According to the Chief Administrative Officer’s (CAO) memo to your Board dated August 4, 2026, “This item seeks Board direction only and carries no additional fiscal impact.”
Why is this item on the agenda (Item 6.6)?
Your Board authorized a feasibility study for FLASHES. Today, Admin asks for direction needed for pre engineering planning. Rather than death by 1,000 cuts, this request poses death by 1,000 decisions in the dark—without the benefit of a comprehensive energy policy.
This agenda item would benefit from evaluation with the county’s comprehensive energy policy. Today, your Board must make a decision based on a policy decision that has not been subjected to robust analysis nor discussion: should the project prioritize covering the greatest number of residents or maximizing cash flow?
The FLASHES feasibility study results should be presented to your Board with the options about project service boundaries and the facts supporting the options. In addition, the FLASHES business model needs to be validated.
The Energy Policy Development Ad Hoc Committee needs to set the table for energy projects as Supervisor Pyska suggested. Developing an energy policy is part of table setting. An important element of the energy policy is defining revenue participation—Lake County should receive its fair share for energy generated within the county.
Admin’s request for direction today is better answered after a review of the county energy policy’s requirements for revenue participation and a review of FLASHES project facts. Weighing the options of increasing service area or to focus service to a compact area involves cost benefit analysis.
• What are the factors contributing to the increased costs to expand service to Lucerne?
• And what are the benefits or return on investment for expanding service to Lucerne?
• “Resilience benefits” is a vague term.
The memo doesn’t provide detail on the above.
Your Board’s direction to the Ad Hoc Committee is sound and still applies now more than ever: the Ad Hoc Committee needs to focus on developing the county’s comprehensive energy policy. The clock is ticking. The policy draft is due 60 days from July 14.
Meanwhile, direction on this agenda item should be tabled until the comprehensive energy policy is available. The risk of moving forward with a project decision here and a decision there, can result in
• the county finding itself painted into a corner or
• losing advantages by making decisions without a comprehensive energy policy.
It sounds like Lake County is on the hook to move forward with FLASHES if the feasibility study deems the project to be feasible. How is feasibility defined? Feasibility should include favorable terms and community benefits for Lake County residents.
Without a comprehensive energy policy, there is a risk that a third party or developer can come in and offer to finish the project--whether or not the project terms are best-suited to benefit Lake County and its residents. A comprehensive energy policy will help your Board make an informed evaluation of such energy projects.
Chair Rasmussen and Supervisors,
According to the Chief Administrative Officer’s (CAO) memo to your Board dated August 4, 2026, “This item seeks Board direction only and carries no additional fiscal impact.”
Why is this item on the agenda (Item 6.6)?
Your Board authorized a feasibility study for FLASHES. Today, Admin asks for direction needed for pre engineering planning. Rather than death by 1,000 cuts, this request poses death by 1,000 decisions in the dark—without the benefit of a comprehensive energy policy.
This agenda item would benefit from evaluation with the county’s comprehensive energy policy. Today, your Board must make a decision based on a policy decision that has not been subjected to robust analysis nor discussion: should the project prioritize covering the greatest number of residents or maximizing cash flow?
The FLASHES feasibility study results should be presented to your Board with the options about project service boundaries and the facts supporting the options. In addition, the FLASHES business model needs to be validated.
The Energy Policy Development Ad Hoc Committee needs to set the table for energy projects as Supervisor Pyska suggested. Developing an energy policy is part of table setting. An important element of the energy policy is defining revenue participation—Lake County should receive its fair share for energy generated within the county.
Admin’s request for direction today is better answered after a review of the county energy policy’s requirements for revenue participation and a review of FLASHES project facts. Weighing the options of increasing service area or to focus service to a compact area involves cost benefit analysis.
• What are the factors contributing to the increased costs to expand service to Lucerne?
• And what are the benefits or return on investment for expanding service to Lucerne?
• “Resilience benefits” is a vague term.
The memo doesn’t provide detail on the above.
Your Board’s direction to the Ad Hoc Committee is sound and still applies now more than ever: the Ad Hoc Committee needs to focus on developing the county’s comprehensive energy policy. The clock is ticking. The policy draft is due 60 days from July 14.
Meanwhile, direction on this agenda item should be tabled until the comprehensive energy policy is available. The risk of moving forward with a project decision here and a decision there, can result in
• the county finding itself painted into a corner or
• losing advantages by making decisions without a comprehensive energy policy.
It sounds like Lake County is on the hook to move forward with FLASHES if the feasibility study deems the project to be feasible. How is feasibility defined? Feasibility should include favorable terms and community benefits for Lake County residents.
Without a comprehensive energy policy, there is a risk that a third party or developer can come in and offer to finish the project--whether or not the project terms are best-suited to benefit Lake County and its residents. A comprehensive energy policy will help your Board make an informed evaluation of such energy projects.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Margaux Kambara
Lake County Resident