Anonymous
Santa Barbara County Supervisors Joan Hartmann and Das Williams
Source: Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP)
MBCP announced [Friday] that its Policy Board has unanimously approved the agency’s continued expansion, adding the Cities of Arroyo Grande, Carpinteria, Del Rey Oaks, Goleta, Guadalupe, Grover Beach, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, Santa Maria, Solvang and the County of Santa Barbara to MBCP’s 21 existing member jurisdictions. MBCP will become the largest – geographically speaking – of all nineteen Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) more commonly referred to as, “Community Choice Energy” agencies, operating in California. Collectively, CCEs now serve more than 10 million customers in the State.
“The remarkable growth of MBCP and community choice energy along the Central Coast affirms our region’s long-standing commitments to environmental stewardship and economic stimulation,” shares MBCP CEO, Tom Habashi. “Unifying the Central Coast in these terms not only benefits our own region, it supports the growth of California’s CCE community and the potential to influence important energy-policy decisions being made in Sacramento.”
Santa Cruz County Supervisor and MBCP Policy Board Chair, Bruce McPherson first spearheaded the formation of MBCP to serve Santa Cruz County. Soon after, McPherson brought Monterey and San Benito Counties in to be part of MBCP’s initial formation, as the first Tri-County CCE to launch in March 2018. Since then, the agency’s efforts to share CCE benefits with neighboring communities and grow CCE’s influence in California have combined with the desire to create economic stimulus and address climate action by many Central Coast communities, energizing remarkable growth of the relatively new public agency as the enduring southward momentum continues. “Expanding MBCP’s reach to serve more of the Central Coast is an incredible opportunity to scale up customer savings, local energy programs and the Central Coast’s political influence,” says McPherson.
MBCP will add over 130,000 customers to reach an estimated total customer base of over 430,000, spanning 8,000 square miles and supporting customers across two different Investor Owned Utility service territories. Through its carbon-neutral power mix, MBCP estimates reducing carbon emissions an extra 240,000 metric tons in 2021, equal to removing over 50,000 cars off the road for one year.
During this week’s momentous Policy Board Meeting, Santa Barbara County Supervisor Das Williams echoed this sentiment, “Joining MBCP is a critical step in the County’s commitment to energy resiliency and greenhouse gas reduction. We are excited to partner and leverage the necessary resources to support our constituents.”
The addition of these 11 member jurisdictions from San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties generated five new seats on MBCP’s Policy Board, sworn in immediately following the expansion approval during the December 4th MBCP Policy Board Meeting. Customers within the newly approved jurisdictions are set to begin receiving electric generation service from MBCP in early 2021 which is when they also gain access to MBCP’s local energy programs that reduce local greenhouse gas emissions and help solve energy resiliency issues, transforming and helping to decarbonize the Central Coast. Last year, at the December 2018 Policy Board meeting, the Cities of San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay went through the same process, and they enroll with MBCP January 1, 2020.
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 and now portions of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. PG&E continues its traditional role delivering power, 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
Santa Barbara is not served by PG&E (see last paragraph, italicized), nor is it in Central California, as are all the other communities affected by Monterey Bay Community Power. Where does Southern California Edison fit into this? I was an English major in college and spent my entire career involved in the communicated word, and I have no idea what this article actually says. Blah blah blah, “benefits neighboring communities,” blah blah blah, “create economic stimulus,” blah blah blah, “leverage the necessary resources to support our constituents”… If the opportunistic Das Williams is involved with this, all I can say is gird your loins.
Endorsement by identity rather than merit and substance? Not a good practice. What do we know about these people, their track record or their accountability once out of office. Randy Rowse’s voice of reason and pragmatic questioning will be sorely missed on SB City Council. Who will step up to take this role or do we just go along because these are supposed to be the cool kids.
SCE will still provide transmition & distribution across their lines as well as billing services. Don’t be fooled by this article. Joining this CCE will increase costs. Utility customers will see their bills increase substantially. It will not increase efficiency because the same lines will be used . Currently this program is not providing much more green energy than SCE. I believe the graph shown in previous public meetings stated 5% greener. The public can opt out and continue with their current provider. If enough people opt out in a certain area the local municipality cannot join. Ask yourself, do you really want county government running your utility?
Does it really matter what Edison thinks if they helped to burn down so much of Santa Barbara County? Really? Time for some new thinking and new systems. Out dated technology in the form of telephone poles, rotting wiring and no maintenance spelled disaster for our community. Government leaders need to make big changes, and working together they will benefit all of us with modern technology. Of course, those working for fossil fuel and Edison will object, but none of us expect them to change a dang thing.
I would just like to take this moment to thank Rex for re-introducing “gird your loins”.
As you were.
Many of us would rather have a fossil fuel and power line free future. Half the community is facing annual power shortages and worse, raging destructive fire courtesy of Edison and PGE. No thank you, time for change. More costly is the fear and destruction rained on us by the current energy providers.
Many of us would rather have a fossil fuel and power line free future. Half of California is facing annual power shortages and worse, raging destructive fire courtesy of Edison and PGE. No thank you, time for change. More costly is the fear and destruction rained on us by the current energy providers.
These folks are all ELECTED. That is, they submit them selves to scrutiny by the voters in order to represent us. This is a democracy, so anyone who doesn’t support these folks and their quests for a stable economy, clean energy, and a life without wildfires, is free to run (and lose) for office. Times they are a changing, but you are free to run anytime if you think you know better and see if the voters agree.
There is absolutely no evidence that our government can produce, distribute, and maintain the infrastructure necessary to deliver reliable power at lower cost than SCE. Don’t forget that this is the same government that cannot even send out accurate text messages during emergencies. Count me out of this dumpster fire.
What’s the benefit over ordering 100% green power already available from SCE? The SCE green rate info is right here: https://www.sce.com/residential/rates/standard-residential-rate-plan/green-rates . Supposedly Monterrey Bay Community Power is less competitive and more expensive, and taxpayers are paying for the local government “coordinators”. It just doesn’t make sense to me, and our local governments haven’t made the case.
@3:45 What people don’t seem to understand is it will be the same SCE infrastructure. The only thing that will change is the source of the power and more government jobs. You will still receive your bill from SCE with their transmition and distribution charges but not the generation fee. I am no fan of SCE, but CCE changes nothing. Opt out if you don’t want substantially higher bills.
@3:49 How do you think that fossil free energy is going to get to you? Magic? No, it’s going to through SCE transmition lines. SCE wouldn’t underground the lines you think local government is going to come up with the necessary taxpayer funds to do so? Nothing will change.
It says MBCP provides cleaner energy at a lower cost.
Skimming through the links, it’s unclear to me how MBCP achieves its goals. Perhaps it creates a larger more influential customer pool to enter into PPA’s (Power Purchase Agreements) with clean energy projects?
Local officials Goleta Councilman Kyle Richards, Santa Barbara County Supervisor Das Williams; Santa Maria Mayor Alice Patino; Grover Beach Mayor Jeff Lee; and Guadalupe Mayor Ariston Julian are on the board, representing the energy future of California and a transition to a fossil free energy grid. As Santa Barbara County is part of the coalition, it is good news for the Central Coast, as policy and funding decisions will be influenced for lower cost, locally controlled cleaner renewable energy projects in the future.
I think Rex nailed it. Lots of fluffy buzzwords in this article and no substance. What exactly are they planning to do to us, and how much will it increase our electric bills?
Looks like everyone will be automatically opted into MBCP…after reading the reviews from yelp I for one will be opting out as soon as I can……MBCP on yelp….(https://www.yelp.com/biz/monterey-bay-community-power-monterey?start=20&sort_by=date_desc)
all single family homes in cali built in 2020 have to have solar built in. residential is this way, hopefully commercial follows soon. IT is NOT expensive to retrofit a commercial building currently. I installed Deckers roof and it has served them more than well and it was NOT hard to do because of the exisiting construction.
Im sorry what? they are using “carbon neutral” sources. wind, water, solar, etc. from multiple sources is my understanding. NOTHING like agent orange what are some of you people on? tin foil hat fall too far over your eyeballs that it skewed your google search for chemtrails?
As Agent Orange frequently says, “We’ll see.”
There’s absolutely no evidence that there’s absolutely no evidence. Seriously, one must be extraordinarily gullible to believe (or upvote) this sort of rhetoric.
It means to wrap and tie up your tunic around your privates so you don’t trip and fall when running around like a banshee. Sound advice for Rex at al.
I am completely in support of socialized local utility systems such as LADWP and Lompoc for example. I don’t understand, however, what this idea is accomplishing. It seems like just moving the walnut shells around on the table, hiding the pea. I would be much more in support of a local mandate that electricity generated locally be distributed locally. For example all roof-top solar panels would support a local batter bank that would then come back to the contributors as needed. Solar panels should be mandated on all new commercial buildings as constructed and retrofit to all existing commercial spaces over a short time for the same purpose.
New construction yes, but it is extremely difficult and / or overly expensive to retrofit existing commercial spaces with any meaningful amount of solar production capability. It is a lot more involved than just sticking some panels on the roof.
The feasibility study for this project stated CCE was “ probably” feasible in this area. But only with full participation from all South Coast cities and 90% of the public. The study was based on your only 10% public opt out. Local government assumes the public will just go along with whatever they say. Everyone gets enrolled whether they want to be or not. It is up to the customer to go through the process of opting out, a process many won’t bother to undertake or even understand the option. With SCE continuing the billing, transmition and distribution, nothing will look different to south coast customers. They will complain when they see higher bills. But what if 25% of the public opts out? The project will no longer be feasible and what happens then?