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Read the article on Substack: https://chulavistalivedata.substack.com/p/2026-10-22-sdcp-board-approves-calpeak
AI disclaimer: This article was written from the meeting audio (AI-assisted summary). Votes and roll call have not been checked against official minutes and are pending human verification.
Meeting: San Diego Community Power (SDCP) Board of Directors — Regular Meeting
When: Oct. 22, 2026, 5:00 PM PT
Where: Don L. Nay Port Administration Boardroom, 3165 Pacific Hwy., San Diego, CA 92101
Agenda: https://sdcommunitypower.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/BOD-10222026-4.pdf
SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego Community Power's Board of Directors met Oct. 22, 2026 at the Don L. Nay Port Administration Boardroom in San Diego. The board welcomed new Coronado representative Director Kelly Purvis, approved the 12-item Consent Calendar, heard an FY 2025-26 audit progress report, approved a restructured toll/storage amendment and a new 15-year local resource adequacy agreement for the Enterprise resource in Escondido, adopted an updated Community Clean Energy Benefits and Grants Policy, ratified and extended office subleases, heard a regulatory and legislative update, reviewed FY 2025-26 year-end finances and reserves, and discussed draft data center load integration guidelines.
Call to order, roll call and agenda reordering
Chair Terra Lawson-Remer (County of San Diego) called the meeting to order at about 5:01 PM PT and welcomed new board member Director Kelly Purvis (City of Coronado). Clerk of the Board Maricela Hernandez called the roll: Chair Lawson-Remer, Director Sean Elo-Rivera (City of San Diego), Director Mitch Fisher (City of Imperial Beach), Director Cesar Inzunza (City of Chula Vista), Director Kelly Purvis (City of Coronado) and Director Suzuki (City of La Mesa) were present in person; Vice Chair Ditas Yamane (City of National City) participated remotely via Zoom under the Brown Act's AB 2449 "just cause" exemption and confirmed no person over 18 years of age was in the room with her; Director Marco San Antonio (City of Encinitas) was absent.
Following the pledge of allegiance and land acknowledgment honoring the Kumeyaay Nation, staff requested moving Item 18 (Suite 200 and Suite 103 sublease extensions) to immediately follow Item 15. No non-agenda public comments were received in person or online.
Consent Calendar (Items 1-12)
With no items pulled for separate discussion and no public comments, the board approved the Consent Calendar (Items 1-12) on a unanimous 7-0 roll-call vote (Directors Elo-Rivera, Fisher, Inzunza, Purvis, Suzuki, Vice Chair Yamane and Chair Lawson-Remer voting aye; Director San Antonio absent; tally pending human verification). The approved items were:
- Item 1: Approval of the Sept. 24, 2026 meeting minutes.
- Items 2-7: Staff updates on programs, power services, customer operations, IT and data analytics, human resources, and marketing, public relations and local government affairs.
- Item 8: Treasurer's Report for the one-month period ending July 31, 2026.
- Item 9: Community Advisory Committee monthly report.
- Item 10: Resolution No. 2026-16 approving the 2027 Board meeting schedule.
- Item 11: Agreement with Mercer LLC for compensation and benefits benchmarking services, not to exceed $175,000.
- Item 12: First Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Renewable Power Purchase Agreement with Pelicans Jaw Solar, LLC, allowing fixed pricing for solar deliveries ahead of project commercial operations, changing the test energy rate, and cleaning up administrative errors in Exhibits H, I, P and T.
Item 13 — Fiscal Year 2025-26 audit progress report (receive and file)
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Jannies Burlingame introduced Audit Partner Kellen Gilbert (joined by Audit Supervisor Alana Rico) of Sorren CPAs P.C. (formerly Pisenti & Brinker LLP). Gilbert told the board that the independent financial audit for FY 2025-26 is 85% to 90% complete, that the audit team is reviewing draft financial statements and anticipates issuing an unmodified ("clean") opinion, and that it had not identified significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in internal controls. The auditor described its risk-based testing of revenue and accounts receivable, cash and investments, grantor advances (deferred revenue) and subsequent disbursements (accrued cost of electricity), and said management gave full access with no difficulties. The auditor thanked management and the outside accountant (Maher Accountancy) for helping make it another timely audit. The final audit report is scheduled to go to the Finance and Risk Management Committee on Dec. 3, 2026 and the Board of Directors on Dec. 10, 2026. No public comments were reported, and the report was received and filed.
Item 14 — Enterprise resource: amended storage/toll agreement and new resource adequacy agreement
Senior Director of Power Contracts Kenny Key explained that the Enterprise project in Escondido, brought by developer Middle River Power and approved in May 2024, could not move forward with building a battery at the existing site due to permitting issues. Staff recommended amending the existing Financially Settled Toll and Energy Storage Agreement with MRP Pacifica Marketing II LLC so the delivery term ends Dec. 31, 2026 (waiving battery delay damages), and approving a new 15-year resource adequacy (RA) agreement with CalPeak Power, LLC for 50.96 MW of system, local and flexible RA attributes from the existing Enterprise simple-cycle gas turbine starting Jan. 1, 2027, with a 94.5% guaranteed RA availability requirement. Staff described RA as "insurance for the energy markets," said RA prices have swung widely in recent years, and said locking in a price long term supports rate stability. Staff said local RA will be about 40% of how SDCP meets its needs next year, and that the unit has been delivering RA to SDCP throughout calendar year 2026. A director asked about backup power and rolling blackouts; staff said such units typically run less than 5% to 7% of the year and were called on during an unexpected early-October heat wave. No public comments. The motion carried on a 7-0 roll-call vote (tally pending human verification).
Item 15 — Resolution No. 2026-17, Community Clean Energy Benefits and Grants Policy
Senior Community Engagement Manager Xiomalys Crespo (with Senior Director of Public Affairs Jen Lebron on the staff report) recommended folding about $2.8 million in expected community benefits funds — voluntary contributions negotiated from developers in SDCP power purchase agreements — into the existing grant framework, and renaming the policy the "Community Clean Energy Benefits and Grants Policy." Staff said 46 applicants requested about $3.6 million in the 2026 cycle, more than was available; that the funds are one-time and should go to one-time community impact projects; and that eligibility now formally extends to public agencies serving SDCP customers, including school and special districts. Directors praised the focus on underserved communities and asked about nonprofit capacity and whether equity goals should be written into the policy itself; staff said those details would be addressed in program guidelines and outreach. The motion carried on a roll-call vote (tally pending human verification).
Item 18 (heard after Item 15 at staff request) — Suite 200 and Suite 103 sublease extensions
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Jannies Burlingame said staff seeks to keep both office suites (with sublandlord Corelation, Inc. and landlord Kilroy Realty, L.P.) while it completes a long-term facilities evaluation and has started a competitive procurement for real estate brokerage and advisory services. Staff said extending both suites from March 1, 2028 to Dec. 31, 2028 at existing rental rates would cost $779,008.20, with no change to budget assumptions. No public comments. A motion to ratify per staff recommendation was made and seconded and a roll-call vote was taken (outcome and tally pending human verification).
Item 16 — Regulatory and legislative update (receive and file)
Patrick Welch, associate director of legislative affairs (under Senior Director of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs Laura Fernandez), said more than 1,800 bills were introduced this year; SDCP monitored more than 150 and took positions on 13. He noted AB 2313 (Berman), which requires gas utilities to offer incentives to electrify instead of replacing gas service lines, with a 1% participation cap, and said the governor vetoed AB 1761 (Rogers), a CalCCA-sponsored bill on Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA) transparency, while SB 1138 (Padilla) failed in committee. Regulatory manager Stephen Gunther described PCIA reform efforts at the CPUC, in the Court of Appeal (following the California Supreme Court's Sept. 23, 2026 grant of review in Track 1) and in the Legislature, and said CalCCA filed an application for rehearing of the recent Track 2 decision earlier that day. A third staff member reported that on Oct. 8 the CPUC denied SDG&E's request to stop administering its 2024-2027 regional energy efficiency programs. Directors voiced frustration over rate transparency and SDG&E's access to data, and one director suggested member cities weigh in against a proposed SDG&E rate increase. No public comments.
Item 17 — FY 2025-26 year-end financial review; Resolution No. 2026-18
Timothy Manglicmot, senior director of finance and risk, said SDCP collected about $50 million more revenue than budgeted, largely tied to the April 2026 super off-peak tariff expansion (10:00 AM to 2:00 PM), which lowered credits paid to net energy metering customers. He said low prices in short-term energy, renewable and RA markets produced savings, that non-energy savings were nearly $6 million, and that the year ended with about $176 million in reserve build (including a $115 million rate stabilization reserve deferral), bringing reserves to the board's maximum target (about 270 days cash on hand). He said staff expects a "PCIA snapback" in 2027 and may recommend using reserves to keep rates competitive, returning to the board in January 2027. The only action was Resolution No. 2026-18 approving a $1,000,000 budget-neutral transfer from Professional Services to General & Administration and Debt Service. Will Weisman, associate director of finance for the Capital Investment Plan, reviewed CIP spending, including the Solar Battery Savings program ($18 million allocated; $3.6 million paid to participants in FY 2025-26; $3.5 million added for FY 2026-27) and the San Diego Regional Energy Network (SDREN). No public comments. A roll-call vote was taken (outcome and tally pending human verification).
Item 19 — Draft Data Center Load Integration Guidelines (feedback only)
At the chair's request, Lee Friedman, associate director of strategic initiatives, skipped the full presentation for a board discussion. Staff said the guidelines address ratepayer protection, community benefits, clean energy and supply responsibility, financial assurance and risk management, and transparency and governance, and that state law — AB 2383 (Zbur), enacted alongside SB 886 (Padilla) in September 2026 — requires each CCA to adopt a data center generation tariff prior to Jan. 1, 2028, with no cost shift to other customers. Staff noted SDCP has no land-use authority. Director Elo-Rivera raised concerns about reporting on a potential data center at the NAVWAR site near Old Town, said a City of San Diego moratorium would be coming to the council, and asked for new clean generation matched to actual load, stronger water protections, labor standards, board policy approval and a report on who knew what and when. The chair stressed water and ratepayer protections. Public speakers, including youth climate volunteer Maria (last name pending verification), Anthony Dang, and Christina Marquez of IBEW Local 569, urged transparency, strong labor standards and no new gas generation. No action was taken; staff will return with a revised draft.
Acting CEO report and board comments
Acting CEO Jack Clark thanked staff. Director Suzuki from La Mesa thanked SDCP for supporting the city's first "Mini Mesa" civic engagement lab for middle schoolers. The meeting adjourned at about 7:47 PM PT; the next regular meeting is Dec. 10, 2026 at 5:00 PM PT.
Audio
Complete full-meeting audio (2:40:38.65, 2026-10-22 - SDCP Board of Directors - Official YouTube Full Audio 64k.mp3, Drive 1wfPTthyoUnvhvDISwl3cVHNnjbahXwOU) was built from SDCP's official YouTube recording ( ). Plaud Note Pro field audio (
8800030123371479) covers two partial segments (about 5:51 PM to 6:15 PM PT and 6:33 PM to 6:50 PM PT). On Substack, the complete meeting audio file is attached.
LIVESTREAM :
Website : https://www.chulavistalivedata.com
Fact-check notes (public sources)
- Agenda & Packet: Official Oct. 22, 2026 agenda (
1wzTF-ljcziL1EYIFb0TI19tsXSljnkI2, https://sdcommunitypower.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/BOD-10222026-4.pdf) and 250-page agenda packet (1y0dxb7urtav37RBThsCWkTcalLaBs7ec) — item titles, dollar amounts, counterparties, staff names, bill numbers (AB 1761,AB 2313,SB 1138,AB 2383,SB 886) and resolution numbers (Resolution No. 2026-16,2026-17,2026-18) checked against the agenda packet. - Audio & Transcripts: Opening 15 minutes (Call to Order, Roll Call, Agenda Reordering, Consent Calendar Items 1-12 and Item 13) transcribed and verified from the complete 2h 40m 39s official SDCP YouTube recording (
1wfPTthyoUnvhvDISwl3cVHNnjbahXwOU); Items 14-19 and closing comments written from the joined CVLD Restream meeting transcript (1U2qgRO5VmmFzLxFdzn_X_XyhsW7_VhPm) and checked against the official agenda packet. - Roll call and vote tallies: Derived from the meeting audio transcript (AI-assisted) and pending human verification against official minutes once adopted.
- Conflicts noted between spoken remarks and agenda text:
- On Item 17, staff said $150 million was deferred to the rate stabilization reserve in one place and $115 million in another; the agenda text specifies $115 million.
- On Item 18, the agenda item title lists the Suite 200 sublease ratification date as Feb. 28, 2028, while the staff recommendation text lists Feb. 29, 2028 (2028 is a leap year).
- On Item 17, the reserve level was heard as both "274" and "270 days cash on hand"; reported as about 270 days.
- Procedure note: No Brown Act concerns were identified in the recording; Vice Chair Yamane stated her AB 2449 "just cause" remote participation and confirmed no person over 18 was in the room with her during roll call.
