SANTA MONICA—The Santa Monica City Council approved the selection of 100 percent renewable energy as the default product for all residential electricity customers starting in February 2019. This will offer residents and businesses in Santa Monica the ability to use electric utility options from cleaner sources.
The 100 percent renewable energy tier is one of a variety of options being offered to residents and businesses. The Clean Power Alliance (CPA) of Southern California, a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program, will serve the electricity to residents and businesses.
The renewable energy tier is broken down into three groups: 100 percent, 50 percent, and 36 percent. Each of the three levels of electricity is sourced from renewable energy and will be offered by the CPA. If Santa Monica residents do not state otherwise, the 100 percent renewable energy tier will be applied to them and unless a lesser form of clean energy is being specified, the cleanest source will automatically be selected. The city of Santa Monica, a member of the CPA of Southern California, has decided that 100 percent is the default rate for electricity being generated from renewable resources for their residents.
In a press release from the city of Santa Monica, Dean Kubani, Chief of Sustainability Officer and Assistant Director of Public Works, stated that, “Using electricity through renewable electricity sources is the most substantial action Santa Monica can take to achieve carbon neutrality.” The renewable energy tier gives Santa Monicans the ability to know exactly where their power is coming from, as well as providing multiple options for renewable energy. This is the first time the city has offered multiple renewable energy options.
Starting in March 2019, the new rates will begin to show up on electric utility bills. For residents who are low-income qualified customers, the rates will be no different than the previous Southern California Edison rates. After the initial introduction of renewable energy to residential properties, the CPA will begin servicing commercial properties in the summer of 2019.
