Community Choice Energy presents the opportunity to be part of the transition to energy independence faster than what we can expect from staying with the monopoly electricity provider SoCal Edison. Oxnard in particular has faced an endless stream of environmental injustices. With what looks like a victory against the Puente Power Plant the opportunity now arises for a definitive shift away from noxious fossil fuels to clean energy.
The time to act is now for Ventura County and its ten cities, especially Oxnard, to move ahead to join a Community Choice Energy Aggregation. The quickest option that promises greater immediate competitiveness with SoCalEdison is to join Los Angeles County Community Choice Energy or LACCE. Oxnard being the largest user of electricity of any city cannot afford to lose out on the benefits of local control of clean, resilient, cost-effective energy development. The long-range forecast with SoCalEdison is higher rates and less ambition to develop local renewable energy.
By choosing to join LACCE, every resident will have a choice of 30%, 50%, or 100% renewable energy in their electricity mix. The time to join, at no cost whatsoever to a City, is by Dec. 27, with a ninety day trial period in which Oxnard can opt-out with no consequence.
The feasibility of local jurisdictions competing with SoCalEdison is proven. Several cities and counties across the state already maintain successful CCE’s, including: Marin, Sonoma, San Francisco, San Mateo County, and Lancaster. The neighboring cities of Calabasas and Agoura Hills have signed up with LACCE. Every CCE in the state has been found to be a feasible, positive choice. The drop-out rate among consumers community choice energy in those areas is less than 9%, with the majority of consumers enjoying cheaper energy and the comfort of knowing that they are contributing to a clean energy revolution that also stimulates local clean energy generation projects and energy efficiency programs that mean good local jobs.
If you want your community owning it’s own locally controlled energy program, please speak to your elected officials to ask that joining a CCE, such as LACCE, become an agenda item for discussion at your city council. Recommend to your city manager to study the options, and urge your county supervisor to support Community Choice Energy.
Arrive early to your City Council meeting and fill out a speaker card and give it to the Clerk at the front. You will be given anywhere from 1, 2 or 3 minutes to speak depending on how many speakers are signed in. Make it personal. Speak from the heart. We want local control of our energy with the chance for local projects and jobs that help us get off of fossil fuels.