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Substation Operations and Transmission <br />Analyze the operations and staffing of the Agua Mansa Power Plant and power transmission <br />facilities managed by the Electric Utility. Determine whether management has appropriately <br />staffed operations to ensure uninterrupted service for its customers. <br />5. Electric Metering, Billing and Collections <br />Evaluate the Electric Utility's program for ensuring that power usage is appropriately metered, <br />that meter data is efficiently and effectively collected and transmitted to the electronic billing <br />system. Assess the effectiveness of the Electric Utility billing function, including the <br />integration of various energy conservation and customer assistance programs established <br />by the City for residents and businesses. Ensure that customer invoices are produced and <br />delivered in a timely manner and in a manner that ensures that collections are maximized. <br />Determine whether the Electric Utility has established effective mechanisms for ensuring that <br />payments are made in a timely manner, including systems to monitor account aging, and the <br />use of collection enforcement methods that conform to policies established for residential and <br />business customers. <br />6. Purchased Power and ISO Charges <br />Review the contracts established by the Electric Utility with wholesale suppliers to purchase <br />electricity, including systems established by the Electric Utility to manage California <br />Independent System Operator (CAISO) charges and electricity transmission fees. Determine <br />whether the Electric Utility has established agreements for the sale of surplus power that <br />provide the greatest advantages for rate payers. Assess the Utility's role with organizations <br />such as the California Municipal Utilities Association to determine if it is active in Statewide <br />efforts to control costs. <br />8. Infrastructure Development, Debt Management and Alternative Energy <br />Sources <br />Review and evaluate the analytical methods and assumptions used by the Electric Utility to <br />determine current and future infrastructure and capital improvement needs, including the role <br />and functions of the Engineering Division. Determine whether the established approach <br />appropriately measures the Electric Utility's requirements and reasonably projects costs. <br />Evaluate capital asset reserve policies, reserve balances and the debt structure established by <br />the Electric Utility to determine whether debt service expenses could be reduced through <br />restructuring or other strategies, effectively minimizing the impact on rate payers. Measure the <br />Utility's success at developing and utilizing renewable energy sources. <br />9. Business Planning Processes <br />Assess the Electric Utility's business planning processes, including performance management <br />practices, electricity demand and service forecasting, and capital asset management. Conduct <br />limited benchmarking against other private and public utilities. Determine whether any plans <br />provide a clear strategic direction for the Electric Utility and provide the City Council with <br />clear policy alternatives, including opportunities to reduce costs while preserving investment <br />return by contracting with other electric power providers in the region. <br />16 <br />ONTARIO\NSTUBBS\308490.1 <br />