Clean Energy

Together with our customers, 3CE is on a pathway to achieving 100% clean and renewable energy. Along the way, by having local control over our region’s electricity needs, deploying innovative energy solutions, and being responsive to the unique needs of our diverse Central Coast community, 3CE is powering economic and environmental benefits for our customers, our communities and our planet. 

Reducing Emissions

3CE is addressing our state’s most urgent energy needs by supporting new solar, geothermal, and wind generation projects, as well as new energy-storage resources. Rather than relying only on existing renewable energy sources, 3CE makes long-term investments in building new renewable infrastructure (like the projects shown below) for maximum impact. 

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Mammoth Casa Diablo IV

Casa Diablo IV is a 30-megawatt geothermal power plant developed by Ormat Technologies in Mammoth Lakes, CA that provides stable and reliable renewable benefits 24 hours a day, with zero carbon emissions. 3CE receives 7 MW of geothermal power under a 10-year power purchase agreement.

Mountain View Wind

Wind repowering is the combined activity of dismantling or refurbishing existing wind turbines and commissioning new ones. AES Corp. removed more than 100 old turbines at the Mountain View wind farm and replaced them with 16 new Vestas turbines that deliver cost-competitive clean energy to the California communities they serve. 3CE receives 33.3 MW annually under a 20-year contract.

Rabbitbrush Solar+Storage

The Rabbitbrush project produces enough electricity to power about 40,000 homes annually, offsetting carbon emissions by approximately 48,000 metric tons each year — the equivalent of removing 10,343 cars from the road. 3CE receives 60 MW of generation and 30 MWh of storage under a 20-year contract.

Slate Solar+Storage

The Slate facility in Kings County was one of California’s largest integrated solar-and-storage projects when contracted. The facility produces 390 MW of generation and 561 megawatt-hours of storage — enough to power about 126,000 households. 3CE receives 67.5 MW of solar and 33.75 MW/135 MWh of storage under a 17-year contract.

Coso Geothermal

The Coso Geothermal Power plant in Inyo County, CA provides 3CE with 67.5 MW of 24/7 electricity per year under a 15-year contract.

Yellow Pine Solar

Yellow Pine Solar I, located in Clark County, generates up to 125 MW of clean, renewable electricity and has a four-hour, 65 MW capacity of battery energy storage. This is enough energy to power more than 37,500 homes annually.

Victory Pass Solar+Storage

The Victory Pass solar and storage facility, developed by Clearway Energy Group, is located in Riverside County with 200 MW of generation capacity and 200 megawatt-hours of battery storage. 3CE receives 100 MW of generation and 100 MWh of storage under a 15-year agreement. 3CE receives 75 MW of generation and 156 MWh of storage under a 20-year contract.

Large-Scale Impact, Local Control 

3CE’s strategy of building new sources of renewable energy on behalf of our nearly 1.2 million customers is called “additionality” and empowers the agency to make large-scale contributions to the clean-energy transition. At the local level, new projects are selected by representatives of the 35 cities and counties 3CE serves, realizing the promise of community choice and local control over your electricity needs. 

Electrifying the Central Coast – Together

A Community Choice Aggregator (CCA) like Central Coast Community Energy is a partnership between the agency and the people it serves. 3CE’s customers make a critical contribution to our shared clean-energy journey by moving away from fossil fuels and taking greater control of the energy they use.

3CE invests in our communities by offering customers money-saving Energy Programs that further reduce emissions locally. Cash rebates from these programs can help upgrade your transportation, home, and/or business to electric power. Ready to make the switch? Check out 3CE’s rebates and incentives. 

Another way to spend less while doing more to reduce emissions is to manage your energy consumption. Shifting your use of major appliances like dishwashers and laundry machines to the daytime (when energy is plentiful) rather than the evening (when demand is at its peak and electricity is most expensive) is one way to stretch your energy dollar. 3CE has partnered with OhmConnect to make this even easier.

Customers who install a home battery can also program their system to store cheaper power during the day and discharge it during the evening. 3CE even offers optional automated scheduling assistance!

Eligible customers can also sign up for the Hourly Flex Pricing Pilot, offered in partnership with PG&E. Under Hourly Flex Pricing, electricity prices vary by hour based on market conditions. Price forecasts are published seven days in advance, and final prices are set one day in advance, letting customers plan their hourly usage. Automation technology can streamline customer operations to help save even more.

Building a Cleaner, More Reliable Grid

3CE has new generation sources coming online every year through 2028 as we progress toward sourcing 100% clean and renewable energy years ahead of state goals.

The Power Content Label

Review 3CE’s power mix compared to California utilities’ average power mix with the annual Power Content Label (PCL). Required by the California Energy Commission, the PCL typically comes out near the end of summer and reports the power mix from the prior year. 

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