It’s not a scam: Stockton residents will automatically be switched to new power provider

By Hannah Workman in The Stockton Record

Source. Feb 13, 2025

This week, Stockton residents began receiving notices from Ava Community Energy and city officials about the upcoming switch to the new energy provider.

Some residents questioned on social media whether the notices were part of a scam. The answer is no — the Stockton City Council voted unanimously at the Sept. 13, 2022 council meeting to join the joint powers authority, which is scheduled to start providing services citywide in April.

Local elected officials, including Mayor Christina Fugazi, Vice Mayor Jason Lee, and District 4 Councilmember Mario Enríquez gathered Tuesday in front of Stockton City Hall to announce the switch.

“I almost think of Ava like Robinhood,” Lee said. “The rich keep getting richer and we got to start giving back to the people who are barely surviving.”

Ava Community Energy, formerly known as the East Bay Community Energy Authority, is an alternative to Pacific Gas and Electric Company that will give residents the choice to save on their energy bill or source their power from 100% renewable resources, company officials said.

In the spring, residents will automatically be enrolled in Ava’s service with the option to opt out back to PG&E if they desire. The city and Ava will be communicating with residents throughout the process.

Power will still be delivered through PG&E infrastructure, but customers will have the choice to save on average 5% compared to PG&E rates with Ava Community Energy’s “Bright Choice” option sourced from majority solar, hydro, wind and biomass or go 100% wind and solar at 1/4-cent per kilowatt-hour more than PG&E rates with the “Renewable 100” plan.

The “Bright Choice” option will be the default plan for all Stockton customers, which is 55% renewable energy, according to Alex DiGiorgio, senior manager of public engagement at Ava Community Energy.

PG&E will continue to bill customers.

Residents will receive a single monthly PG&E bill that includes both Ava’s charge for electricity generation and PG&E’s charge for their delivery services. Ava’s generation charge replaces PG&E’s generation charge, according to the notice.

“You will see a generation credit on your bill, as well as an additional Bright Choice discount that saves the average household about $5/month,” the notice states.

In accordance with California law, Ava is an “opt-out” program.

“That means if you don’t want to become an Ava customer, and want to remain with PG&E, you must take action to opt out of becoming an Ava Community Energy customer,” the notice states.

Residents can opt out at any time by visiting avaenergy.org or calling (833) 699-3223.

A local nonprofit that has collaborated with Ava Community Energy is Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, which serves the Bay Area and San Joaquin County.

With offices in Oakland and Stockton, Rising Sun’s workforce development programs specialize in preparing youth, women, and individuals in reentry for high road careers and green pathways that offer family-sustaining wages.

Sofia Canela Torres, senior program manager at Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, said Ava has championed Rising Sun’s work in the Bay Area region.

The nonprofit’s climate careers program focuses on employing youth between the ages of 15 to 24 to provide a no-cost service called a “green house call” to local households. The green house call consists of an energy and water use audit and installation of efficient devices, such as LED light bulbs, showerheads and more.

Torres credits the energy provider for funding the establishment of two climate careers site offices in Alameda during the summer of 2019, which helped employ 28 youth to provide green house calls to that community.

“We are very excited to share that Ava and Rising Sun will be continuing that strong partnership in Ava’s San Joaquin County territory through a community investment grant that will heighten the exposure and education on green jobs and green employers in the region for the youth that we serve,” Torres said.

Lee said “the 5% discount is a real important thing, but it’s also the investment and reinvestment in communities that people are profiting from.”

“I learned a lot about what they do to support nonprofits, which is something that’s important to me because I have a nonprofit that is targeted toward serving communities like the ones that we all represent in the city,” the vice mayor said.

Lee also spent some of his time at the podium denouncing PG&E.

“I don’t know if this is the most appropriate thing to say, but whoever’s responsible for PG&E, they should be in jail. Those people are criminals and I’m sorry, not sorry,” Lee said. “When I look at my PG&E bill, I’m confused at how it’s so high, but now that I see Ava on there, I’m telling everybody on my Facebook and social media. Be thankful for partners who want to reinvest in you.”

Tim Quinn, CEO of the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber has heard from members and local businesses that “the last couple of years has been hard for them” financially.

“The cost of doing business has gone up, especially their utility and electric bills, so providing these savings is going to be a huge benefit to our local business community and residents alike,” Quinn said. “Ava has a long track record of saving money. Since 2018, they’ve saved their customers over $140 million, and we’re really excited to bring those savings here to Stockton.”