City of Atascadero, County of San Luis Obispo Partner with 3CE to Provide Clean Energy Services Starting in 2025
November 18, 2024
City and County Join 33 Regional Government Partners to Bring Renewable Energy and Economic Benefits to Local Households and Businesses
MONTEREY, Calif., November 18, 2024 – Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) is excited to announce a powerful partnership with the City of Atascadero and the County of San Luis Obispo, marking a significant step forward in delivering clean, renewable energy to the region. Starting in January 2025, electricity customers in both Atascadero and unincorporated areas of San Luis Obispo County will begin receiving clean energy service through 3CE, offering residents and businesses a new choice in energy provider at stable and predictable rates, and bringing innovative economic benefits to the community.
The City of Atascadero and County of San Luis Obispo voted to join 3CE in 2022 and 2023 respectively, completing 3CE’s service to the Central Coast region. 3CE is a public agency, made up of every coastal city and county from Santa Cruz to Santa Barbara, except for the cities of King City, Lompoc, and Santa Barbara, which each provide their own public power service.
“This partnership allows the County to take an active role in furthering the transition to clean energy,” said San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg. “By joining forces with 3CE, the County becomes part of a powerful platform to advance clean energy solutions for our region and engage in state-level conversations on energy regulation and policy.”
3CE provides renewable energy procurement services for more than 1 million people on the Central Coast, while PG&E continues to handle power delivery, infrastructure operations and maintenance, and billing for these customers. Throughout California, PG&E has partnered with local governments to allow for consumer choice in generation services. 3CE is one of 25 such agencies in the state, which collectively serve 14 million Californians.
“Atascadero’s partnership with 3CE offers our community more choice in clean energy options,” said Mayor Heather Moreno. “This collaboration not only offers local consumers options for sustainable energy; it brings access to energy programs that help public institutions, residents, and businesses reduce emissions, save money, and improve our quality of life.”
On January 1, 2025, customers in Atascadero and unincorporated San Luis Obispo County will be automatically enrolled in 3CE service unless they choose to opt out. Community outreach, including bilingual webinars, mailers, and public events, will be conducted to ensure customers are well-informed about their options and the benefits of 3CE’s service, such as rebates for electric vehicles and chargers, electric agricultural equipment, and home electrification projects, including residential battery systems. Customers of 3CE remain customers of PG&E and have access to both utilities’ energy program offerings.
Notifications to customers about the transition to 3CE service will begin this month. Those enrolled in online billing with PG&E will receive notice via email, while others will receive their notifications by mail. Notices will be sent in November and December 2024, and again in February and March 2025, after 3CE service begins.
PG&E electricity customers need not take action to begin receiving 3CE service in January. Households and businesses will transition seamlessly to 3CE electric-generation service on their normal January meter-read date. Those who prefer to remain exclusively with PG&E for generation, transmission, and distribution services may do so by opting out online or via 3CE’s call center.
As a public entity, 3CE does not earn a profit from its investments and is not beholden to shareholders. In 2024, residential customers who received service from 3CE and PG&E paid 17% less on their generation service than customers who elected to receive their generation, transmission and distribution service from PG&E alone. 3CE’s generation rates are set annually during publicly held meetings of its Policy Board of Directors, which is made up of elected officials representing the 35 cities and counties that form the agency.
About Central Coast Community Energy
Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) is a public agency that sources competitively priced electricity from clean and renewable energy resources. 3CE is governed by local officials who represent the communities served by the agency. Revenue generated by 3CE supports the transition to carbon-free power and is invested locally through innovative energy programs designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions. 3CE provides service to more than 1.1 million people throughout the Central Coast, including residential, commercial, and agricultural customers in communities located within Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz counties. Learn more at 3CEnergy.org and on social media, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Central Coast Community Energy | 3CE
Peter Berridge
Manager of Communications
Tel: +1-831-641-7204
pberridge@3ce.org