While Ventura has enjoyed it for awhile, we have long awaited community choice energy coming to Santa Barbara as a way to ramp up renewable energy and acheive our 100% clean energy goals. We are excited to announce that it is now available for the whole South Coast: SB, Carpinteria, Goleta and county areas in between!
In the City of Santa Barbara, the South Coast’s new locally controlled electricity provider, Santa Barbara Clean Energy (www.sbcleanenergy.com) launched Oct. 1st for residential customers and later (March 2022) for commercial. This provider serves the City of Santa Barbara. More info here.
In unincorporated areas of Santa Barbara County, as well as in the Cities of Goleta and Carpinteria, Central Coast Community Energy (https://3cenergy.org/) is rolling out to in October as well. It has already been up and running for several years in other central coast communities. It's geographic service area is currently limited to Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. Central Coast Community Energy, or 3CE, serves nearly 400,000 customers throughout the Central Coast and follows the same structure as more than 20 other community choice energy agencies serving more than 11 million customers throughout Californian.
The launch of both of these providers is a huge step towards furthering local goals to reach 100% renewable power by 2030. The new energy model will both help set the region on a path of clean energy solutions and help stimulate the local economy.
When a Community Choice Energy program launches, all customers are automatically enrolled in the new program, allowing them to get the benefits of more renewable energy and access to new rebates and programs to make clean energy technologies more affordable. No action is required.
The main benefits include:
- Cleaner electricity with lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
- Competitive electricity rates
- Access to Energy Program rebates and incentives designed to assist customers with the transition from fossil fuel sources to clean energy solutions
- Local control and local accountability of our energy provider
- New opportunities for local jobs and renewable energy projects
- Opportunities for greater local resilience
- Faster progress toward local climate goals
For new enrollees, your electrical bill will STILL come from Southern California Edison but will now include Central Coast Community Energy Electric Generation charges (or Santa Barbara Clean Energy). SCE will no longer charge for electric generation services – there are no duplicate or extra charges.
Read more about what this means for Goleta and watch their video.
You can also learn more about Central Coast Community Energy by attending an upcoming webinar in November. Sign up at 3CEnergy.org/2021-enrollment. You can also view a recording of a previously held residential webinar here and commercial/agricultural webinar here.
If you have questions, you can contact a local customer service Energy Advisor: 888-909-6227, or contact Central Cost Community Energy Customer Service at SouthSupport@3CE.org, or visit 3CEnergy.org/2021-enrollment.