Marin Clean Energy (MCE) just reduced its rates for a second year in a row. Effective April 1, MCE’s energy rates went down by an average of 3.7%, bringing the cost of their Light Green 50% renewable energy service slightly lower than PG&E’s 30% renewable energy service. That’s cleaner, cheaper power!
Thanks to the not-for-profit Community Choice model, MCE customers know that a portion of what they spend on their electric bill is being redirected back into their own community instead of shareholder profits. MCE has allocated $115,000 for solar rebates for low-income homes, saving local customers more than $1 million in bills. The program has offered payment of over $1 million to solar customers for generating more solar than they used in 2016.
MCE has 4.2 megawatts of new, local renewable energy projects online and 15.6 megawatts under construction. And MCE’s 15 renewable energy projects have supported over 2,800 jobs to date in California, with union labor used on 10 of these in-state projects.
For customers interested in using even cleaner energy than the standard Light Green 50%, MCE offers Deep Green 100% renewable energy. The Deep Green choice guarantees purchase of 100% non-polluting, Green-e Energy certified wind and solar power from California sources. For a typical home, Deep Green only costs about $4 more per month than PG&E’s standard energy service. Half of the revenue generated from Deep Green goes toward building local solar projects in MCE’s service areas, like the 10.5 megawatt MCE Solar One project in Richmond, which will create 341 jobs during the construction period.
In addition to bill savings through MCE’s lower cost of energy, commercial and multifamily customers can increase savings and reduce their carbon footprint by participating in MCE’s energy efficiency programs, which include no-cost building evaluation of energy savings opportunities and financial incentives. To date, more than 437 businesses and 1,619 residential units have benefited from these services. Visit www.mcecleanenergy.org/energy-savings to learn more.
MCE’s service area includes all of Marin and Napa Counties and the cities of Richmond, Benicia, El Cerrito, San Pablo, Walnut Creek, and Lafayette.