Gov. Newsom vetoes bill to increase Coachella Valley representation on IID board
Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Assemblymember Chad Mayes's (I – Rancho Mirage), which would've given the Coachella Valley more representation within the Imperial Irrigation District board of directors.
"It is valuable to invest the proper resources, time, and stakeholder engagement into studying the complex impacts of the Imperial Irrigation District's impending electrical service agreement expiration. This study should include any options to ensure that the local communities currently served may continue to receive energy service, as well as opportunities to give energy customers a voice.
- Gov. Newsom writes in his veto letter
For these reasons, I am concerned with the short timeline set forth in the bill to complete the study."
Assembly Bill 1021 aimed at giving more representation to the Coachella Valley as a 99-year contract between IID and the Coachella Valley nears its expiration in 2033.
The bill called for the IID board of directors to increase from 5 to 6 members, with the additional position appointed by the Fourth District Riverside County Supervisor, which is currently Manuel Perez. The additional member would have the right to go into the board's closed sessions and speak in public meetings.
Mayes issued a statement responding to the veto, discussing the process of the bill.
“During our conversation with the Riverside and Imperial County LAFCO’s, they felt confident in their ability to deliver the study within the time frame put forth by the Legislature. While we believed the timeline in AB1021 could have been met by June of next year, we are thankful the Administration agrees the status quo
Calls for valley representation continued to increase in February following a weather-related outage in the east valley that left thousands without power for two days. A few months later, the same area would have another major weather-related outage that left around 1,400 IID customers without power for several days.
In both instances, multiple power poles were knocked down due to strong winds.
The legislation also prompted a war of words between Mayes and IID, with the agency even threatening to pull out of the Coachella Valley if it went through.
IID board members sought alternatives to adding a Coachella Valley member to the board, sighting concerns with Imperial Valley water rights.
"We’re very open when it comes to all kind of options for Coachella Valley power, but when it comes to Imperial Valley water we have to protect that and that means we can only have Imperial Valley people at the table, especially in closed sessions, when we’re dealing with things relating to ongoing drought on the Colorado River and how the Imperial Valley is going to handle that," J.B. Hamby, IID Board of Directors Vice President, said in June.
“Governor Newsom recognized that the expiration of the 99-year power lease for energy service to the Coachella Valley requires proper time and stakeholder engagement to study and plan for,” said IID Board President James Hanks. “The IID Board recognized it could only be effective in resolving the issues raised in AB 1021 by being proactive in its commitment to mutually beneficial local solutions. We knew it was critical to come together, sit down, and find common ground to develop a win-win for the Coachella and Imperial valleys and the region’s ratepayers overall.”
In July, IID formed a Coachella Valley Energy Commission in an attempt to alleviate the problem. The commission is made up of local representation including members from the cities of La Quinta, Coachella, Indio as well as the Cove Community Services Commission, Salton Community Services District, a tribal representative and also from the County of Riverside.
“Our continued collaborative work through the Coachella Valley Energy Commission will ensure our Coachella Valley customers are better served and Imperial Valley’s water rights are better protected as we develop the strategic plan for energy service and governance in the Coachella Valley for the long-term,” Hamby noted in a statement on Tuesday.
Hamby added, “IID has exceeded and kept every single one of its pledges to answer the concerns of Assemblymember Mayes and Assemblymember Garcia. I want to personally thank them both and their offices for the close working relationships forged over the course of AB 1021. I look forward to our continued efforts to serve our shared constituencies, including sponsoring mutually agreeable legislation and state-funded infrastructure investments for the benefit of all IID ratepayers.”
At the time of the formation of the commission, Mayes said this alternative was not enough.
"Although a step in the right direction, it still falls short of laying out a plan towards the ultimate goal of providing the right to vote for Coachella Valley residents," Mayes said of the commission in July.
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