Civil Municipal View Feb2023

73 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 provides carbon-free power from sources like solar, wind, and hydropower. Electricity sourced by SJCE is delivered over existing utility lines, with PG&E continuing to do maintenance, billing, and customer service as they always have. “We’re the largest jurisdiction operating a program like this,” says SJCE Director, Lori Mitchell. “We source the energy to accelerate investments and renewables to meet the city’s climate goals. We’ve been operating over four years at 60% renewable energy, which is significantly cleaner than what they would’ve gotten with PG&E’s service.” Customers also have the option to upgrade to their 100% renewable, carbon-free electric generation service, TotalGreen. “It’s available at a very attainable cost,” Mitchell explains. “It’s a fantastic option for customers who want to be more renewable, but it’s strictly a personal choice. Residents and businesses can install solar panels, and they’ll have a net energy metering rate that pays them for excess electricity at a higher rate than what PG&E provides. This program was designed for customers that want to invest in solar. The average cost is only about 5% more, and they can opt out or back in at any time.” The main catalyst for SJCE was furthering the priorities of Climate Smart San Jose, the Carbon Neutrality plan that was approved by the City Council in 2018. Nothing short of a momentous endeavor, the framework made San Jose the largest city in the U.S. to have set the goal to achieve neutrality by 2030. “Customers have a lot of flexibility with that,” Mitchell insists. “The city is investing in a lot of new renewable power supplies—solar, wind, geothermal. There are also goals around program offerings for energy efficiency and electric vehicle programs. Commercial clients can build programs for more efficient HVAC and refrigeration services. Our website (sanjosecleanenergy. org) highlights that for companies, and they can check to see if they qualify.” All net revenues are reinvested into lower SAN JOSE , CAL I FORNI A