Peninsula Clean Energy details $68 million reinvestment project

Peninsula Clean Energy's board of directors has approved returning $68 million to the community through a reinvestment plan.

The includes a $300 income-qualified bill credit, financing for residential energy battery storage, loans for local government and school electrification, and funding for energy storage at public buildings and other efforts to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions, according to a Dec. 28 press release.

Peninsula Clean Energy automatically applied a one-time $300 rebate on electricity bills in December for its roughly 41,000 customers who receive discounted rates through the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) or Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) programs. Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) is a community choice energy program that San Mateo County formed in February 2016. It serves county residents and the city of Los Banos.

Reinvestment plan details

PCE will offer $31.5 million in grants and other assistance to support member agency energy projects, initiatives to fund local microgrids or advanced energy projects and installing energy storage at local government buildings.

The plan also includes $10 million in residential battery loans to provide outage backup and grid support. Another $4.5 million will go toward revolving loans to expand a program to allow an estimated 15 additional local government electrification projects over 10 years.

Peninsula Clean Energy will also finance $5 million each for:

• Several projects over five years to provide local schools upgraded clean, electric space and water heating systems, air conditioning and battery storage (Participating schools are to be determined. There will be a solicitation to invite participation, said Darren Goode, PCE media contact, in an email.)

• Supporting customers who need emergency water heater replacements

"As a result of extremely efficient financial management, I am proud that Peninsula Clean Energy is able to return $68 million to our customers and community," said Rick DeGolia, Atherton council member and chair of PCE's board of directors, in a statement. "Our entire region will benefit from significant resources that will go toward increasing the resiliency of our electric grid and the decline in heat-trapping greenhouse gases by shifting away from methane gas and providing more affordable and reliable clean power."

PCE also continues to offer all of its customers a discount of more than 5% below PG&E's baseline electric generation rate. As PG&E rates increase in January 2024, PCE's board of directors have pledged to hold the agency's electric generation rates steady until at least March 2024, and potentially longer, according to PCE.

"One of our core principles — and that of all community-choice energy providers — is a commitment to lower energy rates and reinvestment in our communities for the benefit of our residents, businesses, the local environment and economy," said PCE CEO Shawn Marshall in a statement.

PCE recently published analysis with Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) that found single-family homeowners save roughly $380 annually ($32 monthly) when they switch from gas appliances to standard electric equipment.

Those savings increased to $495 annually ($41 monthly) when switching to high-efficiency electric equipment, according to a press release.

For information about PCE's programs, visit PenCleanEnergy.com/lowerbill.

Woodside's solar plans

The town of Woodside has been working with PCE to install a solar photovoltaic system on the roofs of Town Hall and Independence Hall. In 2020, the town had considered self-funding the project for a cost of $304,768, but the Town Council didn't pass a resolution for the purchase of the panels, according to a town staff report. At the time, council concerns expressed during deliberation included the historic designation of Independence Hall, the return on investment and not receiving any competitive bid.

"Town participation in this collaborative procurement (with PCE) would address the issues of cost, return on investment, and lack of competitive bids identified by the council when evaluating the Sandbar Solar proposal in 2020," according to a staff report. "In addition, Peninsula Clean Energy will ensure that installation on Independence Hall would meet Secretary of Interior standards for buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and not jeopardize its historic designation."

Former council member Daniel Yost wrote to the Town Council on Dec. 7 to encourage it to adopt the draft resolution to partner with PCE to install solar panels.

"It is long past due!" he said.

Others are less enthusiastic about installing the panels.

In a letter to the editor, another resident, Ed Kahl, said the project would "deface" the historic Town Hall.

Related story: How Peninsula Clean Energy is bringing renewable energy to San Mateo County n