EBCE Launches 1.5 Million COVID-19 Relief Effort

The public power agency expands its financial support to cities, local charities to help combat the COVID-19 crisis

Oakland, Calif. (April 2, 2020) – East Bay Community Energy has expanded its commitment to funding local COVID-19 relief efforts and has now earmarked $1.5 million toward community relief efforts in Alameda County.

“I directed our management team to identify any possible opportunities in the current budget to repurpose as contributions for COVID-19 relief efforts” said EBCE’s CEO, Nick Chaset. “This is clearly a crisis time for residents and local businesses, and if EBCE has any resources available to help, then by all means that is what we’re going to do, and we’re doing it immediately. ”

EBCE launched a website that will catalog its relief efforts, available at: ebce.org/covid-19-response/

Some of those efforts include:

• Temporarily Suspending Customer Collection Activities and Offering Flexible Customer Payment Plans: EBCE has suspended the return of non-paying customers back to PG&E service and is suspending collections activities through at least May 2020. EBCE is also working to implement flexible payment plans for customers impacted by the Covid19 crisis.

• Community Relief Funding: EBCE will contribute $1,100,000 to the twelve communities we serve to support their community relief efforts.

• Corporate Partners Donation Initiative: EBCE is spearheading an initiative soliciting donations from our largest customers, with a goal of raising $1 million in April for the County food bank and Meals on Wheels programs.

• Donation to Local Food Agencies: EBCE’s board approved $70,000 in grants to local support programs at Alameda County Community Food Bank and Meals-on-Wheels of Alameda County.

• Community Grant Funds: EBCE has allocated over $300,000 in additional funds to use for community grants in our response to COVID-19, and is developing effective strategies to utilize these funds.

We encourage readers to visit our COVID-19 response website and contribute if you are able.

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About East Bay Community Energy (EBCE)
EBCE is a not-for-profit public agency that operates a Community Choice Energy program for Alameda County and eleven incorporated cities, serving more than 550,000 residential and commercial customers throughout the county. EBCE initiated service in June 2018 and will expand to the cities of Pleasanton, Newark, and Tracy in 2021. As one of 19 community choice aggregation (CCA) programs operating in California, EBCE is part of the movement to expedite the climate action goals of their communities and those of California. EBCE is committed to providing clean power at competitive rates while reinvesting in our local communities. For more information about East Bay Community Energy, visit https://ebce.org/.

CONTACT

Dan Lieberman
925-579-1591
dlieberman@ebce.org