Just a few months ago things looked shaky, with both the city of Salinas and Monterey County contemplating bowing out of a plan to break Pacific Gas & Electric’s local monopoly. The plan was to do it with clean energy.
But now, 19 local government have announced their intention of joining Monterey Bay Community Power (MPEP) to create a Community Choice Energy program—including the city of Salinas and Monterey County.
The next step is for cities to pass ordinances in January and February 2017 to establish a joint power authority and formally create the MBCP. The governments will have to put up $2 million to start making clean energy purchases on the open market.
MPEP hopes to start selling energy to Monterey Bay area residents by the spring of 2018, at prices equal to what PG&E charges.
Once the initial investment is paid back to local governments, profits will be investing in local renewable energy projects including wind, solar, geothermal and biomass sources, among others.