recording in progress. >> Uh being 6:00, we will call the commissioner meeting to order. >> We call the town meeting to order. Thanks everyone for being here and thanks N for being here as well. Um I know there were some variety of
questions that were um requested kind of through the last update that we had. Um and we've been so gracious to come back and share more information with us. Uh the plan is that we'll do a portion of this in open session. There'll be publicly available information shared
with the lab. Um and then we will go to seconded session under 10. I don't know if there are any opening pages just a question for them that you wanted to before we hand it over to you. >> Okay. Take one frame for people so that
they have some background as to what we're doing. Um at a previous open meeting we had a discussion about uh services that are listen from and what I think some of the
cab members and commissioners were interested in understanding what were the expenses associated with RMF and just want because it's something Paul we we don't have visibility okay and we don't have visibility about this
information that's why it was being requested. >> Okay. >> And maybe in other organizations that information was shared but in us it was not shared with us. So that's why we're asking these questions. >> Gotcha. >> Uh
following that meeting I and they were tasked with you know coming up with some questions. We basically putting down questions that we had discussed in the open meetings that we shared with Paul and the request was
made to Paul to get that information. We could get the information from Paul that was fine but Paul felt he needed to get it from me and that's why we had this meeting. Um at a high level what we want to know is
what is the amount that RMLD spends on EN services and what's the breakdown. It's it's a simple request because that's how we are going into our budget plan or uh the next two meetings deal with budgets and in any good budget
process you need transparency to understand what you're proving. So we want to know what we've spent historically and what we're going to need to spend going forward. I know we have the way I would put it is it feels like we were inundated with information
as to everything that we get from E&E and that's okay. Uh it's just bad processing on our end in the sense we did not have the right context to appreciate how it was being presented. So that's what we're trying to do is I
hope we don't have to have this meeting again in the future. Okay. So so what we want to do is understand now and set up a practice at RMLD where we can keep getting this information on a regular basis
at least. Would you be comfortable with that? U >> I think yeah let's let's talk through the the details and then determine what the right approach would be. just get periodic updates from there. >> Yeah. Okay. So, so my my question was
very simple and and and Dave, would you want to elaborate a little bit on what I asked? >> I basically I think they basically covered it and I know some of it might be competitively sensitive information. So, we don't want to do that if it is. Um, and the only part that I'm I'm trying to figure out is where is that
line? Because to my understanding, which could be wrong, we're a public entity, but also ENE is as well as a municipal life cooperative. So that I think I could be wrong, but the expenditures and budgets are publicly available or should
be they're they are public documents if requested. >> The you guys finish. Okay. >> So, so I'll address that. >> Yeah. So, so my framing was coming out of this meeting, what's hoping is we have a process by which we get
information about the just like we get about everything else and that's been that is made available to the cab. I speak for the cab. It's sub it's available the same way it's available to the commissioners and so
that's my request and so so today either in open meeting or meeting executive session we should at least get this information as to what we have spent in 24 and 25 and what and Paul we'd like to understand at least you
know what we would be thinking about for 26 okay >> so so that's my expectation from >> Jason is at that under the using it frequently. >> So that that that's so that that so that's how at least I I think that's what the camp is looking for and I think
the camera would agree with that. They would now and >> I think the piece the piece of that that's uh the least available to us is what the commission and fee structure is on EPAs that that are coming through EA >> and I don't I've never understood
exactly what that is and where we find that. Uh you mentioned at the last meeting 25 cents a megawatt hour. I don't know if that's uniform across all BBAs or it's different in some or others or >> I'm going to address that too, okay? >> Because when I've seen contracts, I do see one lump sum of what the megawatt
hour charge is, but no breakdown as you as we might see in other things like here's the energy, here's the commission, here's the fee, who's getting it, you know, not like a real estate closing, but something between that and just a lot of stuff. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. And it is different. So I I will address all those.
>> So so so John, what would be helpful is this is a request. So one thing we need to define is what is going to be open session. I hope there is some information for open session and there's some information for >> the letter you sent through Paul those
answers are going to have to be an executive session under section 10 because we're not technically a public entity. Energy services companies have a different >> I think it's section 10, right Erica? >> Purpose
purpose. Yes. purpose number 10 because again we have 28 other >> RMLB so we can't just be talking about numbers in public >> sure okay so I I >> but I'll show only address >> Sure I I won't be able to do it in the
middle of the session that's all I'm saying we're not going to address >> okay I could I I understand that answer in terms of maybe internal things that we asked about your audited financials or salaries of executives but when it's RMLD that is making an expenditure
that's an RMLD expense that goes to you. That's RMLD. What did RMLD spend the the monthly commissions on PPAs any hourly for the lobbying any of that? Those things those are RMLD expenditures that we had asked of Paul. >> I don't I don't disagree.
>> And that's what half of that is. >> Well, except all of it is on your invoice every month. You guys have all this information. Every one of the questions that are asked here you have okay >> in this building >> including the PPA fees >> everything >> every single thing is listed there are
six line items on your invoice every month there are four PPAs that have administrative costs because they happen to be a little more complicated to do with this 19 20 21 systems in it there's a line for energy services which is kind
of the flat fee to cover all the things that we do for you it's 31 now. And I'll tell you why it's 31. >> There's a um a number for peak um advisory services and there's there was and there was also one for gas
infrastructure study. Those are all on there. Okay. Every month >> is the is the 25 cents a megawatt hour or whatever it is on that. >> The administrative costs are listed separately for each of the four projects. There's only four of them. Doesn't apply to everything. It applies
to the four things that are on that invoice. So I'm not going to go through those. >> Okay. No. So, so thank you. So, so one thing Paul is very clear. Okay. So, the information exists in other organizations. It is my understanding from John that that information is shared with the commissioners. Okay. And
that has not been shared with us in the past. And I think that needs to be corrected. >> Okay. And and excuse me. So, so, so I think before we So, I don't know how much we're going to get today in detail, but
>> maybe in executive session, you're going to get detail. I don't know the specific detail. No question. >> Yeah. >> Um, >> but Vick and I had just a quick conversation. >> The reason why I say it exists here is because you are one of five owners, and I want to go through that. The other
five boards, as far as I know, have never asked me any of these questions, never had any of these concerns because after every quarterly meeting of ENE board directors, that information is usually passed on from that director happened to be Paul after I left
Hangingham to their boards. Our reports can be sent to the board members if they like or not. The financials can be sent to the board or not every quarter. So, this information exists here. The problem is, and I know I'm going to do this now, no concession, probably not
fair, but clearly the person you had here before who had that information did not share it with you guys. There is no way I get something that looks like this from people that had information. This really tells me you have no information from anybody.
Fair or not. I'm just saying it. It's very difficult for me to understand because our the information is open. the audits that all three audits which I gave I gave to Paul you can it's fine to me if you look at they exist here every
everybody you've appointed as a director has that information it just doesn't sound like it's translated over where it should so we'll answer it for now >> no that's why John that's how I framed it initially >> no no I I agree >> and so so this is information that we
should be getting and have not received >> and you're you're special because in addition to being a customer, you're an owner. >> Right. >> Exactly. >> So that you know and and >> Right. No. And and and whatever and exists that exists between and
amenity covers everyone in the room. >> That's correct. It covers everyone. >> Both the operating agreement that was signed and he became an owner and the services agreement have all those clauses that VC is talking about in them. >> So So everyone is covered. Everyone in this room is covered. So everyone should
have access to that information. >> That's not like we say it's not a problem for us. Like I said, we give it to everybody who sits on our board. Now let let me just go through a few things in open because because I'm not sure I know there's a few new faces from here.
You're the only face from 2019 when you rejoined. Right. So I don't know that everybody understands how this works. So if you don't mind. So ENE is made up of six municipal life plant owners. started in 1998. Reading was an original owner,
a founder. They left ENE in 2004 because of some significant issues internally to RMLD at the time with the GM just wasn't a good thing. And because he was part of starting the organization, they decided, well, we
might want to divorce ourselves from that for now. So, they kind of went away. We're doing their own thing here. And then in 2019, I had heard from Dave was on the board at the time, Colleen, about coming back into the organization. We have the largest um municipal systems
in New England with us, not necessarily owners, but although Brainree and Totten are good size like you guys, ENE is made up of six owners, MLPS, and their board members. And you voted Paul in uh two meetings ago, I believe. And my guess is
maybe Jason. That's up to you, Beth. And there's also three outside directors. The three outside directors are there because you need to make sure that you have people from the business who also understand that the company is a company. It's very difficult to and I
was a board member before I became CEO. It's hard to take your hat off from the MLP and put your kind of EN hat on. Those are two very different things that we ask at the board meetings. ENE strategies that VIN runs is a subsidiary. So it's a separate LLC underneath ENE. So you guys have that.
We purchased utility services in Vermont in 2020 2020. That is a company that does NERK compliance reporting which is a national thing. Compliance reporting u compliance reports every quarter. Audits
of your equipment and so on have to go to NERK which is a kind of a federal type thing. We bought them because they have 120 customers in 47 states. They're out of Vermont. They have 18 people that do all this work for these 120 customers. It is an excellent
organization for us to have. It also fits since we do power supply and all that. That's the next piece of this compliance piece. So the gentleman that started it was looking to get out. We purchased it. So you own 8.33% of USB, which I also think you guys do don't
know or didn't know. Again, I hate to say this, but it just strikes me that some of this stuff is not known um and should have been. You're going to get a presentation. Is it next week? Erica, when they have come >> the 19th >> 19th two weeks in 2022, we started EN
transmission. E transmission is be transitional are going out of control and it's a way for us to maybe get involved in projects and help hedge those costs. Now, that's as much as I can say on that. That's got to be discussed. and Dave Kavanagh who's
the executive director of that and my regulatory VP is coming here in two weeks to give you guys a breakdown of what that is. That is a way for there's 10 MLPS in it now. That is a way for those 10 MLPS to invest in projects or buy into projects and be able to hedge
their transmission costs because that is going to be the largest thing on your bill coming up if it's not already. So, we're not just, you know, kind of a we're viewed as a power supply company only and all that. we have we do all these other things and have it started these things because it makes sense for
our business meaning our customers. Um we were f we were founded under section 47C of Mass General law that allows co-ops of two or more light plants to come together. It is not under
the same rules technically as MLPS. It's under that co-op statute, which is why that section 10 was put in to protect energy services companies in, you know, the the the dollars that they have or the type of work that they do. Anything proprietary, confidential, or tied to
that is under that section 10. We're the largest municipal co-op in the Northeast by far. By far. Um, we have customers in all six New England states. We have 1,400 megawws that we control.
600 megawatts of generation on top of that and about 5.7 million megawatt hours of energy if you add up all our customers. Represents almost 300,000 municipal customers. We just added three new customers in the last three months. Olden Mass,
Littleton, New Hampshire, and uh company that well it's company it's if you're familiar with Fort Deans what they turned Devons into here in Massachusetts. >> Mr. A is the version of that in Brunswick, Maine. We just picked them up as a customer. So they're gonna they're trying to do up there what Devon has
done kind of build out and all that and they need some energy supply expertise. So we just actually we just started with them on November 1st. We had to get in it by November 1st. We have 28 wholesale customers meaning the power supply service type. We have 22 that we do the conservation work for which could be
home energy audits, rebates, solar rebates, EVs, EV rebates, EV events. And Vin has 31, I think, strategies customers, right? Including nine from our competitor. So, nine people think enough of Vin that they signed up with
him to do lobbying and and all that. Uh, let's see. Oh, the other thing is that I know came up the last time that I want to address in open session. The Palmer Renewable Project is dead, has been dead since April 1st of 23
as far as we're concerned, meaning us and the eight people that were in the project when it first started in 2017 18 because at that time it was an allowable type of energy source by the administration. It is it is clearly no
longer that. So, we terminated back on April 1st of 23. A lower court has kind of reinvigorated it a little bit because they said they the state couldn't invalidate a permit. No one's going to buy it. The other thing is I already testified on two
bills that that Vince can give you the two numbers on on removing biomass from the state's um emitting non-emitting sources, including our own. when we got our section nine of our MLP bill that
says what we can do and what we can't do from non-eitic sources that's coming out. I just want to make that clear because I know that's >> you covered that last night. >> I know but it it just seemed to come back again and then the newspaper not not the news and then the newspaper picked it up the shoestring or whatever the heck >> because of the court
>> because of the court and mentioned in there that we had looked at it but but we did terminate because I talked to the reporter. I just want to make sure that was very clear because it was a little contentious here. You guys wanted out of it and whatever at that time which is fine that that's not an issue but it is dead. It's not coming back so we don't
have to worry about that. >> Just to keep it depth to the narrow of the cut is the the thing we get every month. We get the AP warrant and yeah, there's a number there for E. Would it be helpful to put one of those up and just walk us through what the breakdown is and that that would be what is on our
public AP warrant that we've signed that it's broken down into four? That might be a useful way to look and that's already out there because it's our expenditures and >> would it be okay to do that? >> I' I'd prefer that we don't put it up in >> All right. I mean, it is something that any go,
>> but that's what they should do. I I can't be doing it is what I'm saying. >> But it's our but it's our expendit. It's >> correct. >> It's our expenditure. >> Correct. >> Okay. >> It is. No, it's your expenditures. I don't want to talk about the numbers on it because again, we have other clients that we do this for.
I I know it sound I know it sounds I I understand. >> I I hear you. I hear you. >> So that's all I really have for kind of the open thing unless you want any other questions and then we'll get right into this. Okay. So for comments down here we just would
have moved that the arm of the assistance advisory board go into executive session pursuant to Massachusetts general law chapter 164 section 47D exemption from home we records and requires concerned instances under purpose number 10 to discuss trade secrets confidential
proprietary information regarding activities and information provided by Energy New England as energy supplier, municipal aggregator or energy cooperative and return to open session for the sole purpose of encouragement. The open session will adversely affect connecting business relative to other entities made to itself.
Second >> the board of commissioners go into executive session pursuant to mass general laws 164 section 47D exemption from public records and open meeting requirements in certain instances pursuant to purpose number 10 to discuss
trade secrets confidential or proprietary information regarding the activities of information provided by Energy New England as an energy supplier, municipal energy, habitual aggregator of energy cooperative and return to open session for the sole
purpose of adjournment. >> Second job ruining my monologue. An open session will adversely affect the conducting business relative to other entities making or selling or distributing energy. Thank you. All right.
>> All right.