New Community Choice Aggregator could offer geothermal energy from Coso and Imperial Valley
Southern California Edison customers in Los Angeles County soon will have an alternative way to get their electricity — from a new government-run utility promising lower bills and easier access to clean-energy options.
The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved the public energy program, which they say will help reduce power bills by as much as 5% below what customers pay Edison. Residents and businesses will have the choice to stay with Edison or join the county’s utility.
In the last few years, more communities have been considering such community choice aggregation programs, also known as CCAs. Los Angeles County began studying the concept about two years ago, and its program has the potential to become the state’s largest.
The L.A. County utility, to be governed by the Los Angeles Community Choice Energy Authority, is expected to start providing electricity next year. Customers who switch to it will be able to choose whether they want power from solar, wind or another clean energy source (geothermal). Those decisions by customers will influence how much green energy — and what kind — the county invests in.
Community Choice Aggregation in California - An Opportunity for the Geothermal Industry [July/August 2016 GRC Bulletin] by Paul Brophy, Past-President, Geothermal Resources Council, and Vice-Chair, Business Operations Committee, Sonoma Clean Power.