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Peninsula-Silicon Valley Collaboration Recognized for Advancing Electrification in Building Codes, EV Infrastructure

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Joint effort supports growing movement for emissions-free new construction

Sunnyvale and Redwood City, Calif. – The Peninsula-Silicon Valley Reach Code Initiative Project has been named as a finalist for the Smart Electric Power Alliance’s (SEPA) Power Players Award, for trailblazing work in supporting cities’ consideration and adoption of new building electrification and electric vehicle infrastructure codes that exceed those required by the state.

The collaborative project includes more than 30 local jurisdictions and two community energy agencies – Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) and Peninsula Clean Energy. The SEPA Power Players Awards celebrate innovation and collaboration by utilities, industry partners and individuals shaping the future of electricity.

The project has been recognized for its scale of success in expanding local government building code enhancements that advance building and transportation decarbonization in new construction. The initiative is also distinguished by innovation in specific building codes along with its scope of support and coordination.

“We are proud to be part of such an industry-leading effort to advance cost-effective electrification,” said Howard Miller, SVCE Board Chair and City of Saratoga Mayor. “This effort would not have been possible without the leadership of many city councilmembers who took a stand against fossil fuels to make lasting change and protect future generations from climate change.”

In addition to the towns and cities that worked to pass reach codes within the cycle of the state’s regular building code updates, the partnership also included support from county, non-profit, and technical partners. The success of the effort has also spread outside of the SVCE and Peninsula Clean Energy service areas as other agencies have made use of the contracts, information, and resources the group developed to deliver electrification benefits cost-effectively.

“A key component of the work was ensuring it was adaptable and scalable for other cities to use and take advantage of what we’ve done,” said Jeff Aalfs, Peninsula Clean Energy Board Chair and Town of Portola Valley Mayor. “We also wanted to quicken the development of reach codes that are feasible with existing technology and reduce harmful heat-trapping emissions from our appliances and vehicles.”

To date, 15 jurisdictions in the SVCE and Peninsula Clean Energy service areas have adopted reach codes, with 13 of those taking a strong stance for all-electric codes and prohibitions on new gas hookups. Additional agencies are in progress towards code adoptions. The program, still ongoing, is delivering major advances in decarbonization through technical and programmatic approaches. As local amendments are often adopted and applied statewide, this initiative has the potential to inform major decarbonization efforts on a much larger scale.

About Silicon Valley Clean Energy

Silicon Valley Clean Energy is a not-for-profit community-owned agency serving the majority of Santa Clara County communities, acquiring clean, carbon-free electricity on behalf of more than 270,000 residential and commercial customers. As a public agency, net revenues are returned to the community to keep rates competitive and promote clean energy programs. Member jurisdictions include Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Saratoga, Sunnyvale and unincorporated Santa Clara County. SVCE is guided by a Board of Directors, which is comprised of a representative from the governing body of each member community. For more information, please visit SVCleanEnergy.org.

Media Contact: 
Pamela Leonard
530-306-0122
pamela.leonard@svcleanenergy.org 

About Peninsula Clean Energy

Peninsula Clean Energy launched in October 2016 as California’s fifth Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) agency and is the official local electricity provider for all of San Mateo County. It is one of only two CCAs in California to obtain an investment-grade credit rating. While offering rates that save San Mateo County customers an estimated $18 million annually compared to PG&E, Peninsula Clean Energy is aggressively striving toward the goals of providing 100 percent greenhouse gas-free power by 2021 and 24/7 renewable power by 2025. Find out more at peninsulacleanenergy.com.

Media Contact: 
Darren Goode
202-550-6619
dgoode@peninsulacleanenergy.com

SV Clean Energy Surpasses $1 Billion in Renewable Power Investments

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Long-term Contracts Will Provide Clean Energy for Years to Come

Sunnyvale, Calif. – Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) has reached a major milestone in clean energy investment with over $1 billion now committed to building and operating renewable energy generation plants for residents and businesses in Santa Clara County.

With the approval of a new power purchase agreement with 8minute Solar Energy earlier in June, the SVCE board has approved seven contracts totaling $1.134 billion for renewable energy facilities since the agency began operating three years ago.  The contracts total 384 MW of generating capacity, enough to serve 37 percent of SVCE’s retail energy sales annually.

“I’m proud of the work that SVCE has done to get us to this point,” said Howard Miller, SVCE Board Chair and City of Saratoga Mayor. “This is a great illustration of how we are actively searching out the best opportunities to make an impact on climate change and serve our customers. We aren’t just shuffling around existing resources, we’re working to increase the amount of cost-effective renewable energy on the grid, strengthening our portfolio and providing our customers with clean, reliable energy.”

The seven contracts are due to come online between 2021 and 2023, and range in length from 10 to 20 years. The approved contracts include geothermal and solar-plus-storage generation facilities.

About Silicon Valley Clean Energy

Silicon Valley Clean Energy is a not-for-profit community-owned agency serving the majority of Santa Clara County communities, acquiring clean, carbon-free electricity on behalf of more than 270,000 residential and commercial customers. As a public agency, net revenues are returned to the community to keep rates competitive and promote clean energy programs. Member jurisdictions include Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Saratoga, Sunnyvale and unincorporated Santa Clara County. SVCE is guided by a Board of Directors, which is comprised of a representative from the governing body of each member community. For more information, please visit SVCleanEnergy.org.

Media Contact: 
Michaela Pippin
408-721-5301 x1020
michaela.pippin@svcleanenergy.org

8minute Solar Energy Signs Contract with MBCP and SVCE to Develop 250 MW Solar-Plus-Storage Project

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Aratina Solar Center is 8minute’s first project with Community Choice Energy providers, delivering clean, reliable, and affordable energy to power 93,000 homes

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA—JUNE 16, 2020: 8minute Solar Energy (8minute) announced that the company has executed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Monterey Bay Community Power Authority (MBCP) and Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE), marking 8minute’s first contract with Community Choice Energy (CCE) providers. The 250-megawatt (250 MWdc / 200 MWac) Aratina Solar Center includes 150 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy storage and will provide enough power for 93,000 homes.

“Community Choice Energy providers across California are taking proactive and ambitious action on behalf of their communities and are playing a critical role in helping the state reach its aggressive clean energy goals,” said Dr. Tom Buttgenbach, President and CEO of 8minute. “Our first partnership with Community Choice Energy providers has been a positive experience for 8minute, giving us an opportunity to partner directly with communities to put more affordable, clean energy on the grid. We look forward to continuing to build strong and mutually beneficial partnerships with MBCP, SVCE and other community aggregators as we pioneer a new generation of solar and storage.”

Scheduled to come online before the end of 2023, the Aratina Solar Center will offset carbon emissions by approximately 430,000 metric tons each year, the equivalent of planting 7 million trees annually or removing 90,000 cars from the road.

The Aratina Solar Center will serve approximately 7-8% of MBCP’s retail load with 120 MWac solar generating capacity, 30 MWac battery energy capacity and a 3-hour discharge duration, while SVCE will be contracting for 80 MWac solar generating capacity and 20 MWac battery energy capacity, with a 3-hour discharge duration, serving 6.6% of SVCE’s annual retail load.

“Securing renewable, reliable, affordable energy to power our community and support our clean energy goals is our top priority, and we have been proud to work with the state’s largest solar developer to ensure that we meet that goal,” said Tom Habashi, Chief Executive Officer of MBCP. “This large-scale, long-term solar project with storage launches us into an even stronger position in doing our part to reduce carbon emissions while meeting our customers’ needs.”

“Our partnership with 8minute is another success shared with MBCP as we continue to take significant steps to expand California’s renewable energy portfolio,” said Girish Balachandran, Chief Executive Officer of SVCE. “The Aratina Solar Center, complete with battery storage, will allow us to store and deliver solar power when our customers need it — well into the evening hours — reducing our reliance on carbon-emitting gas plants and moving us ever closer to a decarbonized grid.”

The Aratina Solar Center is being built in Kern County, California, where 8minute has been a significant player in accelerating solar and storage development. This marks the company’s ninth project in the county, where it has already developed and placed in operation more than 500 MWdc of solar, including the Springbok Solar Cluster and the Redwood Solar Cluster.

The Aratina Solar Center alone is expected to generate hundreds of millions in total capital investment, more than $12 million in local tax revenues, $16 million in land payments over the life of the project and 300 direct construction jobs.

This contract is a result of the Joint Request for Offers (RFO) issued by MBCP and SVCE in April 2019. The Aratina Solar Center will be the seventh project the CCE’s have jointly acquired.

About 8minute Solar Energy

As a nationwide leader in solar-plus-storage, 8minute Solar Energy (8minute) is championing the clean energy transition in the United States and shaping the future of energy. With a focus on technology and engineering innovation, the company has successfully put 2 GW of solar projects into operation and currently has over 18 GW of solar and storage projects under development. Since its founding in 2009, 8minute has continued to set new industry standards, developing the largest solar plant in the nation starting in 2012, delivering the first operational solar plant in the U.S. to beat fossil fuel prices in 2016, and setting the record for the lowest cost solar-plus-storage project in 2019. As the largest privately-held solar developer in the country with an established track record of delivering above-market profitability, 8minute is pioneering a new generation of large-scale, fully dispatchable solar power. For more information, please visit www.8minute.com.

About Monterey Bay Community Power

Monterey Bay Community Power is a Community Choice Energy agency established by local communities to source carbon-free electricity for Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties in addition to San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay as well as most of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties starting in 2021. PG&E and SCE continue their traditional role delivering power as well as maintaining electric infrastructure and billing. As a locally controlled public agency, MBCP supports regional economic vitality by sourcing cleaner energy at a lower cost and advancing local energy programs to accelerate electrification, fuel-switching and resiliency. For more information, visit www.mbcp.org.

About Silicon Valley Clean Energy

Silicon Valley Clean Energy is a not-for-profit community-owned agency serving the majority of Santa Clara County communities, acquiring clean, carbon-free electricity on behalf of more than 270,000 residential and commercial customers. As a public agency, net revenues are returned to the community to keep rates competitive and promote clean energy programs. Member jurisdictions include Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Saratoga, Sunnyvale and unincorporated Santa Clara County. SVCE is guided by a Board of Directors, which is comprised of a representative from the governing body of each member community. For more information, please visit SVCleanEnergy.org.

Media Contact: 
Michaela Pippin
408-721-5301 x1020
michaela.pippin@svcleanenergy.org

MBCP and SVCE Sign New 20-Year Contract for Renewable Energy

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125 MW solar + battery storage 

Monterey, Calif., Sunnyvale, Calif. May 27, 2020 – Today, Community Choice Energy (CCE) providers Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP) and Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) announced the execution of a 20-year solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage contract with NextEra Energy Yellow Pine Energy Center I, LLC (“Yellow Pine”). The Yellow Pine contract will help the CCEs meet local clean energy goals, California energy goals and long-term procurement requirements.

“We are delighted to partner with NextEra Energy, increasing our solar generation and battery storage portfolio” said Tom Habashi, Chief Executive Officer, MBCP. “This long-term 20-year contract shows our dedication in partnership with SVCE to the advancement of renewable energy and battery storage in order to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions on behalf of the communities we serve.”

The solar + storage project located in Clark County, Nevada will deliver California Renewable Portfolio Standard-eligible resources to both CCEs beginning December 2022 through November 2042. MBCP will be contracting for 75 MW of solar generating capacity and 39 MW of energy storage, serving 5% of its annual retail load. SVCE will contract for 50 MW of solar generating capacity and 26 MW of energy storage, serving 4% of its annual retail load.

“Adding this long-term solar and storage asset to SVCE’s portfolio, in partnership with MBCP, keeps us on the fast lane to bending the carbon curve downward, and at the same time enhances reliability and affordability for all our customers,” said SVCE Chief Executive Officer Girish Balachandran.  

The Yellow Pine contracts are a result of the joint Request for Offer (RFO) issued by MBCP and SVCE in April 2019. In addition to Yellow Pine, two geothermal contracts, one with Coso Geothermal Power Holdings and one with Ormat Technologies Inc., and a solar + storage contract with Rabbitbrush LLC. have been approved by both CCEs.

MBCP and SVCE have issued another joint RFO for additional renewable resources. More information can be found at SVCleanEnergy.org/solicitations.

About Monterey Bay Community Power

Monterey Community Power is a Community Choice Energy agency established by local communities to source carbon-free electricity for Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties in addition to the Cities of Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo. PG&E continues its traditional role delivering power as well as maintaining electric infrastructure and billing. As a locally controlled not-for-profit, MBCP is not taxpayer funded and supports regional economic vitality by providing cleaner energy at a lower cost, supporting low-income rate payers, and funding local energy programs. For more information, visit www.mbcp.org.

Contact: Shelly Whitworth, swhitworth@mbcp.org, 831-229-0277

About Silicon Valley Clean Energy

Silicon Valley Clean Energy is a not-for-profit community-owned agency serving the majority of Santa Clara County communities, acquiring clean, carbon-free electricity on behalf of more than 270,000 residential and commercial customers. As a public agency, net revenues are returned to the community to keep rates competitive and promote clean energy programs. Member jurisdictions include Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Saratoga, Sunnyvale and unincorporated Santa Clara County. SVCE is guided by a Board of Directors, which is comprised of a representative from the governing body of each member community. For more information, please visit SVCleanEnergy.org.

Contact: Michaela Pippin, michaela.pippin@svcleanenergy.org , 408-721-5301 x1020

SVCE Solar Customers See Largest Cash Payout to Date

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$791,000 being paid to customers generating excess solar power

Santa Clara County, Calif. – Throughout May, Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) is paying its solar customers for surplus solar energy produced over the past year. Solar ‘Net Energy Metering’ (NEM) customers having April credit balances greater than $100 will receive payments. More than 2,700 SVCE NEM customers will receive a total of $791,000 in payouts.

The SVCE NEM program tracks the difference between the amount of electricity a customer’s solar panels produce and the amount of electricity used. When a home or business produces a surplus of solar energy, SVCE values that electricity at the full retail rate during which it was generated. This amount is returned to the customer in an annual payment, up to a maximum of $5,000.

This year, SVCE saw its largest annual NEM payment total since beginning operations in 2017. NEM customers include local residences, small and large businesses, schools, municipalities, and other institutions.

“SVCE encourages customers to take control of their energy generation, whether that be with rooftop solar, GreenPrime or GreenStart. Our customers and communities should be proud to know they are a part of the climate solution and are saving money,” said SVCE Chair and Saratoga Mayor Howard Miller.

Customers of SVCE have the choice of GreenStart, a carbon-free electricity mix with 50% coming from renewable sources such as wind and solar and 50% from hydropower; GreenPrime, carbon-free electricity 100% sourced from renewable wind and solar; or rooftop solar, with grid electricity supplied via GreenStart or GreenPrime. For more on these electricity options please visit SVCleanEnergy.org/choices/.

About Silicon Valley Clean Energy

Silicon Valley Clean Energy is a not-for-profit community-owned agency serving the majority of Santa Clara County communities, acquiring clean, carbon-free electricity on behalf of more than 270,000 residential and commercial customers. As a public agency, net revenues are returned to the community to keep rates competitive and promote clean energy programs. Member jurisdictions include Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Saratoga, Sunnyvale and unincorporated Santa Clara County. SVCE is guided by a Board of Directors, which is comprised of a representative from the governing body of each member community. For more information, please visit SVCleanEnergy.org.

Media Contact: 
Michaela Pippin
408-721-5301 x1020
michaela.pippin@svcleanenergy.org

SVCE Approves Programs to Disperse $10 Million in Relief Funding

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Customer relief, workforce training & community resilience

Santa Clara County, Calif. – Building upon its April 2020 decision to allocate
$10 million to COVID relief efforts, on May 13 the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Board of Directors approved new programs for customer relief, workforce training and community resiliency. The goal of these programs is to provide immediate relief to SVCE customers and local communities impacted by the pandemic and anticipated power shutoffs in the coming years, while continuing to support a longer-term goal of transitioning to clean energy.

A customer relief program will distribute $3.5 million directly to qualifying customers. The program will provide immediate relief to residential CARE and FERA customers in the form of a $100 bill credit that will be automatically applied. In light of COVID, access to CARE, a monthly electricity discount of 20% or more, and FERA, a monthly electricity discount of 18% for homes of three or more people, has been expanded. SVCE encourages customers who have been affected by the pandemic to learn more about CARE and FERA discounts at the PG&E website.

SVCE also aims to support the local community by providing a $250 bill credit to qualifying small business customers. Qualifying businesses will receive information on how to apply for the credit in a letter sent via mail from SVCE.

“We want to ensure that all customers are supported during these times, especially those who have been financially affected by the pandemic,” said Howard Miller, SVCE Board Chair and City of Saratoga Mayor. “Our goal for these innovative programs is to help local communities as they begin to recover from the impacts of COVID.”

In addition, SVCE has dedicated $1.5 million for the development and delivery of an online contractor training program. The program aims to provide the tools and resources needed to expand knowledge and awareness related to all-electric technology for the contractor community. Local contractors, apprentices, and journeymen will be eligible to receive a $500 financial relief stipend upon completion of the training program.

A third program, anticipating involuntary power supply shutoffs, will support local clean energy job creation, community resilience, and local air quality improvements by allocating $5 million to support regional energy resilience planning and deployment.

“The towns and cities that make up SVCE have shown great strength and resilience during this pandemic, we aim to assist in a way that will benefit the entire community,” said SVCE CEO Girish Balachandran. “Supporting our communities in resilience implementation will immediately create local jobs while having the long-term benefits of energy resilience and public health.”
For more information on SVCE COVID relief programs please visit SVCleanEnergy.org/covid-19.
About Silicon Valley Clean Energy

Silicon Valley Clean Energy is a not-for-profit community-owned agency serving the majority of Santa Clara County communities, acquiring clean, carbon-free electricity on behalf of more than 270,000 residential and commercial customers. As a public agency, net revenues are returned to the community to keep rates competitive and promote clean energy programs. Member jurisdictions include Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Saratoga, Sunnyvale and unincorporated Santa Clara County. SVCE is guided by a Board of Directors, which is comprised of a representative from the governing body of each member community. For more information, please visit SVCleanEnergy.org.

Media Contact: 
Michaela Pippin
408-721-5301 x1020
michaela.pippin@svcleanenergy.org