Community Choice Energy (CCE) programs allow city and county governments to pool (or aggregate) the electricity demands of their communities in order to increase local control over electric rates, purchase power with higher renewable content, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and reinvest in local energy infrastructure. The electricity continues to be distributed and delivered over the existing power lines by the incumbent utility, which is Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) in Humboldt County.

The benefits of CCE fall into three general categories: consumer, environmental, and economic. CCEs benefit consumers by offering a choice of energy providers and stable, often lower, electric rates. By procuring renewable energy and low carbon resources, CCE’s have the potential to dramatically reduce the greenhouse gases attributed to the use of fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. CCEs benefit the local economy by redirecting an existing revenue source (power generation costs) to invest in local energy resources, customer programs, and infrastructure, and to create new jobs.

In addition to our Humboldt County program, California currently has numerous other CCEs operating across the state, and there are dozens of other California communities that are in the process of implementing local CCE programs.  The majority of these programs are offering customers more renewable energy at lower prices than PG&E. Visit the CalCCA website to see a full list of California CCE programs. Other U.S. states like Illinois, New York, and Ohio also have CCE programs and more states are adopting the model every year.

All CCEs, once operational, are completely funded by program service revenues—not taxpayer dollars. In Humboldt County’s case, start-up funding and the credit required for initial energy contracts were provided by the vendors selected to support program implementation and early operations.

CCEs offer local control, providing customers and municipalities choices regarding their electricity: how much is procured from renewable resources, which local resources are used, and how surplus revenues are spent. Existing CCEs have also succeeded in significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And because CCEs are locally controlled, energy programs can be developed to suit the specific goals of their communities, typically through innovative energy efficiency programs, the integration of clean technology, and local power generation. These types of programs can benefit the communities they serve and may also stimulate job growth.

CCE programs are established only to provide electricity and do not provide natural gas service. View the list of third-party natural gas marketers that work with PG&E. RCEA has no affiliation with these natural gas providers.

All of Humboldt County’s cities and the County of Humboldt have voted to participate in the CCE program, meaning all residents and businesses in the county are eligible to be RCEA customers. Enrollment of customers began in May 2017 and was completed in January 2018. Contact RCEA if you have questions about your enrollment. In compliance with state law,  RCEA sent four notices to all customers in the months preceding and following the beginning of service.

No. CCEs work in partnership with the local utility. While RCEA assumes responsibility for procuring and developing power (the “generation” component of the PG&E bill) on behalf of participating customers, PG&E continues to deliver your electricity, maintain the power lines and electrical grid, and handle customer billing.

Yes, PG&E continues to perform all power line maintenance and repairs for its utility customers, whether or not they’re also CCE customers. If the power goes out, you should still contact PG&E.

One of the primary goals for the program is to ensure rates are competitive with PG&E’s. To date, the operational CCEs in California have succeeded in saving ratepayers millions of dollars while significantly increasing the levels of renewable and carbon free power that their customers consume. Our program is designed to achieve similar results for Humboldt County.

There is no interruption in service. In fact, you might not even notice the difference when your account is enrolled because you will still receive and pay your bills through PG&E.

There are no hidden costs and no duplicate charges for CCE customers. The RCEA generation charge replaces PG&E’s previous generation charge. You can see that by finding the “Generation Credit” on the “Details of PG&E Electric Delivery Charges” on your bill. PG&E also charges CCE customers an exit fee called the “Power Charge Indifference Adjustment” or PCIA. This fee pays PG&E for the long term energy contracts that they were required to sign on behalf of customers that they no longer serve. Although the PCIA is a separate charge on the customer bill, it is factored into RCEA’s rates so that the overall electrical generation charges are still below PG&E’s generation charges.

In May 2016, the RCEA Board selected The Energy Authority (TEA), a non-profit organization, to assist RCEA in wholesale power market procurement. TEA, with RCEA, negotiates long- and short-term power contracts with energy producers, including local producers, based on the specific power supply goals developed by the RCEA Board. These contracts are negotiated with the goal of procuring energy that meets the requirements of cost, levels of carbon-free and renewable, use of local resources, reliability, and other factors as defined by the RCEA board and based on input from the community.

The regional electric grid has energy generators putting renewable and non-renewable electricity in at various locations. When we procure renewable energy, we’re paying a particular generator to put renewable energy into the grid at their plant, wherever it may be. At this time, about 40% of our energy is coming from such renewable sources, and another 40% from emissions-free sources, mostly large hydro power, that are not considered renewable by state rules. In 2019 the Board of Directors approved the goal of 100% clean and renewable energy by 2025.

Which electric energy is actually delivered to our customers is not exactly the same as what we buy under contract, since energy just flows by the path of least resistance, normally to the load that’s physically closest to where the energy is generated. So, in fact a unit of electricity used in Humboldt most likely originated at one of the local plants here in the county, which are powered by natural gas or biomass.

What’s important in terms of cleaning up the grid is that we’re gradually ensuring more of the total amount of electricity injected into the grid comes from renewable sources. In this way, Humboldt County ratepayer dollars are directly reducing the total global emissions associated with electricity generation.

It is also our goal to generate as much of Humboldt’s electricity as possible using local renewable resources. As we make that transition, more of the electricity we buy will truly be what’s consumed close to the source by our own customers. This is important for local economic development, but less so for carbon emissions, for which the benefit is essentially the same wherever they can be reduced on the planet.

Yes—RCEA offers Net Energy Metering (NEM) to all solar customers, just as PG&E has. RCEA’s premium Net Energy Metering program increases the amount paid for excess energy generation and allows customers to “roll over” energy credits from one year to the next, rather than allowing them to expire. Use the following links to find more information about RCEA’s Residential NEM program and Commercial NEM program.

No. Customers can only participate if their homes or businesses are located within the Humboldt CCE service area.

State law required that we contact our customers in writing a minimum of four times during the launch program period to inform them about our program and customer options. We did this via a combination of letters, mailers, and postcards. Currently, new PG&E customers will receive two notifications by mail letting them know about their options.

No. Community Choice Energy programs are supported entirely by electricity rate-payers—not by tax dollars. The profits that would have gone to PG&E shareholders are now being used to support this local energy program.

Yes. The California Public Utilities Commission authorizes PG&E to collect fees (called public goods charges) from all customers to fund energy efficiency and renewable energy incentive programs. PG&E will still collect these fees and CCE customers will remain eligible for these incentives and services.

No. RCEA does not do any residential door-to-door solicitations and will not visit your home unless you have previously scheduled an appointment with us. RCEA employees visiting your home or business to provide services will wear a badge identifying them as an employee. If you have any doubts about someone claiming to be affiliated with RCEA, please call our office at (707) 269-1700 to confirm the employee’s identity. There are several companies that sell natural gas that have solicited door-to-door in Humboldt County recently. These companies are not affiliated with RCEA in any way. California law (SB 656) allows for Core Gas Aggregation Service (CGAS) which allows consumers to purchase gas from third-party gas suppliers known as Core Transport Agents (CTAs). Visit PG&E’s Core Gas Aggregation page for information about CGAS and a list of CTAs.

California Assembly Bill 117, which made community choice energy programs such as RCEA’s possible, stipulates a process of automatic enrollment, as described below. There are no service contracts with our program and you are under no obligation to remain with RCEA. You can return to PG&E at any time without penalty.

Chapter 838 Section 366.2 ( c )(2)  of the California Public Utility Codes states :

“Under community choice aggregation, customer participation may not require a positive written declaration, but all customers shall be informed of their right to opt out of the community choice aggregation program. If no negative declaration is made by a customer, that customer shall be served through the community choice aggregation program.”

View the full text of AB 117.

Staying with RCEA’s Community Choice Energy program does not mean giving up the reliable service provided by PG&E. RCEA’s program is a partnership with PG&E. PG&E will continue to provide maintenance and repair to the electric infrastructure – the poles and wires – throughout Humboldt County, read your meter, and handle all payments and billing. RCEA, under oversight from our Board of Directors, will choose which power producers to purchase electricity from.

As a not-for-profit public agency we are not subject to regulation by the California PUC. The CPUC oversees privately owned utility companies, including PG&E. Our primary oversight comes from our Board of Directors which is made up of elected officials from each of our member agencies. However, as a retail supplier of electricity in California, we are subject to laws that implement State’s clean energy and reliability goals. Compliance with these laws is enforced by several state agencies, one of which is the CPUC, who most notably enforces the Renewable Portfolio Standard program for retail electricity suppliers.

Unspecified sources of  power cannot be traced back to a specific source. In many cases, this is power imported from outside California and tends to be less expensive than renewable and zero-carbon power. RCEA includes some power from unspecified sources in its portfolio to keep customer rates affordable. As renewable power continues to come down in price, we plan to gradually phase out our use of unspecified sources of power.

PG&E is implementing additional precautionary measures to help reduce the risk of wildfires. If extreme fire danger conditions threaten a portion of the electric system serving your community, it may be necessary for PG&E to turn off electricity in the interest of public safety. This is called a Public Safety Power Shutoff.

PG&E will alert its customers through automated calls, texts and emails, when and where possible, prior to a Public Safety Power Shutoff. Visit PG&E’s Public Safety Power Shutoff page for comprehensive information.

Yes. The various discount programs offered through PG&E still apply when you become a CCE customer: CARE, FERA and Medical Baseline programs are not affected by participating in the program. Current participants automatically continue and new enrollments are still processed through PG&E. Visit our Residential Financial Assistance page for more information.

Yes, however the plan will operate a little differently. Your natural gas charges and your electric delivery charges will still be leveled from month to month. Electric generation charges cannot be leveled in the CCE program and will vary with each bill. For most customers, these charges do not vary greatly from month to month during the year.

One of the primary goals of a CCE is providing rate stability, with higher levels of renewable power. Thus far, existing CCEs have succeeded in increasing the amount of renewable energy delivered to their communities, while saving their customers money. The RCEA Board of Directors sets its rates annually with the goal of providing savings to our ratepayers.  Rate setting occurs at RCEA Board meetings, which are always open to the public; your input is welcome.

RCEA and PG&E also jointly produce an annual rate comparison for customers that clearly shows the difference by rate type between the CCE rates (including exit fees) and PG&E base rates.

PG&E charges RCEA customers a Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA) and a Franchise Fee Surcharge. Both are calculated based on the number of kilowatt hours used each month.
The PCIA is intended to ensure that customers who switch to RCEA pay for energy that was acquired by PG&E to serve them prior to their switch. The PCIA currently ranges from less than one cent to just under two cents per kilowatt-hour, depending on when the customer switched to the CCE program and whether they are residential or commercial customers.  The franchise fee is a lesser amount that counties and cities charge PG&E for the use of public streets to run its power distribution lines.

These charges are included in RCEA’s rates. Although the PCIA and Franchise Fee Surcharge appear as separate charges on the customer bill, they are factored into RCEA’s rates so that the overall electrical generation charges are below PG&E’s generation charges. You can thus expect a lower electricity bill with CCE than you would with PG&E’s generation service.

If you ever have questions about the RCEA portion of your bill, details can be found under the “Electricity Services” menus on our website, for both residential and commercial customers. You can also call us at (707) 269-1700 or toll free at 1-800-931-7232. You can also stop by our office at 633 3rd Street in Old Town Eureka, or email us at info@redwoodenergy.org. If you have questions about the rest of your PG&E bill, call PG&E at 1-866-743-0335.

No, the money that RCEA pays to net generating NEM customers is not considered taxable income.

REpower is the default electricity service offering. All CCE customers automatically start with REpower which costs a bit less than PG&E’s standard electricity rate. Check out PG&E’s website for the PG&E and RCEA Power Mix Comparison.

REpower+ is RCEA’s 100% renewable and carbon-free option. It costs an additional $0.01 per kWh (about $5 per month extra for an average family or $15 a month extra for a typical small business).

RCEA is procuring renewable and carbon-free power from a variety of sources for both our REpower and REpower+ programs. Visit our power power resources page for more info.

If you’re a residential electricity user, you can sign up for REpower+ on our Residential Electricity Services page. If you have a commercial account, visit our Commercial Electricity Services page. Have your PG&E bill handy so you can reference your account number.

CCE customers are automatically enrolled in our standard REpower program, but can “opt up” to our premium, 100% renewable REpower+ at any time. If you sign up for REpower+ and then decide you no longer want 100% renewable electricity, you can always return to the standard REpower mix. Visit our Residential Options page to opt-up your residential account, or get more information about your options. Visit our Business and Government Options page to opt-up a commercial account or see options for businesses and government. You can also call us at 1-707-269-1700 to make changes to your account.

Customers who opt out before starting the CCE service or within the first 60 days may return to the service at any time. Customers who opt out after the first 60 days of the CCE service will be prohibited by PG&E from returning for one year.

There is no charge for opting out of the CCE Program at any time.

Establishing service is easy. Contact PG&E one week before you will need service at your new address and schedule an appointment by calling PG&E at 1-800-743-5000. New customers who move into the Humboldt CCE service area are automatically enrolled into the CCE program and will be mailed two notices within the first sixty days of service with information about their options.

Please send any additional questions to our office at info@redwoodenergy.org, or call (707) 269-1700 or  1 (800) 931-7232.

No. You can be a customer of RCEA and Arcadia power at the same time, but you might decide that you no longer need Arcadia Power’s service.

Arcadia Power purchases Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) from wind farms all across the United States to offset either 50% or 100% of your electricity consumption. As a customer with RCEA, you automatically receive at least 40% renewable and 80% greenhouse gas free electricity with our standard REpower energy mix. You may also opt-up to REpower+, our 100% renewable option, for a small increase in price. By choosing REpower+, you are directly supporting renewable energy projects on the West Coast and right here in Humboldt County.