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February 25, 2018
Ventura City Council will decide on Monday February 26 whether or not to join the Clean Power Alliance (formerly LACCE). If you would like more renewable energy, cost savings, a choice in energy provider, and greater local control, please attend the Council meeting and also express your support by email to [email protected]
It’s item #12 on Ventura City Council agenda. Ventura City Hall, 501 Poli Street, Ventura. Use rear entrance from parking lot in back of City Hall.
What will joining the Alliance do for the City and its businesses and residents?
*A choice for greener and cheaper electricity.
*A choice for electricity bought by an agency accountable to us.
*A chance to contribute to the economy of scale for clean energy in a way that individuals can’t do alone.
What is the Clean Power Alliance and its relationship with SoCal Edison?
The Clean Power Alliance of Southern California is a non-profit organization run by a Board of Directors–one director from each county and from each participating city in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The Clean Power Alliance is self-funded by revenues received from the sale of electricity. No expenses are paid by taxes. Revenues can only be spent to promote Clean Power Alliance goals. They collaborate democratically to select contracts for electricity, decide what rates to charge, and what kinds of energy programs and investments to make. Unlike Edison, the Alliance has no shareholders it has to pay. The Alliance is leaner without extremely high paid executives on first class travel budgets and because of its non-profit status can borrow money at lower rates for projects.
The Alliance asks each city to decide on a default level of renewable energy: 100%, 50% or 36% and each customer can choose how much renewable energy they want. Ventura residents and businesses can tell their Board members what kinds of incentives and offerings they want and what kind and location of investments in new renewable energy generation.
Edison still maintains the grid and handles the billing. If a customer for some reason decides to go back to Edison, they have the choice to opt-out of Clean Power Alliance.
What jurisdictions are part of the Alliance?
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted for unincorporated Ventura County to join, as have the cities of Ojai, Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, Camarillo, Moorpark, and Simi Valley plus Agoura Hills, Calabasas and Malibu across the county line. Cities needing our encouragement to step up: Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, and Fillmore. Now, it’s Ventura’s turn!
What advantages does Ventura have when choosing CLEAN POWER ALLIANCE OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA?
*Renewable energy is the future, and we want the choice to move away from fossil fuels.
*All the preparatory work to set up the Alliance is done. The business plan is finished.
*Every customer will have a choice of 33%, 50%, or 100% renewable energy in their electricity mix.
*Every customer will be able to opt out at any time and stay with the existing investor-owned utility.
*Every other Community Choice Energy program in the state has enjoyed equal cost or cheaper energy than from Edison or PG&E, but containing less fossil fuels (coal or natural gas).
*Methane gas used to produce over 70% of Edison’s electricity is largely produced from Midwest fracking that pollutes water supplies. It leaks throughout the process all the way from other states to power plants. It traps up to 100 times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide within a 5 year period, and 72 times more within a 20 year period. We MUST stop using methane gas to produce electricity!
*As we urgently organize to help reverse climate change, we celebrate the Clean Power Alliance as a pathway to 100% renewable energy.
For more information, please go to http://lacce.org/
