Sebastopol Municipal Code Ch. 3.66 Community Choice Aggregation Program

The City of Sebastopol has investigated options to provide electric services to customers within the City, with the intent of achieving greater local control and involvement over the provision of electric services, competitive electric rates, the development of clean, local renewable energy projects, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and the wider implementation of energy conservation and efficiency projects and programs.

The Sonoma County Water Agency prepared a feasibility study and a draft implementation plan for a community choice aggregation (CCA) program in Sonoma County under the provisions of Public Utilities Code Section 366.2. The feasibility study and draft implementation plan show that implementing a community choice aggregation program would provide multiple benefits, including:

A. Providing customers a choice of power providers;

B. Increasing local control and involvement in and collaboration on energy rates and other energy-related matters;

C. Providing more stable long-term electric rates that are competitive with those provided by the incumbent utility;

D. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions arising from electricity use within Sonoma County;

E. Increasing local renewable generation capacity;

F. Increasing energy conservation and efficiency projects and programs;

G. Increasing regional energy self-sufficiency; and

H. Improving the local economy resulting from the implementation of local renewable energy and energy conservation and efficiency projects.

On December 4, 2012, the County of Sonoma and the Sonoma County Water Agency approved a joint powers agreement creating the Sonoma Clean Power Authority (“the Authority”). Under the joint powers agreement, cities and towns within Sonoma County may participate in the Sonoma Clean Power CCA program by adopting the resolution and ordinance required by Public Utilities Code Section 366.2. Cities and towns choosing to participate in the CCA program will have membership on the Board of Directors of the Sonoma Clean Power Authority as provided in the joint powers agreement.

The Authority has solicited bids from electric power suppliers and other service providers, in order to determine whether implementation of a CCA program in Sonoma County is financially viable. From those bids, the Authority has determined that a CCA program in Sonoma County could provide power to residents and businesses at rates that are competitive with those of the incumbent utility (PG&E).

Under Public Utilities Code Section 366.2, customers have the right to opt out of a CCA program and continue to receive service from the incumbent utility. Customers who wish to continue to receive service from the incumbent utility will be able to do so.

Based upon the foregoing, and in order to provide business and residents within the City of Sebastopol with a choice of power providers and with the benefits described above, the Council hereby affirmatively elects to implement a community choice aggregation program within the jurisdiction of the City of Sebastopol by participating as a group with the County of Sonoma, the Sonoma County Water Agency, and other cities in Sonoma County in the community choice aggregation program of the Sonoma Clean Power Authority, as generally described in the draft implementation plan, subject to the Authority’s right to forgo the implementation of a community choice aggregation program in the event that the Board of Directors of the Sonoma Clean Power Authority determines not to finalize and approve an implementation plan for submission to the California Public Utilities Commission.