By Jeff Byron and Ann Hancock | Special to the Mercury News | February 26, 2016
Big and positive changes are underway in Silicon Valley for renewable energy.
Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties and their cities are voting to establish Community Choice Energy programs, laying the foundation for the 21st Century energy system. In place of the old, centralized, linear, fossil-fueled system, a new structure that is like an Internet of energy is emerging — intelligent and interactive, distributed, efficient, resilient and fueled by renewables.
This system promises customers competitive rates, cleaner energy, choices in service products, more innovation, a voice in decisions about energy and competition to utilities such as PG&E.
Silicon Valley cities and counties are pursuing the path blazed by Marin Clean Energy, Sonoma Clean Power and Lancaster Choice Energy. These Community Choice programs combined serve a population of about 1.1 million, and they’re exceeding expectations with this local approach to procuring power.
Proponents of Community Choice include governmental, community and business leaders such as Joint Venture Silicon Valley, whose board voted unanimously to support more competition and choice in the energy market to encourage renewables.
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Community Choice is a local program enabled by state law that buys or generates electricity for residents, businesses and governments. PG&E continues to transmit and distribute the electricity, maintain the system and handle the billing, while local decision makers determine the source of the electricity. The Community Choice program and PG&E work together to ensure that service is seamless.
Silicon Valley and San Francisco’s contribution will greatly increase the scale of Community Choice Energy in California.
CleanPowerSF, going live in May, will serve San Francisco’s population of 850,000. Peninsula Clean Energy, comprised of San Mateo County and its 20 cities, will serve another 750,000 people starting in August. Silicon Valley Community Choice Energy, including unincorporated Santa Clara County and likely 12 cities, is expected to serve about 600,000 starting in late 2016.
Together, these programs will serve 2.2 million people, doubling the population being served in California.
San Jose’s City Council on Tuesday is scheduled to vote on whether to also take steps toward Community Choice. It was recommended unanimously by the City’s Transportation and Environment Committee on Feb. 1.
San Jose’s Community Choice program would serve a population of 1 million, bringing the total size of areas served by Community Choice in California to about 4.3 million. Some 50 other cities and counties are exploring it.
Huge financial impacts are at play with the emergence of Community Choice. For San Jose alone, our conservative estimate is that customers currently pay $350 million to $400 million per year for electricity to PG&E, an amount that would be put under local control and directed to renewable sources.
The Center for Climate Protection is focused on spreading Community Choice. Since 2012 we’ve prioritized Silicon Valley because we envision a cutting-edge Community Choice program from the world’s hub of technological innovation.
Tell San Jose’s mayor and city council members you support their leadership in establishing Community Choice and that you want a “yes” vote Tuesday. And come to our Business of Local Energy Symposium on Community Choice in San Jose March 4.
Momentum is building for a clean energy future, and San Jose can be part of it.
Jeff Byron of Los Altos has 40 years’ experience in emerging energy technologies and served for five years as a California energy commissioner during the Schwarzenegger administration. Ann Hancock cofounded and directs the Center for Climate Protection. They wrote this for this newspaper.
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