The Local Clean Energy Alliance (LCEA) received assistance from the 100% NGO Network a fiscally-sponsored project of Movement Strategies Center to host and organize a field trip to the East Bay of approximately 25 representatives of member organizations of the 100% NGO Network. The 100% NGO Network is National effort for organizations working towards 100% Clean Energy campaigns and/or inspiring new 100% campaigns lead by frontline leaders in enviro
California’s devastating wildfires set the stage for the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to provide Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) an initial $6 billion bailout assist. Next, the CPUC will pass billions in fire liability costs onto the public.
At the same time, the CPUC is also attacking Community Choice energy, the state's expanding alternative to the monopoly utility model. This latest attack comes in the form of a dramatic fee hike impacting all ratepayers, to cover losses incurred through the utilities’ mismanagement of their electricity procurement obligations.
Since the November 1, 2018 launch of East Bay Community Energy (EBCE), millions of dollars of revenue that used to go to PG&E will remain in Alameda County. The next phase of our advocacy, starting now, is to ensure that EBCE delivers on promised benefits over the next two years, particularly with respect to the early action items in the Local Development Business Plan (LDBP).
Accordingly, we have researched, analyzed, and prioritized 9 of the 12 early action items in the LDBP based on their potential to provide community benefits to the communities that often get shut out of the clean energy economy.
California’s large investor-owned utility, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), announced it would be filing for bankruptcy by the end of the month after being faced with $30 billion in damages related to a series of fires over the past two years, including last fall’s deadly Camp Fire, which was allegedly sparked by the utility’s old, faulty transmission lines.
That fire killed 86 people, destroyed 14,000 homes in the town of Paradise, and stands as the deadliest and most destructive fire in the state’s history.
Local Clean Energy Alliance organizer, Jessica Tovar, is a 2019 Roddenberry Fellow! Jessica and Local Clean Energy Alliance are being recognized for our groundbreaking work in establishing East Bay Community Energy, Alameda County’s brand new public energy service provider. Jessica’s fellowship project is to ensure East Bay Community Energy meets its commitment to developing local clean energy resources to provide environmental, economic, and social justice benefits to our community.
The Roddenberry Fellowship supports 20 activists, organizers, leaders, and changemakers who are working to make the US a more inclusive and equitable place to live.
For climate justice advocates, democratizing energy—not just decarbonizing it—is key to an equitable, sustainable future. This is why we organized the Energy Democracy National Tour last year to highlight the work local communities are doing to take in their own hands the responsibility of building a cleaner and more equitable future.
According to the Clean Power Exchange website, 17 counties in California have community energy programs that are launched and serving customers. And many more counties have taken steps to move in the direction of community energy. On the Talkies on January 9, we talked about community energy, what it's all about, PG&E, and activists' efforts to make PG&E more accountable to the people of California...
Just as Alameda County was launching a new, publicly owned electricity service offering greener electricity at lower prices than PG&E, state regulators put a big new obstacle in its path. A little-noticed decision in October by the California Public Utilities Commission will raise the monthly "exit fee" that customers of East Bay Community Energy and other "community choice" programs have to pay to utility companies like PG&E.
When people buy a new home in a different city, they’re typically given the phone number of the investor-owned utility (IOU) that will serve them. They know they must call this one provider, supply payment information and set up service if they want the lights to turn on in their new home.
But in seven states, homeowners could instead have a menu of different local, green energy options to choose from instead of one IOU.