On March 23, Stockton’s City Council will be receiving an informational presentation on a feasibility study examining the opportunities and economic outlook for launching a Community Choice agency.
A Community Choice Energy program would allow the City to buy electricity at competitive rates on behalf of Stockton residents and businesses and potentially reinvest net revenues back into the community to meet specific needs over time. PG&E would continue to provide distribution services through its power lines, while a governing board of local elected officials would be deciding what electricity sources residents buy from and setting rates for power generation.
Benefits of establishing a not-for-profit Community Choice agency, or CCA, include consumer choice, local control, and enhanced public participation. Potential benefits include offering energy programs that meet community needs, lowering electricity rates, accelerating the transition to renewable energy sources and creating local jobs in sustainable energy development.
If the City Council decides to move forward with a CCA, millions of dollars in existing annual power generation revenues (the bills we currently pay to PG&E) would be redirected to the City to buy power on our behalf and reinvest in the community. CCAs offer more transparency and opportunities for community input over how power generation revenues are spent. Residents would be automatically enrolled as customers of the new CCA, but would also have the choice to opt out and have PG&E continue to purchase their electricity.
In September of 2020, Stockton council members voted unanimously to select a consultant to conduct the feasibility study, which will be released about a week before the meeting.
The study will provide details on the feasibility of CCA in Stockton, including potential rate options, power mixes, and opportunities for local energy efficiency programs.
In moving forward with its own CCA, Stockton would be taking the same steps as 170 California cities and 20 counties. The state’s 23 CCAs have collectively invested in 6,000 megawatts of new renewable energy infrastructure, creating thousands of construction jobs in the process. They’re now serving over 10 million customers with cleaner energy at rates competitive with or lower than the existing utility in their service areas.
Visit the City’s website here to access the March 23 City Council meeting.
If you have any questions, please reach out to davis@theclimatecenter.org to learn more.
