Integrated Resource Planning and Long Term Procurement Analysis at the City of Palo Alto Utilities

Timmy Hall, MS '23 
Karl Knapp Energy Fellow in City Government 
City of Palo Alto Utilities

I’m incredibly grateful for my opportunity to work with the Resource Management team at the City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) this summer with such a passionate team of experts. My fellowship was created to honor the remarkable life of Karl Knapp, a Senior Resource Planner at the CPAU from 2001 to 2008. I read up on Karl’s legacy and was moved by his commitment to fostering and growing the clean, renewable energy transition. Karl was involved in the city’s first wind project, early utility and residential solar prototypes, and the design of voluntary renewable energy purchasing programs for city residents. He was an early advocate and educator of the benefits of electric vehicles, co-taught Understanding Energy at Stanford, and even owned machinery patents for solar cell development - and this is just scratching the surface of his energy interests. He also was a family man who sewed alterations on his daughter’s prom dress, a lover of music and Dead head, and frequent explorer of Big Sur and Catalina. 

In a remembrance for Karl, it stated that he wanted to share the gifts of his knowledge with the next generation of “renewable energy warriors”. I can say Karl's passion for cleaner and smarter energy solutions and commitment to developing future energy leaders lives on at the City of Palo Alto. Lena Perkins, Emerging Technologies Manager and Senior Resource Planner, has been such an incredible mentor, collaborator, and friend for me. We typically work together every day on a variety of projects related to the CPAU’s Integrated Resource Plan due in January 2024 and long-term energy procurement options. I also have to thank Jim Stack, Eric Wong, and the rest of the Energy Resources team for their support and guidance this summer.

I wish I could say my experience here has been unique as climate extremes across California continue to have a profound, frequent, and negative impact on livelihoods. California’s 2023 severe storms brought staggering economic loss and hardship to many communities in the Central Valley.  I’ve had the privilege to work on the City’s analysis of the Central Valley Project (CVP)–a hydroelectric system of 20 dams and reservoirs that holds over 12-million-acre feet of water. Palo Alto and many other towns and municipalities receive large portions of their electricity from the CVP. It’s a powerful and shapeable clean energy resource - meaning the dams can discharge water during peak demand hours when the electricity grid is the dirtiest. However, there can be extreme environmental consequences from dams and hydroelectric power if not managed and dispatched properly. The CPAU is working diligently to find ways to reduce emissions while minimizing environmental harm from their generating resources.

When I’m not working with the City, I’m following in Karl’s footsteps and spending time with family and friends exploring California. We’ve shared beers at Zott’s, gone swimming around Lake Tahoe, and attended Dead and Co.’s last show at Oracle Park in SF. We’re also saving up for our first EV. Cheers, Karl!