PG&E Alternative Headed to Pleasanton Residents, Businesses

Sep 18, 2019

PLEASANTON CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD TO JOIN EAST BAY COMMUNITY ENERGY.

PLEASANTON, CA — Pleasanton residents and businesses are likely going to have another choice when it comes to energy. During Tuesday night’s Pleasanton City Council meeting, council members unanimously decided to move forward to join East Bay Community Energy, a not-for-profit community choice aggregation program currently serving Alameda County and several of its cities, including nearby Dublin and Livermore.

The council members are now scheduled to vote Oct. 1 on the adoption of an ordinance and resolution to join EBCE’s Joint Powers Authority.

Under the program, EBCE will purchase electricity for Pleasanton, but PG&E will deliver the power, maintain the grid and manage the billing. The EBCE service — which is optional for residents and business owners — will appear as a separate line item on monthly PG&E bills. (Learn more here.) The EBCE program would be available to Pleasanton ratepayers starting in 2021.

According to EBCE, it purchases power with higher renewable and lower greenhouse gas content than is offered by PG&E. Other than receiving cleaner electricity at competitive prices, all other aspects of electricity service remain the same, according to EBCE.

In 2002, Assembly Bill 117 established “community choice aggregation programs” that enable local jurisdictions to offer an alternative energy option to customers.

“Council’s decision to move forward on joining EBCE now will not only meet the city’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but will also meet the deadline for the city to receive service by 2021 to ensure the CCA can procure sufficient energy to meet demand for the coming year,” said Nelson Fialho, Pleasanton city manager.