Answering Questions about the Clean Power Alliance
April 12, 2019 9:00 AM
by Garrett T. Wong
A version of this article originally appeared in the April/May edition of Seascape.
Enjoy the advantages of clean, renewable power at competitive rates. Clean Power Alliance will purchase clean power and Southern California Edison (SCE) will deliver it. Clean Power Alliance offers three new, competitively priced options for your electricity, all cleaner than what Edison provides, and Clean Power Alliance also reinvests funds back into the community.
What is Clean Power Alliance?
Clean Power Alliance is the new, locally controlled clean electricity provider for 32-member cities and counties in Southern California, including Santa Monica. Clean Power Alliance is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) governed by a board of directors which includes an elected official from each member agency. Councilmember Kevin McKeown serves as the director representative for Santa Monica.
How does it work?
The short answer is Clean Power Alliance procures the electricity from renewable energy sources, and Southern California Edison delivers it to residential and commercial customers. Southern California Edison still owns and reads your electric meter, sends your monthly bill, and provides the same maintenance and other repair services they always have. Santa Monica customers automatically receive 100% Green Power. For the average residential customer, this will amount to a $7-9 increase on your monthly bill.
When did Clean Power Alliance begin serving customers?
Starting on February 1, more than 48,000 Santa Monica residential customers were switched over to Clean Power Alliance’s 100% Green Power. The remaining 5,300+ commercial accounts in Santa Monica will switch over on May 1, 2019. Taken together, the switch to 100% Green Power will reduce the City’s greenhouse gas emissions by a fifth, accelerating our progress toward carbon neutrality by 2050 or sooner.
Where does Clean Power Alliance get its electricity?
Clean Power Alliance gets its electricity from private suppliers that have gone through a rigorous qualification and selection process, with a goal of incorporating locally generated power whenever possible. These suppliers get their electricity from a variety of generation sources such as wind or solar. The majority of power will be generated from California-based sources, with some suppliers located within Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The exact proportion of each varies, based on demand and availability.
Do I have a choice? What are my options?
Clean Power Alliance offers customers the opportunity to choose their electricity provider and their energy sources. A customer’s options are: 1) Do nothing and continue to support Clean Power Alliance and receive 100% Green Power; 2) Opt down to a lower level of renewable energy (50% or 36%); 3) Opt out of the program and remain a customer with SCE. Customers can make these selections and reverse them at any time.
Who do I call to opt down or out of the program, or if I have questions about my service?
If you ever have questions about the Clean Power Alliance portion of your bill, you can call 888.585.3788, or email customerservice@cleanpoweralliance.org. If you have questions about the rest of your Southern California Edison bill, call Southern California Edison at 800.655.4555.
What about low-income customer discounts?
Customers enrolled in Clean Power Alliance continue to receive their CARE, FERA, and Medical Baseline discount within their Southern California Edison delivery charges. There is no need to reapply with Clean Power Alliance. Even on the 100% Green Power rate, low-income customers will not see any net increase to their utility rates. New CARE, FERA, and Medical Baseline enrollments or renewals must still be done through Southern California Edison’s customer service center or website. To apply for your discount, visit sce.com/care.
Authored By
Garrett T. Wong
Sustainability Analyst