Blog

The Berkeley City Council approved joining East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) on Tuesday, November 1st!
Goals for the Alameda County program include:

• EBCE will launch in cities throughout Alameda in Fall 2017.
• EBCE will be a community-governed power supplier, committed to providing electricity generated from a high percentage of renewable sources such as solar, wind and geothermal than PG&E provides.
• EBCE will focus on job creation in Alameda County.
• EBCE will be the largest Community Choice Energy program in California. Berkeley is the 4th largest load in Alameda County.
• Municipalities will be represented on the Joint Power of Authority (JPA) Board, which will have decision making authority over the program and will be seated in January 2017.

On October 4th the Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to form East Bay Community Energy (EBCE). East Bay Community Energy is the name for Alameda County’s Community Choice Energy (CCE) program. The agreement the Supervisors voted forward specifically addresses workers’ rights and a “just transition” to a clean energy economy. The County is committed to ensuring union jobs are maintained and created through this transition. The Alameda County Board of Supervisors allocated $2.4 million to CCE, including hiring experts in energy and marketing to design the programs and establish energy contracts. We applaud the county vote, adoption by the City of Berkeley, and the efforts of many community groups, including a working group of the Berkeley Climate Action Coalition, who have been working hard to move this program forward.

What’s next for East Bay Community Energy?
After municipalities vote to join, the program rolls out in Fall 2017. Customers will be automatically enrolled in the baseline program that will be less expensive than PG&E. The renewable energy baseline will be greater than what PG&E currently offers. Customers can choose to opt out and stay with PG&E or elect to opt up to 100% renewable energy. With either choice, PG&E still handles billing and transmission.

Learn more by visiting the just-launched website for East Bay Community Energy.

Background on CCE
Community Choice Energy (CCE, also referred to as Community Choice Aggregation, or CCA) allows cities or counties to purchase energy supply contracts for their communities. CCE programs offer more renewable energy than traditional utilities at a lower price for ratepayers. While CCE programs handle purchasing electricity from power providers, the existing utility continues to deliver the electricity to homes and businesses over its existing power poles and lines.