Press Release
Seven East Bay Cities Choose Solar and Wind for Electric Service
In 2022, East Bay Community Energy will serve more than 150,000 electricity accounts with 100% wind and solar energy
Alameda County, California (November 22, 2021) - East Bay Community Energy, the public agency formed by 14 local cities and Alameda County, today announced seven cities within its purview have taken an ambitious step in supporting renewable energy and combating climate change by transitioning most of their electricity supply to solar and wind sources via EBCE’s Renewable 100 program. The cities of Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Hayward, Piedmont, Pleasanton, and San Leandro are choosing 100% clean sources for both their own municipal electricity accounts and for the electricity consumed by most local residents and businesses. This collective transition marks a 50% adoption rate* of the Renewable 100 program among EBCE member cities, which would place EBCE at the #2 spot nationally in number of green power customers, compared to all other electricity providers, according to the National Renewable Energy Lab annual rankings (PDF).
The City of Piedmont set Renewable 100 as the default service for residents when EBCE launched in 2018. The cities of Albany, Dublin, Hayward, and Pleasanton are transitioning customers to Renewable 100 in January 2022, with Berkeley and San Leandro following later in the year. Residential customers who are on income and/or medical-qualifying discounts – such as the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) and Medical Baseline programs – will remain on Bright Choice (EBCE's money-saving service plan), as will commercial accounts in Dublin during the January 2022 transition.
Recently, EBCE celebrated the completion of its new 57.5 megawatt wind energy center in Livermore that is a foundation of Renewable 100’s supply. With various clean power projects under its belt and in the pipeline, including a 15-year contract for 112 megawatts of solar power from a new solar development in Kern County, EBCE is tracking toward its goal of providing 100% clean energy by 2030 for all EBCE customers — 15 years ahead of California’s target date.
“With the backdrop of recent international negotiations on climate change, it is remarkable to see the scale of what can be accomplished when forward-thinking communities get together to tackle a problem,” said EBCE CEO Nick Chaset.
For more information visit ebce.org/transition-to-renewable-energy/
Statements from elected officials in each city:
● "Cleaner, renewable power is a vital part of all of our efforts to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. Albany couldn't move towards this goal without EBCE and our partner cities who have also chosen to take this step. We may be a small part of the solution to a global problem, but this change represents a big step for our community," said Albany City Councilmember Aaron Tiedemann
● “The City of Berkeley is thrilled to join other East Bay cities to bring clean, renewable energy to our residents and businesses,” said Jesse Arreguín, Mayor of Berkeley. “Transitioning to Renewable 100 brings us closer to reaching our Fossil Fuel-Free goals, and demonstrates Berkeley’s leadership to address the urgency of climate change and reduce our impact on the environment.”
● “Last year, the Dublin City Council adopted the Climate Action Plan 2030 and Beyond (CAP2030). The CAP 2030 is a plan that will guide Dublin toward a greener future and help us reach carbon neutrality by 2045,” said Dublin Mayor Melissa Hernandez. “As a member of the EBCE Board of Directors, I am excited for Dublin to offer EBCE’s Renewable 100 program. This is an important step in reaching our climate action goals.”
● “The City of Hayward is proud to join our fellow cities in Alameda County in choosing 100% renewable energy as one of the many ways we are doing our part to address the current climate crisis,” said Hayward Mayor Barbara Halliday.
● “As world leaders have come together to take action against the existential threat that climate change poses to all of Earth’s ecosystems, I am proud that the city of Piedmont is a leader in using 100 percent renewable energy for our electrical needs,” said Teddy Gray King, Mayor of Piedmont and EBCE alternate. “In partnership with EBCE and with the adoption of our own reach codes, I am confident that Piedmonters are doing their part to reduce carbon emissions and promote a clean, green, sustainable future.”
● “As Pleasanton updates its Climate Action Plan 2.0 to be carbon neutral by 2045, the transition to 100% renewable energy with EBCE's Renewable 100 service is an important step toward reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions in Pleasanton for the long-term benefit of our community,” said Pleasanton City Councilmember and EBCE Board member Kathy Narum.
● "Transitioning to Renewable 100 is a major step for San Leandro to meet our climate and energy goals,” said Pauline Cutter, Mayor of San Leandro. “We're looking forward to working with EBCE to get the word out to our residents and businesses on this milestone. The action of today's transitional step will benefit our future generations."
About East Bay Community Energy (EBCE)
EBCE is a not-for-profit public agency that operates a Community Choice Energy program for Alameda County and fourteen incorporated cities, serving more than 1.7 million residential and commercial customers. EBCE initiated service in June 2018 and expanded to the cities of Pleasanton, Newark, and Tracy in April 2021. As one of 19 community choice aggregation (CCA) programs operating in California, EBCE is part of the movement to expedite the climate action goals of their communities and those of California. EBCE is committed to providing clean power at competitive rates while reinvesting in its local communities. For more information about East Bay Community Energy, visit ebce.org.
Contact:
Dan Lieberman, Marketing Director, dlieberman@ebce.org or 925-579-1591
* EBCE member cities can select the preferred electricity supply mix not only for their municipal accounts, but they also set the “default” power service for all customers in their jurisdiction. Individual customers can then change their power preference, or can return to their incumbent Investor-Owned Utility, PG&E, for power. EBCE currently offers customers two options: Bright Choice, which has more renewable energy at lower rates than PG&E; or Renewable 100, which is sourced from 100% California wind and solar resources at a slightly premium cost.