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Citizens can expect more cost-competitive clean energy for 2017
With rising concerns of climate change, green energy continues to gain interest in communities such as Davis and Yolo County. On Oct. 25, Davis and Yolo County representatives voted unanimously to create the Valley Clean Energy Alliance (VCEA), which aims to deliver cost-competitive clean electricity by fall 2017.
“Community Choice Energy (CCE) programs have shown the ability to deliver consumer choice and greener electricity with competitive pricing,” said Mayor of Davis Robb Davis, in a press release to the Davis Vanguard. “We are in a period of rapidly changing electricity generation options and a CCE enables us to proactively be part of that change — creating a more resilient supply of green energy to our consumers.”
The formation of the VCEA and CCE programs in Davis and Yolo County gives the communities freedom to come together collectively and purchase their electrical power rather than just buy it from an industrial utility. While customers may continue to use Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) as their main source for electricity, they now have other options as well.
Currently, PG&E sources and delivers energy to residents of Davis and the greater Yolo County area. The VCEA is looking to follow in the footsteps of current CCE programs already in place throughout the state of California. Electricity will be purchased from local sources and will use greener and cleaner methods. PG&E will continue to own the transmission and distribution system because of the large investment in infrastructure pre-established, meaning that a small percentage of the rates that customers pay for VCEA electricity will go to PG&E as well.
Yolo County supervisor Don Saylor believes that this program will greatly benefit the community.
“The purpose of this authorization is to enable communities to increase the portion of the energy they purchase and consume from renewable sources and to reduce the rates that customers pay,” Saylor said. “This means we can generate electrical power using solar facilities that we own and operate. We can use our own power or we can purchase from renewable sources such as biogas, wind power, solar power, hydropower, and we can purchase on the open market.”
In addition, the program is expected to increase the renewable energy portfolios of Davis and Yolo County, as well as support the implementation of Yolo County’s Climate Action Plan, which was adopted in 2011. The official action plan calls for “detailed strategies and measures to achieve these goals and contribute to State and international climate protection efforts.”
Written By: Andie Joldersma — city@theaggie.org