Monterey Bay Community Power Is Now Central Coast Community Energy

September 8, 2020

New Name and New Pathway to Achieve 100% Renewable Energy by 2030 Mark Progress and Leadership as CCCE Unifies Region for Exponential Impact

Monterey, CA. September 8, 2020 – Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP) today announced the adoption of its new name, Central Coast Community Energy (3CE), and a new and affordable pathway to 100% renewable energy by 2030 to provide more enduring impact toward the agency’s original goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  3CE’s pathway ensures 60% of its energy supply will come from new renewable resources by 2025 and 100% by 2030 putting 3CE 15 years ahead of the state’s clean energy goals.  Adopted on September 2nd, the new strategy will move power purchasing towards optimizing increasing low-cost renewable energy and energy storage technologies as well as closer to seeking renewable energy projects within its expansive service area.

“With the formal adoption of our new name, Central Coast Community Energy, we are charting a new course to achieve significant and meaningful reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, aiming to reach 100% renewable energy by 2030.  3CE’s new resource procurement strategy comes at an opportune time when we can further capitalize on low cost long term new renewable energy projects to achieve an even greater impact on the environment while lowering customer cost,” shares CEO, Tom Habashi.

The new name reflects the agency’s expanded service area of 29 cities, with the City of Buellton as the latest city to join, and 4 counties, which now includes additions in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties as well as Del Rey Oaks starting in early 2021. These communities join 3CE’s existing service area in Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties and the cities of San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay.

“As many businesses and residents in our community know, realizing the benefits of community choice energy is something the Monterey Bay and Central Coast have long been striving for,” shared 3CE Policy Board Chair and Santa Cruz County Supervisor, Bruce McPherson, “The welcomed expansion and name change to Central Coast Community Energy underscores the commitment of our agency to continue to exceed our state’s climate and energy related goals.”

With the agency’s new name comes an exciting power purchasing strategy that accelerates the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and provides a reliable, more tangible impact from renewable energy sources as defined by California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard. The transition would produce both utility-scale progress toward growing renewables and reducing greenhouse gas emissions while also increasing the likelihood of localized generation and battery storage. Because the cost of renewable energy is at an all-time low while carbon-free attributes have increased five-fold in the past 3 years, this new approach would also reduce 3CE’s energy supply costs by up to $10 million a year or potentially over $100 million by 2030.  With more financial flexibility, 3CE can further support rate stability, re-investment in efforts to bolster and accelerate the electrification of the Central Coast’s transportation, building and agricultural sectors while evaluating the value proposition of distributed energy resources.

“3CE’s new procurement strategy to reach 100% renewable energy by 2030 through new projects is a tremendous step forward for our communities and an example for all CCAs,” shares Santa Barbara County Supervisor Das Williams “I’m proud to say that along the way, this ambitious approach will provide much needed economic and environmental progress to exceed the State’s goals for renewable energy.”

Though the name has changed, and its procurement strategy has been updated, 3CE’s commitment to local control and competitively priced electricity from clean and renewable energy sources will remain the same. The expansion will unify access to clean energy and local control for over 400,000 residential, commercial and agricultural customers on the Central Coast.

Central Coast Community Energy invites customers to visit its new website and learn more about the 2021 enrollment of Arroyo Grande, Carpinteria, Del Rey Oaks, Goleta, Guadalupe, Grover Beach, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, Santa Maria, Solvang and the County of Santa Barbara, along with information about 3CE’s pathway to 100% renewable energy by 2030 at 3CEnergy.org.

# # #


About: Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) is a community-owned public agency that sources competitively priced electricity from clean and renewable energy resources. 3CE is locally controlled and governed by board members who represent each community served by the agency. Revenue generated by 3CE stays local and helps keep electricity rates affordable for customers, while also funding innovative energy programs designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions and stimulate economic development. 3CE serves more than 400,000 customers 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 @3Cenergy.

 
Central Coast Community Energy                               

Shelly Whitworth

Senior Energy Media Specialist

Tel: +1-831-229-0277

swhitworth@3CE.org

3Cenergy.org