Fremont

If you do not want to transition to Renewable 100, you can choose to remain on Bright Choice or you can opt out of Ava service and choose PG&E. Both of these choices require you to take action by filling out the online form at AvaEnergy.org/fremont, calling Ava customer support at 833-699-3223, or emailing customer-support@AvaEnergy.org. Submit your request to remain on Bright Choice by July 23 to avoid receiving any bills on Renewable 100 service.

You can still change your plan by filling out the online form to Change Your Plan, calling Ava customer support at 833-699-3223, or emailing customer-support@AvaEnergy.org. Changes to your plan will take effect in one to two billing cycles.

The Fremont City Council voted in June 2024 to change the default service plan for the entire community to Renewable 100 to facilitate Fremont’s Climate Action Plan. The City has an ambitious goal of reducing community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and Renewable 100 has a greenhouse gas emissions factor of 0, making it the most renewable, least carbon-intensive, non-nuclear electricity option for the City. 

This transition was completed for Fremont’s residents in August 2025 and is scheduled to begin for businesses in August 2026. However, you still have the same choices you have always had: you can choose to remain on Bright Choice (the current default plan, priced at a discount to PG&E’s standard rates), transition to Renewable 100, or opt out of Ava and choose PG&E’s electricity generation service.

Renewable 100 is priced at 1¾ cents per kWh more than PG&E’s standard rates. For an average small business in Fremont, switching from Bright Choice to Renewable 100 will increase your monthly bill by about $25–$30.

CARE, FERA, and Medical Baseline customers are automatically placed on Bright Choice service, which is 0.5% lower than PG&E rates (in addition to your existing discounts). You can choose a different plan at any time using the online Change My Plan form.

Yes. While the structure of your solar billing will remain the same, the electricity you buy from the grid (when your solar panels are not producing enough electricity to power your business) will change from Ava’s Bright Choice to Renewable 100. NEM customers will also generate credits at the higher Renewable 100 rate. More details regarding Ava’s NEM policies—including Ava’s ‘cash-out’ for surplus generation credits—are available here.

Commercial accounts in Fremont will transition to Renewable 100 in 2026. We will send information to businesses before that change next year. 

There are two main parts of electricity service: generation and delivery. Ava provides your generation service, and PG&E provides delivery service. These two services appear as separate line items on your PG&E bill, and PG&E is solely responsible for the delivery rates. Ava’s generation rates are not additional charges; they replace what PG&E would have otherwise charged for providing this service. Since PG&E owns the poles, wires, and meters that deliver electricity to your home or business, it handles the billing for both services.

Ava was founded by Alameda County and its cities to provide cleaner energy, local choice, and competitive rates to their communities. Under California law, when cities join a community choice aggregator like Ava, we become the default electricity provider. This means residents and businesses are automatically enrolled in our service, though you can opt out at any time.

The City of Fremont is a founding member of Ava Community Energy and has been receiving Ava electricity generation service since 2018. Fremont helped launch Ava to provide cleaner energy, local choice, and competitive rates to its residents and businesses. As a public agency, Ava’s Board of Directors includes a locally elected official from each jurisdiction it serves. A member of Fremont’s City Council represents Fremont on Ava’s Board.

Ava’s service plans are priced annually based on market conditions at the time, and we offer both a lower cost option and a 100% renewable option so that customers can choose what aligns best with their budget and priorities. In 2026, electricity generation rates across all customer classes decreased by an average of 20% compared to 2025. As a result, even if you choose to transition to Renewable 100 in 2026, your generation costs will still be lower than what you paid in 2025 on our discounted Bright Choice rate. Ava continues to add more renewable energy to the grid to meet growing demand at the lowest rates possible.