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Bay Area Community Energy Agencies Reach Emission-Free Power Resiliency Agreements

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Helps thousands of households install affordable, clean backup amid wildfire power shutoffs

Oakland, Redwood City and Sunnyvale, CA – Three Bay Area Community Choice Energy providers have reached an agreement with San Francisco-based Sunrun to install up to roughly 20 megawatts (MW) of emission-free solar and battery backup power to 6,000 households vulnerable to emergency power shutoffs during wildfire season.

East Bay Community Energy (EBCE), Peninsula Clean Energy and Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) have agreed with Sunrun to increase renewable power, reduce overall peak demand and improve grid reliability by putting this increased capacity online on a rolling basis from 2020 through 2022.

All three agencies have carve outs in their contracts for low-income customers, disadvantaged communities and vulnerable residents in Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, including those hit by last year’s PG&E emergency power shutoffs.

“Last fall’s power shut-offs were not just an inconvenience or financial hit to residents due to losing perishable groceries in the fridge. They were devastating to vulnerable residents among us who depend on electricity for their well-being,” EBCE CEO Nick Chaset said. “With this program, EBCE is paying an incentive to deploy energy storage systems that benefit our regional energy grid, while also providing the direct benefit of backup power for homes.”

“The wildfires that disrupted our power and lives last fall have given us an opportunity to find ways to better protect our most vulnerable customers from losing essential supplies and comfort during emergency outages. By partnering with Sunrun and our local non-profit agencies, we can identify those customers who can benefit the most from this program,” Peninsula Clean Energy CEO Jan Pepper said. “This innovative approach and partnership also establish a new model for a cleaner and more reliable electricity grid for all our residents.”

“In addition to providing needed resiliency to the members of our community most impacted by power shutoffs, this program is instrumental in shifting away from a centralized, fossil fuel-based grid to one that is distributed, decentralized and decarbonized,” SVCE CEO Girish Balachandran said. “Historically, reliability is provided by centralized gas plants. We are at a pivotal moment where it has tipped toward battery storage systems and local resources.”

“Sunrun’s Brightbox rechargeable solar battery system can help families power through blackouts and better manage energy costs when they need it most,” said Lynn Jurich, Sunrun co-founder and CEO. “We’re excited to partner with these innovative energy providers to begin paving the way towards a cleaner, more resilient and affordable energy system.”

In addition to providing reliable backup power, solar-powered home batteries can save all energy consumers money by helping to displace the need for costly transmission infrastructure. This technology will also support the move to a more electrified energy and transportation system, including the increased adoption of electric vehicles and less reliance on fossil fuel-powered home appliances.

The contracts are part of a joint solicitation last November from the three Community Choice Energy providers and Santa Clara municipal utility Silicon Valley Power that was issued shortly after emergency power shutoffs last fall affected hundreds of thousands of customers in the Bay Area.

By reducing peak power demand, these innovative contracts will effectively enable the use of local resources to help fulfill state “Resource Adequacy” requirements, which refer to energy generating capacity that local agencies and utilities must contract to ensure the safe and reliable operation of California’s electrical grid in real time. This requirement has historically been filled through purchasing Resource Adequacy from distant power plants. These contracts will shift the purchase of Resource Adequacy to new local solar power and battery storage systems that provide the benefits of backup power directly to local homes and businesses.

About East Bay Community Energy
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 is one of 19 community choice aggregation (CCA) programs operating in California. CCAs are expediting 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/.

Media Contact:
Dan Lieberman, dlieberman@ebce.org, 925-579-1591

About Peninsula Clean Energy
Peninsula Clean Energy launched in October 2016 as California’s fifth Community Choice Aggregation agency and is the official local electricity provider for all of San Mateo County. It is one of only three CCAs in California to obtain investment-grade credit ratings. 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. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook (@PenCleanEnergy) and on LinkedIn.

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

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, pamela.leonard@svcleanenergy.org, 530-306-0122

About Sunrun
Sunrun Inc. (Nasdaq: RUN) is the nation’s leading home solar, battery storage, and energy services company. Founded in 2007, Sunrun pioneered home solar service plans to make local clean energy more accessible to everyone for little to no upfront cost. Sunrun’s innovative home battery solution, Brightbox, brings families affordable, resilient, and reliable energy. The company can also manage and share stored solar energy from the batteries to provide benefits to households, utilities, and the electric grid while reducing our reliance on polluting energy sources. For more information, please visit www.sunrun.com.

Media Contact:
Andrew Newbold, press@sunrun.com, 816-516-5809

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

Joint solar+storage project planned for Silicon Valley, Monterey Bay

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Canadian Solar announced its wholly owned subsidiary Recurrent Energy has signed two 15-year power purchase agreements with Silicon Valley Clean Energy and Monterey Bay Community Power for a 150-MWac solar power system with 180 MWh of battery storage. This joint procurement effort represents the largest contracted solar+storage project in California to date.

This partnership resulted from a joint procurement process that Silicon Valley Clean Energy and Monterey Bay Community Power launched in September 2017 to source cost-effective, renewable power for their respective communities.

“As a community choice aggregator, we are proud to help California lead the transition to clean, reliable and flexible energy,” said Girish Balachandran, CEO of Silicon Valley Clean Energy. “We are proud to partner on a new renewable energy project that makes a significant investment to reach our state’s carbon-free energy goals and contribute to solving the state’s grid integration problem by investing in large grid-scale energy storage.”

“We are excited to bring online the largest solar+storage project by CCAs to date,” said Tom Habashi, CEO of Monterey Bay Community Power. “Joining forces in this process with Silicon Valley Clean Energy and Recurrent Energy has been invaluable, as we bring onto the grid the clean electricity that we know our customers desire.”

Power will be supplied from Recurrent Energy’s Slate solar+storage project to be built in Kings County, California. The project is scheduled to reach commercial operation in 2021, and the energy represented by the contracts is enough to power 37,500 homes, providing Silicon Valley Clean Energy with 55 percent of the energy, and Monterey Bay with the other 45 percent of the combined output.

“We’re excited to have participated in this joint procurement effort that will not only include solar, but a landmark amount of energy storage for the state of California as well,” said Dr. Shawn Qu, chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar. “With the integrated storage component, both CCAs will have the flexibility to fill the battery when wholesale energy prices are low and then discharge the energy when prices are higher to meet their unique load requirements in a cost-competitive manner. Recurrent Energy was the first developer to close financing for a utility-scale solar project with CCA off-takers and we will leverage this expertise to ensure the project is successful.”

The project’s lithium-ion battery component is 45 MW nameplate with 180 MWh of energy capacity, allowing for four hours of flexible energy delivery.

 

Joint solar+storage project planned for Silicon Valley, Monterey Bay, by Billy Ludt, Solar Power World, October 30, 2018.

SV Clean Energy Signs Major Contracts for California’s Largest Solar-Plus-Storage Projects

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Sunnyvale, Calif. – Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) signed two long-term agreements for the largest utility-scale, solar-plus-storage projects to be built in California. The two projects will provide 153 megawatts (MW) of solar and 47 MW of storage and will be developed by Electricité de France (EDF) and Recurrent Energy Development Holdings, LLC. (Recurrent). These projects will come online in 2021 and will harness enough energy to power 39,000 homes annually.

Image from Silicon Valley Clean Energy

Building storage in addition to solar turns the sun’s energy into a resource that can be used on demand, rather than only when the sun is shining. These projects will combine solar panels with large batteries to store energy that the sun produces during the day so that more clean energy can be discharged onto the grid during times of high energy usage in the evening.

“As a Community Choice Energy agency, we’re proud to partner on these groundbreaking developments that not only increase the long-term supply of renewables to our customers, but also make the electricity grid cleaner,” says Courtenay Corrigan, SVCE Board Chair. “These projects show our maturity as an agency, our financial strength and our continued commitment to decarbonization.”

“We are excited to help California lead the transition to clean, reliable and flexible energy,” said Girish Balachandran, CEO of Silicon Valley Clean Energy. “These new renewable energy projects are a significant investment towards reaching our state’s carbon-free energy goals and contribute to solving the state’s grid integration problem by investing in large grid-scale energy storage.”

The contracts are the result of a competitive bidding process that began in September 2017. SVCE’s collaboration with its neighboring Community Choice Energy agency, Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP) took advantage of economies of scale for the combined four counties, allowing for more purchasing power to invest in these long-term agreements. The two agencies issued a joint RFO which received over 80 offers for new projects that were in various stages of development. The overwhelming response represents the vast amount of interest in new renewable energy development that continues to grow.

The RE Slate 1 project, developed by Recurrent, will be built in Kings County and will provide 150 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity, plus 45 MW of storage, for a 15-year agreement. The BigBeau Solar project, developed by EDF, will be built in Kern County, providing 128 MW of solar capacity and 40 MW of storage and is a 20-year agreement. These projects will support approximately 840 jobs during construction. SVCE will receive 55% of the output, and MBCP will receive 45%.

SVCE signed long-term power purchase agreements with each development, ensuring that customers will be receiving clean power from California renewables for years to come.

About Silicon Valley Clean Energy

Silicon Valley Clean Energy is a 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 low 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
Communications Manager
pamela.leonard@svcleanenergy.org
(408)721-5301 x1004

Hitting Back Against Silicon Valley Clean Energy Rumors

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Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) recently started providing carbon-free electricity to Milpitas residents and businesses. For those who have not followed the progression of this change over the past 2 years, concerns about it may arise. Rumors from people who don’t know the facts make things worse.

Here are some myths I have heard…

An opt-in plan for customers would have been better than an opt-out plan.

There are 3 reason this is false. First, current California law requires all customers to be switched over to a newly formed Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) with an opportunity to opt out. Second, opt-out is easier for the 98% of customers who are either satisfied with the change or actually prefer it. Lastly, as the latest IPCC Report clearly states, Global Warming is the biggest issue facing civilization; we should take every chance we get to reduce our carbon footprint.

The cost of SVCE’s clean energy could go up.

The trend lines for renewable energy costs are heading down, as they have been doing for decades. While there is a small chance of those trends reversing, there is a high probability that electricity from carbon-energy sources will rise with the arrival of a carbon-fee and dividend (CF&D) program, or an outright tax on carbon. Fortunately, as a locally-governed agency, SVCE is nimble and able to quickly adjust prices to remain competitive. Meanwhile, PG&E rates continue their upward trend, with an average increase of 9% in 2018.

The City should have chosen Green Start for its own use.

GreenStart is SVCE’s competitively-priced, standard electricity offering. All customers are automatically enrolled in GreenStart, with electricity generated from renewable sources such as wind, solar, and carbon-free sources like large hydropower. GreenPrime, SVCE’s 100% renewable generation service, was chosen for City use to demonstrate our commitment to a clean energy future. Buying GreenPrime further expands generation from new and competitive renewable energy sources. For a typical residential customer like me who upgrades to GreenPrime, the extra few dollars a month is an investment in future generations.

Milpitas is on the bleeding edge of CCAs.

Back in 2007, the CPUC authorized its first CCA application. And most cities in the County chose to switch to SVCE about 2 years before Milpitas. Although invited to join the others in 2016, at that time Milpitas’ leaders failed to respond. Now that we have joined SVCE, we can start sharing in the roughly 20% net profit, estimated at $20 million in 2018.

For both financial and environmental reasons, our new City leadership made the right choice in joining SVCE. By purchasing our electricity at wholesale prices from 21st-century renewable sources, our CCA will be able to provide residents and businesses with opportunities for future energy savings. Soon, SVCE will start deciding what to do with that extra money. If you have ideas, please contact our SVCE representative, Marsha Grilli, at mgrilli@ci.milpitas.ca.gov

 

Rob Means
Activist
http://meansfordemocracy.org

 

Opinion: Hitting Back Against Silicon Valley Clean Energy Rumors, by Rob Means, The Milpitas Beat, October 16, 2018.