REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Consideration of Silicon Valley Power Quarterly Strategic Plan Update
Report
BACKGROUND
On December 4, 2018, Council adopted a strategic plan for the City’s Electric Utility Department, dba Silicon Valley Power (SVP). SVP is a recognized industry leader with a strong history and reputation of providing excellent customer service. The electric industry is rapidly changing and undergoing a fundamental transformation shifting from a centralized resource grid toward an increasing decentralized electrical grid with distributed energy resources with more renewables (e.g. wind, solar), shifting variability in supply, and greater customer choice.
To maintain our competitive advantage and respond to these changes, the City adopted the strategic plan to ensure continued growth and actions that support our mission. SVP must focus on offering our customers products and services that are innovative, intuitive and engaging. The strategic plan establishes a framework that aligns the utility’s Mission, Vision, and Values to the specific measureable initiatives to achieve its objectives of customer value and community focus. The strategic plan focuses on measuring and reporting, and actively managing outcomes. The report to be presented to Council in the form of a Power Point presentation is the first quarterly update on the implementation of the strategic plan. Staff has scheduled future quarterly updates for June 25, September, and December and will provide updates with advancing the strategic plan and current conditions within this industry.
DISCUSSION
The strategic plan had 30 initiatives, and 12 of them had a near-term implementation focus. The implementation of these 12 initiatives all have different timeframes that ranged from one to three years. Per the Strategic Plan these initiatives are grouped into four strategic areas:
• Utility Performance Excellence
o Phase I: Business Process Improvement (first two years)
o Organizational Design Evaluation (first two years)
o Employee Communication (first two years)
o Utility Bench Marking (first two years)
o Project Management Development Plan (first three years)
• Customer Engagement and Satisfaction
o Online Customer Portal (first two years)
o City Stakeholder Engagement Plan (first two years)
o Customer Engagement Plan (first two years)
• Progress and Innovation
o Innovation Think Tank (first two years)
• Community and Environmental Engagement
o Joint Smart City Planning (first two years)
o Electric Vehicle Blueprint (first two years)
o Integrated Resource Plan (first three years)
The status and action items for each of the twelve initial initiatives will be discussed in quarterly update presentation.
In addition updates on utility growth and revenues, wildfire mitigation planning and current legislative and regulatory issues will be included.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with the approval of the 2018 Strategic Plan. Implementation of certain elements of the Strategic Plan will require funding that will be appropriated through the normal budget process.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Finance Department and City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Note and file the SVP Quarterly Strategic Plan Update.
Staff
Reviewed by: Manuel Pineda, Assistant City Manager/Interim Chief Electric Utility Officer
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager