

B

It'll be good to have at the back end of the survey telling people when those public forums are.

F

Yeah, we don't have any unexpected meetings at night. Do we? I haven't, put my my calendar in.

C

For council, yet I haven't either we have tons of extra meetings. I know we dropped the budget down.

A

To one we did, we did, but there is the cip, that's in february. Isn't it february all the cip meetings.

A

I think there's only one of those for the council, one for the planning board and.

C

I'll just I'll look it up we'll see, I just haven't put them all in yet I haven't put mine in either.

F

I think foreign.

C

Slow today, I don't know what's going on with my computer, but it decided just to.

C

The thing I need to restart it.

C

The 1114 council meeting wasn't it.

A

I've never people on zoom, just us.

C

Quiet you know.

A

You get 20 people for an audit committee, [laughter].

C

Familiar with that.

F

C

Seeing it, this is the problem with looking at the.

C

Agendas packet on the website, yeah scrolling for it's hard to search.

C

Keep scrolling.

A

Well, I think january 9 is the first, so the 23rd.

A

Theoretically, the sixth.

A

There every other week.

C

All right, I'm not having luck! The city website froze on me.

C

Foreign that doesn't happen very often.

F

Well, never it's probably fine yeah and we can finalize it yeah check with um valerie and kelly.

D

Barnaby about other potential conflicts that may not even be posted yet, but if we look at february.

D

9Th and march 2nd right and claim them if we can- and I would think this room would be big enough.

D

People in here for uh a neighborhood sidewalks meeting, I think we've had.

D

Three rows of people so yeah. No, this fits a lot of fun. You think.

A

uh Global tentatively say the ninth and.

A

Whatever those dates were yeah the second march 2nd march 2nd and we'll finalize that we mean.

A

So that brings us to next year's meeting schedule.

A

It's got conflicts on wednesdays wednesday, the second wednesday of the month. I have conservation.

B

Commission meetings- that's you know like clockwork, so if we could have it either on this, the second.

B

Thursday of the month, that would that would be great for me just a thursday, not a wednesday.

B

Wednesday, we also have sidewalks on wednesdays now so yeah climate solutions.

C

Group sportsman climate solutions group meets on wednesdays too. Okay, I don't know how many.

C

People are in that, but that meets every week. So, let's that sounds like thursday.

A

It's not as good for you. I know. No. Thursdays are tough. That's okay! That's! Okay!.

C

It's not every thursday right.

A

I would like to get an early jump in january, though.

C

Can aim for that? Second, that, like the 12th, is the second thursday.

C

You can even do the fifth, if you think people will show up on the fifth foreign.

C

It's kind of early in the month. That's right. People are just.

F

Getting back into that right, it's three days in.

A

I've got an event on the 12th, but I kind of seeps like find out what kevin's obligations to the.

D

Cpc are right because he's he's our connection right.

D

So if he could do the fifth would it would it make sense to say um the second thursday.

A

Will be our of the month will be our meeting dates, but we would like to do the fifth. I think.

A

Because we'll need decisions on the fifth we'll need a logo decision we'll need.

A

Finalize public hearing dates.

A

Need to vote minutes and do some other stuff like that, and then the second thursday of.

D

February is the ninth right and yeah yeah. It is so we'll be prepped for that. Yeah.

C

We could have a depends on what time the hearing is, but we could always meet just briefly before.

C

If we needed to yeah the hearing's, a seven o'clock hearing, you can meet it at six or six thirty right.

A

Right, we need to do.

C

I can tell you.

C

I'm, oh, I only know of one thirst. I am definitely going to miss. So that's in march.

A

Okay, could it beyond that? I don't think that.

A

Good yeah, so far you guys you two have a lot to say in this today we do anyway. Yes, that's right.

C

We're on spring break spring break is that week of uh okay, yeah, the second and third week of march, so.

C

This isn't the only meeting. I won't be able to attend right before the hearing.

D

And talking to kelly about reserving space, what time do you want? Seven, six? Thirty! What.

A

Public hearing in february.

A

Usually, seven good seven is good for public hearing. People have a time for dinner right then.

C

They can show up for. Moreover, I will ask about that time and we'll make it zoom too right right.

C

It feels like midnight in february when it's yeah.

A

Okay, well, the days start getting longer on.

A

Where's, the souls- that's right, I know for it's the day to party all right, I'm still.

C

A little shocked at like four o'clock when I'm like, is it really like sunset? It's okay,.

A

A

So we'll, um let's circulate the logos.

C

For decision in january, first, first meeting in january, that's good.

A

I'll I'll write an update of everything and we'll have a meeting for all of many people. Oh.

C

December's really tough december in july, yeah.

A

August too, yeah august is a tough one too a lot of people miss august. I think we skipped august.

A

Kenneth farrer, I don't know who ferreira is.

D

Always say: welcome we're about to wrap up yeah. We might let him know.

A

uh Kenneth welcome.

A

We were actually wrapping up and the last item is.

A

Public comment: if you'd like to give us any public comment.

C

Still connecting.

E

Maybe not well.

E

I only lost a lot, maybe he just dropped.

C

We don't have guests very often our first groupie.

D

Signing in for a seven o'clock meeting.

A

um Any other business while we know move things forward.

C

If you need help with anything, let me know I'm around.

F

You bet um the one thing you mentioned, I don't know if you mentioned to counselor.

D

Cook about the well hope about holding off on the chamber e-blast as well to time that oh yeah.

D

Okay with the survey or with the public hearing either january, unless did they.

D

Schedule you no! No, I I told them to coordinate with you. Okay, because you got all the details.

D

um So- and I have more details now so that'll be good yeah, so he should coordinate with you.

C

No, never I mean they said they're willing to do it so right, I'm sure the timing is not a.

D

Problem I'll be happy to have something in january and not right. Now.

E

I know I'm like all right so much going on it's hard to keep track. Yeah december.

A

Thanks everybody. Thank you. Thank you. Go have dinner. I know.

A

I'm wondering what andrew and joanne's joanna's recording stopped the year in review is gonna, be.

A

Did you see that in the packet, no all right among.