Energy Partnership Community Advisory Panel Charter Document

The Energy Partnership Agreement dated August 27, 2020 and approved by the voters on November 3, 2020 between the city and Xcel Energy (“Partnership Agreement”) provides for the formation of an Advisory Panel to ensure the activities being undertaken as part of the Partnership Agreement support the vision, guiding principles and goals of the Partnership Agreement and result in the use of energy resources to bridge the gap between Xcel Energy-Colorado’s 2030 goal of an 80% reduction in carbon emissions for 2005 levels, and Boulder’s 2030 goal of 100% renewable electricity in the city.

The Advisory Panel (“Panel”) shall review and discuss energy-related issues of shared importance to Xcel Energy- Colorado and the City of Boulder, including but not limited to decarbonization of Boulder’s electricity supply, energy efficiency and demand-side management programs for Boulder customers, and other local and state-wide initiatives that are related to the goals set forth within the Partnership Agreement to advise the Project Oversight Team.

The panel will review strategies set forth by the Boulder Xcel Partnership, serving as a sounding board for the realization of City of Boulder energy and emission goals. The Panel will provide input and perspective on overarching strategies and initiatives, and on specific projects and programs. The Panel is to serve as the touchpoint to the community to make sure that anticipated effects of projects on various customers within the city are considered and evaluated prior to decisions being made by the Project Oversight Team. The Panel will advise on community engagement and communications, transparency of partnership activities, and equity, including suggested revisions to eliminate disparity and negative impacts to various communities within the city. Further, the panel will review technical modeling related to meeting Boulder's goals, including any cost benefit analysis of proposed strategies, projects, and programs.

The City and Xcel will each appoint appropriate staff to work with the Panel. The Panel will work with the appointed staff to advise the Project Oversight Team. The Advisory Panel is not a decision-making body, nor can it direct staff. The Panel is not intended to be composed of experts in electric utility operations or energy technology, but rather a representative customer base for services provided by the electric and gas utility and of residents and businesses impacted by electric and gas utility operations. Its purpose is to reflect perspectives that exist within the community to make recommendations after considering varying viewpoints to inform the direction and decisions on the work plan and projects identified by the Project Oversight Team.

As necessary, subject matter experts may be requested by city staff to advise the Panel. The Project Oversight Team may consider, and the Panel may suggest, that other parties advise the Project Oversight Team separately from the Panel.

The Panel is to consist of 6 - 15 members to include designated representatives from the business and residential communities of Boulder and the University of Colorado, all of whom will be appointed by the City Manager, or their delegate. Xcel Energy will provide input to Panel member appointments.

Panel members shall be appointed for three-year terms, but the initial terms shall be shorter so that no more than one-third of the terms of members of the Panel shall expire in the same year. Members may serve for up to two full terms. Members initially appointed for less than a three-year term may serve two full terms in addition to the initial term. In the event a member elects to withdraw from the Panel, the City Manager, or their delegate, may appoint a new member to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term. Panel members appointed to fill vacancies will be eligible to serve two full terms in addition to the remainder of the term they are filling.

Panel members shall represent the racially and economically diverse users of electricity in the city. Panel members are not intended to be subject matter experts, though their professional and lived experiences will be integral into Panel input and engagement activities. Panel members representing homeowners and residential rental customers must reside in the City of Boulder. Additionally, the Panel will target members including the Boulder Valley School District and the Boulder Chamber.

1. All regular business meetings of the Panel shall be open to the public. Public notice of the date, time, and electronic and/or physical place of each meeting shall be provided on the web page for the Panel at least five days before each meeting.
2. The Panel will meet at least quarterly.
3. The Panel will evaluate the workplan, projects, and programs it reviews for racial and economic equities.
4. Public comment will not be allowed during Panel meetings unless otherwise determined through a majority vote on the Panel.

The Panel may determine whether its advice on a particular project shall be by majority vote of the panel, or consensus, or include majority and minority recommendations.

1. The Panel may operate as a whole or in subgroups.
2. The Panel recognizes it will be considering strategies and projects that may be implemented citywide or in geographic areas of the city, or applied to certain types of businesses or residents, or tested in such subgroups.
3. In making recommendations to the Project oversight Team, the Panel we'll consider factors to include measuring the effectiveness and any determining the direct or indirect cost impacts of the work plan or work plan item.
4. The recommendations of the Panel we'll include an analysis of the project for racial and economic equities.
5. The Panel will make recommendations by majority vote or consensus and may submit majority and minority recommendations.
6. As a representative body of the community, the Panel will seek input from the community at large. This may be in the form of individual outreach, hosted events or through other means as determined by the panel.
7. Public Quarterly Meetings of the panel shall typically be two hours starting at 5:30pm on the first Monday of the second month of each quarter, unless alternate times and/or durations are approved by a majority of the panel members.