Consumer choice, local control, and accountability
What is Community Choice Aggregation?
Through Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), communities can join together to pool (or aggregate) their electricity load in order to purchase clean energy and develop local projects and programs on behalf of their residents and businesses. Aggregators work in partnership with the region’s existing Investor-Owned Utility (IOU), which continues to deliver power and maintain the grid.
How Community Choice Works
What California CCAs Are Doing
Why CCA?
3,860 Megawatts
New Solar Panels
1,030 Megawatts
New Wind Turbines
1,120 Megawatts
New Energy Storage
14 Megawatts
New Geothermal
7 Megawatts
New Biogas
“CCAs differ from other load serving entities because we don’t just care about getting contracts signed. We really do care about the impact of the projects and want to select projects that our communities are going to be proud of.”
– Natasha Keefer, Director of Power Planning & Procurement, Clean Power Alliance
CCAs: Putting Renewable Energy on the Map in California
CCAs are making good on their commitments to invest in new renewable energy facilities throughout California. To date, CCAs have contracted for more than 6,000 megawatts (MW) of new clean generation capacity through long-term power purchase agreements with terms of 10 years or more. See map below for project locations.
Community Choice Aggregation in California
CCA: Power in Numbers
CCA Programs and Choices
Apple Valley Choice Energy
Apple Valley Choice Energy (AVCE) began serving customers in 2017 in the Town of Apple Valley, located in San Bernardino County. AVCE’s default energy supply option, “CoreChoice,” is 35% renewable. A premium option, “MoreChoice,” is 50% renewable and is supplied by solar, wind, and geothermal resources.
Baldwin Park Resident Owned Utility District
Launched in 2020, Baldwin Park Resident Owned Utility District (BPROUD) brings local control and choice of provider to Baldwin Park.
Central Coast Community Energy (formerly Monterey Bay)
Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) is a public agency that sources competitively priced electricity from clean and renewable energy resources. 3CE’s goal is to source 100% of its customer demand from new clean and renewable resources by 2030, 15 years ahead of the state’s clean energy goal. 3CE serves more than 400,000 customers throughout the Central Coast, including agricultural, commercial and residential customers in communities located within Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz counties.
Clean Power Alliance
Launched in 2018, Clean Power Alliance serves approximately 1 million customer accounts in 32 communities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. During this time, CPA has grown to provide 100% renewable energy to more customers than any other energy provider in the nation.
CleanPowerSF
CleanPowerSF (CPSF) offers renewable, affordable and accessible electricity to more than 380,000 residential and business accounts in San Francisco. To date, CleanPowerSF has contracted 467 MW of new wind and solar projects in California and signed three solar-plus-battery-storage contracts. In 2021, CleanPowerSF expects to deliver at least 50% renewables portfolio standard-eligible renewable energy for its default Green product.
Desert Community Energy
Desert Community Energy (DCE) began serving customers in early 2020 and provides service to over 40,000 accounts. The Palm Springs City Council unanimously voted to default all accounts to DCE’s 100% Carbon Free plan. In doing so, Palm Springs is effectively cutting its carbon emissions equivalent to taking 15,000 cars off the road. For those customers that are concerned with lower costs, DCE offers the Desert Saver plan, which has saved customers almost $200,000 in the first six months of service.
East Bay Community Energy
East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) launched in 2018 and serves approximately 550,000 customers in Alameda County, including in Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Oakland, Piedmont, San Leandro, Union City and the county’s unincorporated areas.
King City Community Power
King City Community Power (KCCP) began providing CCA service in 2018 to residents and businesses in King City in Monterey County.
Lancaster Choice Energy
Lancaster Choice Energy (LCE) is the first stand-alone city CCA in California and the first CCA in Southern California Edison (SCE) territory. LCE serves ~ 50,000 customers in the City of Lancaster in north Los Angeles County. LCE offers ClearChoice 37% renewable and SmartChoice 100% renewable energy service, with approximately half of its customers eligible for low-income energy programs.
MCE
MCE, the first CCA program in California, began serving customers in 2010. MCE (formerly known as Marin Clean Energy) provides electricity service to more than 480,000 customer accounts and more than 1 million residents and businesses in 36 member communities across four Bay Area counties: Contra Costa, Napa, Marin and Solano. MCE provides customers with twice
the amount of clean energy compared to traditional electricity service and is 90% greenhouse gas-free.
Peninsula Clean Energy
Launched in 2016, Peninsula Clean Energy serves approximately 295,000 customers in San Mateo County, maintaining a 97% participation rate of eligible customers. PCE offers two service options: ECOplus, with 50% renewable and 100% greenhouse gas-free energy, and ECO100, with 100% renewable energy that is Green-e certified. PCE plans to offer 100% renewable electricity for all customers by 2025.
Pomona Choice Energy
Pomona Choice Energy (Pomona), initiated service in 2020 in the City of Pomona. Its standard product, Pomona Choice, is at minimum State renewable content, and the Pomona Choice 100 product consists of 100% renewable energy.
Pico Rivera Innovative Municipal Energy
Pico Rivera Innovative Municipal Energy (PRIME) began serving the city of Pico Rivera in 2017. PRIME offers three different options for customers to choose from. Prime Power is the default option that residents are automatically enrolled in, which offers 50% renewable energy, Prime Future is their 100% renewable energy plan which residents may opt up to, and Prime Partner is available for those who generate solar/wind power.
Pioneer Community Energy
Pioneer Community Energy (Pioneer) launched in 2018 in unincorporated Placer County and the cities of Auburn, Colfax, Loomis, Lincoln and Rocklin and offers a 33 percent renewable power supply.
Rancho Mirage Energy Authority
Rancho Mirage Energy Authority (RMEA) began serving the City of Rancho Mirage in 2018 and provides service to 18,000-plus accounts. “Base Choice,” RMEA’s default electricity service offering, is 50% carbon-free. It is comprised of 35% renewables and 15% hydroelectric. RMEA’s “Premium Renewable Choice” rate plan offers customers the option of “opting up” to 100% renewable energy at an affordable price. RMEA’s net energy metering program features a net surplus compensation rate of 6 cents per kWh.
Redwood Coast Energy Authority
Launched in 2017, Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) serves more than 63,000 customers in Humboldt County, Eureka, Arcata, Fortuna, Ferndale, Blue Lake, Rio Dell and Trinidad. RCEA offers “REpower” 40% renewable and “REpower+” 100% renewable and carbon-free energy service options.
San Jacinto Power
San Jacinto Power (SJP) began serving the City of San Jacinto in 2018. “PrimePower,” SJP’s default power option, is available at a price discount compared to Southern California Edison’s default energy option yet is still very eco-friendly with 35% renewable energy content. SJP’s “PureGreen” option is available for customers who want to opt-up to 100% renewable energy at a competitive rate.
San Jose Clean Energy
San Jose Clean Energy (SJCE) initiated service in 2018 and serves approximately 345,000 customers in the City of San José (population 1.03 million). It launched service in February 2019 to most residents and businesses. SJCE’s total annual load is approximately 4 TWh and peak demand is approximately 1 GW. SJCE offers two service options: a default option, GreenSource, which is 40% renewable at rates competitive with PG&E’s, and a premium option, TotalGreen, that is 100% renewable.
Silicon Valley Clean Energy
Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) initiated service in 2017 in Santa Clara County. It serves 270,000 customers in Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Saratoga, Sunnyvale and unincorporated Santa Clara County. SVCE offers two carbon-free energy choices: GreenStart, procured from 50% renewable sources and 50% hydro, and GreenPrime, a 100% renewable, Green-e certified product.
Solana Energy Alliance
Solana Energy Alliance (SEA) is operated by the City of Solana Beach and initiated service to residents and businesses in 2018. It is the first CCA program in San Diego Gas & Electric’s service territory. SEA offers a default energy supply, “SEA Choice,” that is 50% renewable and 75% greenhouse gas-free, and “SEA Green,” a voluntary 100% renewable energy option.
Sonoma Clean Power
Sonoma Clean Power (SCP) serves 227,000 accounts in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. SCP offers CleanStart 50% renewable/97% carbon-free electricity and EverGreen 100% local, renewable electricity. SCP enjoys an 87% participation rate. SCP’s Mission: Turning the tide on the climate crisis, through bold ideas and practical programs.
Valley Clean Energy
Valley Clean Energy (VCE) initiated service in June 2018 and serves over 62,000 customer accounts in the cities of Davis, Woodland, Winters (beginning in 2021), and unincorporated Yolo County.
Western Community Energy
Western Community Energy (WCE) launched in 2020 and serves approximately 112,000 residential and business customers in Riverside County in the cities of Eastvale, Hemet, Jurupa Valley, Norco, Perris and Wildomar. WCE offers two renewable energy products: the “Choice Plan” (37% renewable energy) and the “Choice Plus Plan,” in which customers can opt up to receive 100% green energy.