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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021/10/06 - ADMIN - Minutes - Environment & Sustainability Commission - Regular Official minutes Environment & sustainability commission St. Louis Park, Minnesota 10/6/2021 1. Call to order – 6:30 p.m. 1a. Roll call Members present: Chair Marisa Bayer, Shaina Ashare, Ryan Griffin, Holly Johnson, JD Moore, Sasha Shahidi, Andrew Willette, Dave Wilsey, Eric Zweber Members absent: Tatiana Giraldo, Paige Kane Staff present: Emily Ziring, Sustainability Manager Guests: Stacy Miller, City of Minneapolis 3. Approval of minutes- Sept. 1, 2021 – The minutes were approved as presented. (Commissioners Ashare and Zweber abstained). 4. Business a. Discuss Tariffed on Bill (TOB) pilot program, PUC docket 21-377 Ms. Ziring provided an overview of the energy program to the commission. She stated that Minneapolis is looking to enter a 3-year pilot program with CenterPoint Energy as their partner. Ms. Ziring stated that a letter of support from St. Louis Park to the Public Utilities Commission could help the City of Minneapolis obtain approval for this regional effort. Stacy Miller from the City of Minneapolis sustainability office presented and answered questions. She stated the program is a tool that allows those who might be locked out of energy efficiency programs to have these items financed on their utility bill. The program does not require a credit check and stays tied to the utility bill; this allows tenants in upgraded residences to pay for upgrades while they live there, but only while they remain in the building. Ms. Ziring asked who the financier is. Ms. Miller stated CenterPoint will provide the capital. Ms. Ziring asked what type of pushback they may receive. Ms. Miller stated they have generally had positive feedback, but there are several parties that still have concerns about the program, so they continue to work with those. Concerns include risks to vulnerable people, especially those who may be income-qualified for free programs. But Ms. Miller stated data supports that this is a good investment for lower income households. ESC meeting -2- Oct. 6, 2021 Commissioner Shahidi asked what would happen if there were an audit of the household and costs of retrofit or upgrades were so high that it was not an advantage for the renter’s monthly payments. Ms. Miller stated the program calls for all cost- effective upgrades, defined as those that can pay for themselves in less than 12 years, but they may last 15+ years. She added a home is either already energy-efficient, or the owner could go ahead with the measures and save up to 20% on a monthly bill. Commissioner Zweber asked about the differences between the pilot program and PACE. He asked if the project ends up being more than 80% of the cost savings, will the utility lose money, and how are costs recovered if that happens. Ms. Miller stated they have consumer protections built into the pilot, beginning with a bill review to gauge if the customer is saving money. If they are not saving through the program, then their use profile is reviewed to determine what the issue is – behavioral or equipment. If not correctable, the customer then is made whole, and the cost is forgiven to bring payments into compliance. Ms. Miller stated the utility has agreed to pay for the costs that are not recovered, including the upgrades that do not result in savings. Chair Bayer asked if there are limits on types of properties that can participate in the program. Ms. Miller stated any residential property is eligible for the program. In the case of one unit in an apartment building, they might be better suited for a different program to meet their needs. For a larger building, each tenant would need to sign an agreement if the landlord wanted to participate in the program. Ms. Miller stated this program is probably best for smaller apartment buildings. Commissioner Wilsey asked what the term is. Ms. Miller stated 12 years. He asked what the typical occupancy is for renters. Ms. Miller stated she did not know. She added in cases if a tenant leaves, the payments freeze, and the landlord can decide if they will continue to make payments, or the next tenant would take up the payments. Ms. Ziring asked if the 500-participant goal is for the city or whole territory. Ms. Miller stated it is for the whole territory. Commissioner Johnson asked if there is always a cost savings if they are paying the difference, and if they stay for the long term, do the residents benefit from the efficiency of the updates. Ms. Miller stated yes, the bill will be lower. Commissioner Willette asked if Xcel does not join, will upgrades be funded only if related to heating? Ms. Miller stated both gas and “ancillary” electric savings are involved in the program, and Xcel would not necessarily be needed for the program. Commissioner Willette asked why Xcel is resistant to do this right now. Ms. Miller stated this is an energy management program and may not align with their business model. ESC meeting -2- Oct. 6, 2021 Commissioner Willette stated this sounds like a great opportunity, and this might fill a waitlist gap currently. Commissioner Shahidi stated she was concerned about the organizations that do not agree with this, but added we are not looking for perfection right now. She added at this point she thinks it is best to go for what is available now. Commissioner Moore added the program sounds great and innovative. He stated it is too bad Xcel is not on board, and it would be good to have more renters on board also. Commissioner Shahidi stated you will see benefits immediately and would not have to wait 12 years to see benefits. Ms. Ziring added the gas bills are typically paid by landlords, so the cost savings would likely be realized by landlords. Commissioner Ashare stated she agrees with the program, but because it is not a constant monthly savings, it might be prohibitive at times. Commissioner Moore asked how well this program is doing in other states. Ms. Ziring stated she will look into this. Commissioner Willette asked if the 500 participants is a ceiling or a goal. Ms. Ziring stated this is the goal. Commissioner Shahidi asked what type of marketing they are doing. Ms. Ziring stated she will find out. Commissioner Wilsey asked if a resident moves out, how is that resolved. Ms. Ziring stated it is up to the agreement signed between the landlord and tenants. Commissioner Zweber stated the program seems good, and he is surprised CenterPoint is willing to take on the risk. The losses will be spread across all customers. Commissioner Zweber suggested that a draft letter be written but kept simple. Ms. Ziring will bring a draft letter back to the commission in November for final review before it is brought to council in November or December. b. Discuss updated draft of Green Building Policy amendment Ms. Ziring stated there have not been significant changes since the last draft. She stated she pulled the technical explanations out for inclusion in the handouts. Commissioner Zweber made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Shahidi to approve the draft Green Building Policy amendment as presented. The motion passed unanimously. 5. Staff updates ESC meeting -2- Oct. 6, 2021 Ms. Ziring noted it is not necessary for two staff members to attend all the monthly meetings and moving forward Ms. Pottorff will provide updates through Ms. Ziring. Additional updates: • St. Louis Park has won the League of Minnesota Cities Sustainability City Award for 2021, which includes $1,000 prize money that will go to the Westwood Hills Nature Center for education programs. Ms. Pottorff applied for the award and coordinated the video related to the award. She noted more information is on the city’s social media. • Edits to Green Building Policy amendment. • Climate Investment Fund budget – waiting for council to finalize budget and make decisions on programs. • Council approved the solar project on the East Rink roof of The Rec Center, which will save electricity and Windsource costs. • Greenhouse gas emissions inventory – report will be presented to council in November, looked at city-wide emissions over past 5 years and progress made. • CERTs has announced a seed grant of up to $5,000. Staff is writing two applications. • Tree growing pilot project for 2022 under design. • Climate Champions for multifamily buildings under consideration. • Ms. Pottorff was selected as an alternate delegate to attend COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. • Presenting the anti-idling report at the October 11 council study session – the commissioners are invited to present with Ms. Ziring. Commissioner Griffin volunteered to assist. • Will receive 100 LED lighting kits to distribute to schools in the district as well at STEP. • Youth v Gov will be screened at the Twin Cities Film Festival on Oct. 30 at 11 a.m. at WestEnd Showplace ICON Theatres – 2-hour documentary on lawsuit about climate change. Volunteers are needed to table or speak on the panel at the event. • Looking for a call to action or commitment to share at the film – please contact Ms. Pottorff with ideas. • ESC retreat – proposed to have it at Westwood Hills Nature Center – Dec. 5 or 12 from noon – 4 p.m., with lunch brought in. Majority will decide date. 6. Workgroup and/or project updates - none 7. City Council written reports - none 8. Environmental Justice open discussion Commissioner Zweber brought up the co-op movement in Minnesota and that most of the battles were around environmental justice. He suggested commissioners watch it on PBS Minnesota Experience. Commissioner Willette asked if there is any new information on the Climate Emergency declaration proposed by council. Ms. Ziring stated that council would like staff to write a report on this and present to council. She will bring the draft report to the commission in coming months. ESC meeting -2- Oct. 6, 2021 9. Upcoming/proposed events a. Reminder: Youth v Gov at Twin Cities Film Festival, Oct. 30, 11 a.m. at Showplace ICON Theatres b. ESC retreat – will be held 4 hours on Sun., Dec. 5 or 12 from noon – 4 p.m. at Westwood Hills Nature Center. Ms. Ziring will send out more details to the commission by email. c. ESC elections, January 2022 – chair and vice chair are elected for 1-year terms. Commissioners are welcome to ask questions of Chair Bayer and Ms. Ziring for more details. Additional items: Commissioner Griffin noted there are three days left for the Bike the Park event. It is a great way to check out new facilities and encourage all to post pictures on social media. Commissioner Zweber noted an event on Oct. 18-19, the Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association “Gateway to Solar” Conference. If you volunteer for 4 hours, can attend rest of that day’s events for free. 10. Adjournment – 8:21 p.m. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Emily Ziring, liaison Marisa Bayer, chair member