Collectives seek to lower cost of renewable energy, offer choice at local level

The Hill

EBCE says its customers are saving nearly $10 million annually in comparison to what they would have paid Pacific Gas and Electric, the traditional utility. EBCE buys most of its power from clean sources such as wind, solar and hydropower — selling that power to customers at low rates.

EBCE invests its earnings back into the community and creates local green energy jobs and clean power projects in the participating municipalities, according to the agency.
MCE spans four counties — Contra Costa, Napa, Marin and Solano — and like EBCE, sources most of its power from renewables, according to the agency. It says its customers have saved more than $68 million since it launched in 2010.

Another focus of MCE is to provide affordable clean energy to the underserved communities.

“It’s really our goal to make clean energy affordable and accessible to everyone — with the understanding that communities of color and economically disadvantaged populations and other marginalized communities often receive the first and the worst impacts of climate change and fossil fuel pollution,” said Dawn Weisz, CEO of MCE.

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