The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to allocate $10 million to start a county run power agency — known as a community choice aggregation or CCA program — that will purchase power and set rates for customers who want to use and pay for renewable energy.
County officials will spend the next six months to get the Los Angeles Community Choice Energy program rolled out in phases by laying out the groundwork and signing up cities that are interested. Power will be provided to county buildings in unincorporated areas as part of the first phase. Then businesses in those areas will join the Joint Power Authority. Finally, residents will be asked to join. The program will be based in Los Angeles County.
The program involves buying power from more green sources and bill customers, who would be enrolled unless they opted out. Southern California Edison (SCE) would still move power from the grid through transmission lines, but the goal is to offer customers a choice, board members said.
A report presented to the Board in July concluded that a community choice aggregation program “is financially feasible and would yield considerable benefits for all participating County residents and businesses.” The study found the county could increase the amount of renewable energy garnered by wind and solar for example, to 50 percent, almost double the 28 percent supplied by SCE, while also reducing rates 4 percent as compared to the investor-owned utility.
“With this ‘Green Power’ motion, the County is kicking off an initiative that will help protect the environment and create jobs in a new green economy,” said Supervisor Sheila Kuehl,who co-authored the motion with Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. “We are thrilled that cities within the County are already expressing interest in signing on.”
South Pasadena councilwoman Diana Mahmud told the Board she hopes her city will sign up soon.
“This is an exceptional opportunity,” she said of the chance to use renewable energy. “It’s an opportunity for government to compete.”
Joe Sullivan, director of energy solutions for the National Electrical Contractors Association/IBEW Local 11, said electricians in the union are warming up to the idea of such programs, but he hopes county officials will consider apprenticeships and veterans for upcoming jobs.
“In Los Angeles, we’ve been actively involved with different CCA models,” he said. “We believe CCAs have capacities to be great job creators.”
Staff writer Steve Scauzillo contributed to this report.
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
