News Details
Oceanside to Implement Community Choice Energy
June 2022
At its June 8, 2022, City Council meeting, the Council approved Oceanside's membership in the Clean Energy Alliance (CEA) and plans to implement Community Choice Energy (CCE). Staff report
Community Choice Energy is an alternative to traditional investor owned utilities that purchase electrical power, such as San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE). Under state law, communities can form CCEs to aggregate their purchasing power to offer a cost-competitive choice of renewable energy and support local economies. As public agencies, CCEs are usually operated as Joint Powers Authorities (JPA) with a Board of Directors representing each member municipality.
From 2018 to 2021, City staff worked with neighboring cities to study options, costs, and risks. This work included a Feasibility Study and the exploration of costs associated with joining the various CCEs already formed in the region.
The CEA partners Oceanside with the cities of Vista, San Marcos, Carlsbad, Del Mar, Solana Beach, and Escondido. Current customer participation is at approximately 93 percent.
It is the goal of the CEA to provide customers with reliable, competitively priced electricity rates from a clean energy portfolio having a higher share of renewable energy sources, compared with SDGE.
The earliest launch of service in Oceanside is expected to be about April 2024.
