From the CEO's Desk Newsletter
Hello Ava!
East Bay Community Energy has a new name and logo! Ava Community Energy reflects our expansion in San Joaquin County - from Alameda to the Valley.
Altamont Pass wind turbines at sunset. (Source: Ken Xu, FlickrCC)
East Bay Community Energy (EBCE), one of the nation’s top clean energy providers, announced on October 23 that it will begin operating under its new name, Ava Community Energy, or Ava for short.
The name change and rebrand signal the not-for-profit public power agency’s expansion beyond the East Bay. Ava has grown to be the provider for more than 1.7 million residents and commercial customers in Alameda County and the City of Tracy, with service extending to the San Joaquin County cities of Stockton and Lathrop in 2025. As one of 25 community choice aggregation (CCA) programs operating in California, Ava is providing energy choice while expediting local and state-wide climate action goals.
“Since our inception, East Bay Community Energy has always been a mirror to the communities we serve,” said Nick Chaset, CEO of Ava Community Energy. “As we expand beyond the East Bay Area, our new identity ensures we’re better able to engage the dynamism of our entire region. We are proud to be the go-to clean energy partner for the East Bay Area, the Valley and beyond.”
For five years, EBCE, now Ava Community Energy, has been a national trailblazer in broadening equitable access to clean energy, building resilience in the communities it serves and creating demand for clean energy solutions.
Ava’s core electricity generation business continues to supply its residents, businesses and municipalities with green electricity at lower rates than the local incumbent utility. Ava was recently ranked second (PDF) among CCAs and fourth among all green power suppliers nationally, by DOE’s National Renewable Energy Lab. That includes supplying 100 percent renewable energy to over 150,000 customers.
The new name also reflects a growing commitment to helping customers and communities cut emissions through electrification. Ava offers a growing list of resilience and electrification programs, including:
- Working with member cities to install solar and battery backup on critical municipal facilities and a network of EV charging stations.
- A try-before-you-buy induction cooktop program, where customers can check portable electric cooktops out of local libraries.
- An upcoming e-bike lending and incentive program that will be the largest of its kind in California, in partnership with Alameda County.
- An online incentive finder that helps customers find tax credits, rebates, and other discounts for clean home and transportation measures.
“Ava cuts through complexity by offering our residents straightforward guidance toward better, clean-powered living,” says board chair Elisa Márquez. “Every day, Ava is working to significantly accelerate the deployment of clean electricity and clean energy solutions for our customers and our Community.”