Community Choice Energy

The Community Choice Energy (CCE, aka Community Choice Aggregation) program is considered to be the most powerful tool for local governments to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission and achieve their Climate Action Plans.

In 2002 AB 117 established Community Choice in California. CCAs are opt-out programs and are established by a local ordinance voted on by the governing body of a county, city or special district (e.g. local water agency or public utility district). No public vote or referendum is required.

California’s first CCE, Marin Clean Energy, was launched in 2010 to serve customers in parts of Marin County. The program that was once branded as a “risky scheme” has proven to be economically viable and has expanded its service territory in 3 neighboring counties and its roster of programs and services.

Interest in CCEs and their environmental benefits has grown dramatically since 2014. The current CCE programs are listed below (LEAN Energy US).

Community Choice introduces competition and consumer choice into the electricity sector with a focus on local, renewable energy to stimulate rapid innovations in clean energy systems. As not-for-profit agencies, Community Choice energy providers are not beholden to multi-million dollar CEO salaries or shareholder returns, but rather to stable, competitive pricing for consumers and increasingly resilient, clean, and local energy systems. According to CalCCA, to date, CCAs in California have contracted for over 6,000 Megawatts (MW) of new clean generation capacity through long-term power purchase agreements with terms of 10 years or more.

Powerful Impacts for Community Choice:

• In 2021 24 operational Community Choice agencies (CCAs) serving 11 million+ people in California

• Revenues reinvested in the community, not distributed to shareholders.

• 6,000+ Megawatts of new renewable energy

• 1,120 Megawatt hours of new energy storage

• Dozens of new innovative programs for customers