TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Michael A. Hursh, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: PG&E Easement Agreements for Battery Electric Infrastructure
ACTION ITEM
AGENDA PLANNING REQUEST: ☐
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider authorizing the General Manager to execute Easement Agreements with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) for the right to enter the District’s facilities at Divisions 2, 4 and 6 from time to time to construct, reconstruct, install, inspect, and maintain PG&E owned equipment that services the District’s battery electric bus infrastructure.
Staff Contact:
Ramakrishna Pochiraju, Executive Director of Planning & Engineering
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Environmental Improvement
Initiative - Infrastructure Modernization
Easements will give PG&E the right to enter from time to time to construct, reconstruct, install, inspect, and maintain PG&E owned equipment critical to roll-out of the AC Transit battery electric bus fleet.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no budgetary or fiscal impact associated with this report.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
On June 10, 2020, the AC Transit Board of Directors adopted the Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) Rollout Plan as the long-term strategy to comply with the CARB Innovative Clean Transit Regulation. That ZEB Roll-out Plan includes the construction of battery electric bus infrastructure at D2, D4, and D6. Each Division will require a new and separate metered interconnection to the PG&E grid.
A draft Easement Agreement with PG&E for Emeryville (D2) division is provided in Attachment 1 to this report. Similar agreements will be executed at Oakland (D4) division and Hayward (D6) division at the appropriate stages of project implementation at these divisions. The easement agreement with PG&E in the attachment 1 is required for the installation of PG&E owned service equipment that will deliver grid capacity to charge AC Transit’s fleet of battery electric buses at the Emeryville (D2) division. The need to provide this easement at D2 is immediate and the requirements for similar easements at Oakland (D4) and Hayward (D6) are in the near future. Staff requests the Board to authorize General Manager to execute the easement agreement at D2 and similar easement agreements at D4 and D6.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
The advantage to approving this action is that it will enable staff to continue the implementation of the Board approved Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) Roll-out Plan. Staff did not identify any disadvantages to this action.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS:
There are no practical alternatives to the action recommended in this report. PG&E meter and switching equipment is required if AC Transit desires to use electrical capacity from the PG&E grid to charge battery electric buses. This easement is required for the installation of any PG&E equipment.
PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTION/POLICIES:
SR 19-072 - Consider authorizing the execution of documents with PG&E to participate in the Fleet Ready Program
SR 19-340a - Actions associated with 45 ZEB Implementation Plan
SR 20-224 - Consider Adopting Resolution 20-029 Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) Roll-out Plan
SR 20-380 - Consider approving the issuance of a bid for BEB Infrastructure
SR 20-380a - Consider approving the award of a firm-fixed-price contract to ChargePoint
ATTACHMENTS:
1. PG&E Easement Agreement for the Emeryville (D2) Division
Prepared by:
Joe Callaway, Director of Capital Projects
In Collaboration with:
Jason Auyeung, Project Manager
Approved/Reviewed by:
Ramakrishna Pochiraju, Executive Director of Planning & Engineering
Chris Andrichak, Chief Financial Officer
Jill A. Sprague, General Counsel/Chief Legal Officer