This month is truly a watershed moment in our fight against climate change. 29 cities and the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties are now receiving less expensive energy from the nonprofit Clean Power Alliance than the for-profit, investor owned utility, Southern California Edison (SCE) can provide.
As the Los Angeles Times wrote recently, community choice aggregations (like the Clean Power Alliance) "are an improvement on investor-owned utilities..., giving communities the ability to set their own rates, buy as much clean energy as they want and find creative ways to encourage clean energy technologies including rooftop solar, electric cars and microgrids."
The Clean Power Alliance plans to invest in local job creation, distributed clean energy generation, and a just transition from the fossil fuel economy that has been destroying our air, our politics, and our climate. SCE will continue to send bills, provide service and maintain the wires that bring electricity to your home or business.
Thanks to the Clean Power Alliance, ~930,000 customers living in Santa Monica, Culver City, West Hollywood and 6 other CPA cities will have 100% clean, renewable energy flowing from their electrical outlets! Although the 100% clean energy option will cost 9% more than what SCE was charging, customers can opt down to lower rates at any time.
“With Ventura County and majority of its cities choosing to go with 100 percent renewable energy as the default, this region may leap ahead to become among the greenest regions in the United States. Cities like Oxnard know the pollution impacts from fossil fuel power plants firsthand. This move will reduce carbon emissions, pollution, increase clean energy jobs and help save the planet,” said Katie Davis, Vice-Chair of the Sierra Club Los Padres Chapter.
“The Sierra Club thanks our local leaders for their vision and courage to make our communities healthier and more resilient by being powered with 100 percent renewable energy. We look forward to continuing to work with residents and community leaders to build an equitable energy future that creates clean air and a strong local economy for all,” said David Haake, chair of the Sierra Club Clean Break Team.
Members living in CPA cities are invited to click HERE and take the pledge to take responsibility for your carbon footprint and stay with 100% clean energy.
For more about the Clean Power Alliance, watch their youtube video (turn up the sound!), check out their website, and like them on Facebook. Even better, join the campaign to bring more cities on board with 100% clean energy by joining Clean Break.