Community Choice Energy Is A Go!

• Home
• Programs • Watts | All Things Energy •
• Community Choice Energy Is A Go!

GreenTown Los Altos is for Community Choice Energy (CCE). Why? It’s local governments’ key to reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and we’re glad as a community we chose to join in.

Here’s some useful background info about CCE:
Community choice energy (CCE) programs offer choice about where customers get their electrons. In California, these programs have been used to substantially increase the amount of electricity coming from renewable energy sources and are a key tool in reducing a community’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Issues:

• Los Altos and Los Altos Hills need to reduce GHGs to meet Climate Action Plan goals.
• Eighteen (18)% of GHG emissions in Los Altos are from residential and commercial electricity use.
• Our communities have no control over the carbon content of PG&E’s electricity mix (~20% clean) and has limited access to public benefit funds for energy efficiency and conservation.

Background:

• California passed state law AB 117 (2002), amended by SB 790 (2011), allowing local jurisdictions to form CCEs.
• CCEs enable cities and counties to pool the buying power of residents and businesses.
• CCEs can elect to provide a higher amount of renewable electrical energy at competitive rates.
• Energy is publicly provided, but transmission, distribution, repair and customer service functions remain with PG&E.
  Consumers are automatically enrolled in the CCE, but have an opt-out option.
• CCEs in California have been created as not-for-profit entities; excess revenues have been reinvested in community energy efficiency and other local programs.
• Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Cupertino and Santa Clara County conducted an initial feasibility study for a Silicon Valley CCE program and partnered with several other communities, including Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, for a technical feasibility studypublished in November 2105.

Opportunity:
Los Altos and Los Altos Hills can join the Silicon Valley CCE Partnership, a local vehicle for purchasing clean power for our residents. This partnership will enable our communities to take PG&E’s 20% clean energy and turn it into 50% or more overnight, dramatically reducing the carbon footprint of our communities and supporting our communities’ Climate Action Plan goals.

Recommendation:
GreenTown urges the City of Los Altos to join Silicon Valley CCE Partnership and enable our residents to reap the benefits of clean energy. Deadline for cities to commit is March 31, 2016.

To Community Choice Energy (CCE):

• Local Governments’ Key to Reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions.
• Community choice energy (CCE) programs offer a choice allowing customers to get their electricity from renewable energy sources and are a key tool in reducing a community’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).

Issue:

• Los Altos and Los Altos Hills need to reduce GHGs to meet Climate Action Plan goals.
  Eighteen (18)% of GHG emissions in Los Altos are from residential and commercial electricity use.
• Our communities have no control over the carbon content of PG&E’s electricity mix (~20% clean) and has limited access to public benefit funds for energy efficiency and conservation.

Background:

• CCEs enable cities and counties to pool the buying power of residents and businesses.
• CCEs can provide a higher amount of renewable electrical energy at competitive rates.
• CCEs buy the electricity, but transmission, distribution, repair and customer service remain with PG&E.
• Consumers are automatically enrolled in the CCE, but have an opt-out option.
• CCEs in California have been created as not-for-profit entities; excess revenues have been reinvested in community energy efficiency and other local programs.

Opportunity:

Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) was established in March 2016 to provide residents and businesses with a new choice to the traditional utility model: a community controlled power supply that offers electricity from cleaner energy sources at competitive rates, through the creation of a new, nonprofit public agency. SVCE will serve the cities of Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Gilroy, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Saratoga, Sunnyvale, and the unincorporated portions of Santa Clara County starting in April 2017. For more information:  www.svcleanenergy.org.
Recommendation:

• GreenTown urges the residents of Los Altos and Los Altos Hills to stay with the choice of SVCE, and not opt-out and return to PG&E.
• “Offering 100% carbon free electricity at lower rates is a game-changer, fulfilling our vision to end reliance on fossil fuels and bring new choice to all of us currently served by a monopoly provider,” said Rod Sinks, chair of the SVCE Board of Directors. “Residents and businesses will continue to receive a single bill and distribution services from PG&E, while getting the dual benefits of less expensive electricity powered by wind, water and solar sources.”