San Diego Community Power Brings Renewable Energy Choice to All of its Member Cities’ Businesses
San Diego Community Power Brings Renewable Energy Choice to All of its Member Cities’ Businesses
Businesses in five member cities can now save money, get cleaner energy and make a positive impact on the economy and environment
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – (June 1, 2021) – San Diego Community Power (SDCP), the not-for-profit community choice energy program, launched renewable energy services for commercial and industrial energy customers in the cities of San Diego, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, and Encinitas. Commercial and industrial account holders will be enrolled over the month of June as customers of a public energy company committed to providing clean energy, competitive rates, and innovative programs. The move offers businesses a choice in energy providers for the first time in the region’s history.
“Businesses no longer have to decide between affordable rates and meeting their climate action goals,” said SDCP Board Chair and Encinitas Councilmember Joe Mosca, SDCP Board Vice Chair. “SDCP provides the rare win-win-win scenario of affordable rates, cleaner energy, and community reinvestment supporting economic and environmental sustainability.”
Today and throughout the month, SDCP flips the switch for approximately 72,000 commercial and industrial accounts representing nearly 60 percent of its forecast energy load. The not-for-profit community choice energy program launched renewable energy procurement services for municipal customers in March and will launch residential service beginning in February of next year.
“For years we knew a sustainable economy must include clean energy and lower rates to benefit our businesses and communities. Businesses have been desperate for forward thinking energy partners who truly prioritize business growth and the people who work there,” said Dr. Cindy J. Lin, Business for Good. “Today, marks a huge leap forward for businesses in San Diego who want to do what’s right to help protect our jobs, reduce costs and improve our health and planet. It’s a no-brainer and a win-win-win!”
Saving Money and Positively Impacting the Community
SDCP provides competitive rates for significantly greener energy options and reinvests in clean energy projects supporting healthier communities today and for the future. The launch energy portfolio includes 55 percent and 100 percent renewable energy options. Businesses that upgrade to the Power100 tier will have the option to register as a Power100 Champion, enabling them to be included in a number of SDCP marketing and promotional opportunities. Businesses can change tiers or opt out of the service at any time. SDG&E will continue to deliver power, manage monthly billing and customer service, and provide ongoing system maintenance.
Organized as a community-accountable not-for-profit, SDCP invests in local communities through job training, renewable energy development projects, and aid programs for communities of concern. Just three months after the official service launch, SDCP has already announced partnerships three clean power development projects that will deliver significant solar energy and battery storage capabilities adding resiliency and new capacity to our local energy sources.
“We are here to advocate for business users, be accountable to the community, drive economic vitality, and support clean energy jobs for local workers,” said SDCP Interim CEO Bill Carnahan. “Clean technology already provides more jobs in the region than all coal-related jobs in the country, and we want to see that trend grow.”
Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) programs were enabled by state legislation as part of the solution to the 2001 energy crisis, allowing local communities to control the energy they buy and address constraints on competition that contributed to the problem. Locally-elected officials govern CCAs with consistent input from a Community Advisory Council. All decisions on energy procurement, rates, and reinvestment are made at open meetings giving member city residents and businesses a voice in energy choices.
There are currently 23 CCAs operating successfully across California and providing reliable service to more than 11 million customers in more than 190 cities and counties.
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About San Diego Community Power
San Diego Community Power (SDCP) is a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA) committed to providing municipalities, businesses, and residents in the five member cities with clean, renewable energy at competitive rates and investing in innovative programs that benefit the environment and the economy in our communities. SDCP will source cleaner electricity services for approximately 770,000 customer accounts in Chula Vista, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, and San Diego. Learn more at www.sdcommunitypower.org.
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