ECC - Support Community Choice Energy

Contacts: Luis Amezcua, LAmezcua27@gmail.com; Ed Mainland, emainland@comcast.net

Goal by 2030: Over 50% of state electricity demand in CCAs or municipal energy programs

Actions for 2018: Work with national Club staff, chapters, activists, labor and other organizations to:

  • Ensure that CCAs incorporate community input and are designed to achieve Sierra Club goals.
  • Reduce or eliminate exit fees and other unfair burdens on Community Choice Energy;
  • Encourage local municipal officials to form and join CCAs in their locality and region;
  • Push existing and new CCAs to prioritize and implement best CCA practices in energy efficiency, local, distributed renewable energy, and workforce development programs

Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) programs allow local city and county governments in California to choose their communities’ electricity supply. The Investor Owned Utility continues to operate the distribution grid and provide various supporting services. At the outset, all customers are automatically enrolled into the CCA, and may choose to “opt out” of the CCA and back to the Investor Owned Utility.  CCAs are the most potent and effective tool cities and counties have to scale up renewable energy systems and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

(Note that only municipalities in Investor Owned Utility territories may form CCAs — public utilities, such as in the cities of Los Angeles and Sacramento, are already community-owned.)

The way CCAs are designed and operated varies widely. This affects whether or not CCA  programs can achieve Sierra Club goals in practice. Additionally, there are several “regional” models of Community Choice developing. It is important that all of these initiatives incorporate community input, Sierra Club goals and best CCA practices. .

Sierra Club’s California Nevada Regional Conservation Committee (CNRCC) adopted this CCA Resolution on 30 April 2017. To implement the Resolution, the following guidelines and resources are provided to help chapters advocate for strong Community Choice programs and effectively interact with local officials:

Resources:

Community Choice Energy Resolution 

Community Choice Energy Design Guidelines