By Staff Writer
Beginning May 1, 2019, Santa Monica businesses will begin receiving 100 percent green power.
The City of Santa Monica through the Clean Power Alliance introduced Santa Monica residents to green power in February 2019.
Through the change, electricity delivery and billing will remain with Southern California Edison (SCE), but business customers will have a choice of three Clean Power Alliance energy plans derived from 100 percent carbon-free energy sources.
This transition is intended to reduce Santa Monica’s greenhouse gas emissions. This change marks the final transition for approximately three million customers across 31 jurisdictions in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
“Santa Monica’s business community has long championed sustainable practices and now they get to continue to model what it means to be a green business,” said Mayor Gleam Davis. “We are greener, healthier city because our businesses lead on climate change.”
According to the City, 100 percent green power will cost businesses approximately 7-9 percent more than it was under SCE.
Santa Monica businesses account for 75 percent of communitywide electricity demand. Taken together, residents and businesses switching to green power will remove almost 20 percent of communitywide carbon emissions, according to the City.
“Based on what we have seen with our residential rollout, where 95 percent of customers committed to 100 percent green power, we are confident that the business community will take pride in our new green energy mix and work to keep the renewable levels as high as possible,” said Santa Monica’s Chief Sustainability Officer Dean Kubani.
All green power is derived from non-fossil fuel, non-nuclear, and plans offer the highest percentage of green power possible on the grid today.
The three power plans offer a range in price and in the percentage of energy derived from renewable sources.
The plans can be adjusted freely without restriction. Energy plans range from 100 percent, 50 percent and 36 percent renewable power. Santa Monica selected the “100 percent green power” plan as the default for all businesses. This means that businesses will automatically be enrolled in 100 percent renewable unless they select a different plan.
The Clean Power Alliance has secured long-term renewable energy agreements in order to offer stable and competitive rates for Santa Monica customers.
Customers with solar who generate excess energy will also be able to sell their electricity to the Clean Power Alliance at a rate 10 percent higher than SCE’s.
