We need your help! On October 11th, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will meet to decide whether to dramatically increase the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA) charge, an on-going fee that is levied on Community Choice customers, so those who remain with the utility do not incur long-term financial obligations made for the benefit of people switching over to a Community Choice program. Approval of this proposed increase on behalf of the monopoly utilities would undermine the viability of Community Choice programs and contravene both California’s Community Choice law and the environmental, economic, and social justice benefits Community Choice programs are uniquely able to provide.
As consumers held hostage by the uncontested monopoly by utilities, this action also undermines our rights as citizens to assist and direct California’s clean energy initiative towards 100 percent renewable energy by 2045 as mandated by SB 100. More than 100 elected officials in California have publicly opposed this vote and it is urgent that our communities vigorously oppose this destructive course of action through grassroots action.
Please use the link below to sign an opposition letter that will be directly sent to your California legislators and the acting Commissioners, requesting that the CPUC comply with AB 117, the bill that created the Community Choice option for local governments, and requires the CPUC to ensure that avoidable, unfair, anti-competitive costs are not shifted to these programs.
Stop CPUC from undermining choice!Eight million customers in 160 California communities are served by Community Choice programs, and Santa Barbara communities are actively pursuing a new community choice program that will provide local control and a reliable choice for cleaner energy at rates competitive with and often cheaper than rates currently offered by utilities. Our legislators need to take this issue seriously and the CPUC needs to hear our dissent NOW.
We stand with the California Alliance for Community Energy in encouraging everyone, especially those public officials we vote into office to represent our interests, to speak up and defend Community Choice programs against this monopoly on utilities.
For more information on our renewable energy initiatives, please visit our Montecito Community Microgrid Initiative page. In collaboration with Clean Coalition, our objective is to implement new microgrid technology at the Montecito Fire Station Headquarters and Montecito Water District Headquarters (including at remote water wells and pumping stations). This microgrid system will utilize renewable energy to provide backup power in the event of an outage due to a natural disaster and will create a replicable model for Montecito’s businesses, residents, and eventually the world.
