REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approve Actions Needed to Move Forward with Developing and Launching a Multi-Jurisdictional Community Choice Energy Program in the South Bay, and Finding that these Actions are Exempt from CEQA
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
Community Choice Energy (CCE) is a process authorized by California law that enables cities to pool customer electricity demand within their jurisdiction to directly procure or invest in electric power supplies. CCE is garnering substantial interest among California communities for its potential to provide greener power at competitive, currently lower, rates, in addition to other community benefits. The two operating CCE programs in Marin and Sonoma counties provide useful benchmarks for program evaluation, development, and operation.
Prompted by the featured role CCE plays as a proposed strategy in Sunnyvale's adopted Climate Action Plan, the City Council prioritized and funded an initial study of a CCE program for the South Bay. The Cities of Cupertino and Mountain View and the County of Santa Clara have joined Sunnyvale in a partnership to assess and potentially form a multi-jurisdictional CCE program. The initial Assessment Report was completed in May 2015 and concludes that market and program conditions are favorable for proceeding to the next step - a detailed Technical Feasibility Study. This report to Council recommends proceeding with the Technical Study and seeks approval of the administrative steps needed to advance the Study and continue the multi-jurisdictional partnership.
BACKGROUND
Authorized by California law, CCE enables city and county governments to pool the electricity demand within their jurisdictions to directly procure or generate electrical power supplies on behalf of the residents and businesses in their communities. The main driver for interest in CCE programs in California is the opportunity to accelerate the shift to renewable and low greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting en...
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