MCE is a public, not-for-profit electricity provider that gives all PG&E electric customers (residential, commercial, and municipal) the choice of having 60% to 100% of their electricity supplied from clean, renewable sources—such as solar, wind, bioenergy, geothermal, and hydroelectric—at competitive rates.
We were formed in 2008, following six years of careful study and development, and our service was launched to customers on May 7, 2010, as California’s first Community Choice Aggregation program. Currently, we provide renewable energy to more than 540,000 customer accounts and more than 1 million residents and businesses in 37 member communities across 4 Bay Area counties: Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, and Solano.
When California deregulated the energy market in 1997, many Californians switched to alternative energy providers. Following the energy crisis of 2000-01, consumer choice of electricity providers was suspended. As a response to the closing of the open market, Assembly Bill 117 was passed in 2002 to establish Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), which offers an opportunity for California communities to choose the source of their electricity. MCE was California’s first Community Choice Aggregation agency. Today there are 23 CCAs operating throughout California.
MCE is governed by a 30-member Board of Directors representing each of the member communities that it serves. MCE’s local government structure ensures public transparency. The Board conducts its business in monthly meetings that are always open to the public. For more information about our Board and Committee meetings, please see the Meeting Archive.
No. PG&E continues to provide all gas services, electric delivery, billing, and power line maintenance. MCE only replaces the electric generation services with 60-100% renewable energy at competitive rates.
MCE’s service area includes all of Marin and Napa Counties, unincorporated Contra Costa County, unincorporated Solano County, and the Cities and Towns of Benicia, Concord, Danville, El Cerrito, Fairfield, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, San Ramon, Vallejo, and Walnut Creek.
MCE’s 60% renewable electricity service is cost competitive with–and often lower than–PG&E’s 31% renewable electricity service for typical customers. Part of MCE’s mission is to provide stable and competitive rates. MCE is proposing rate adjustments effective January 1, 2022, for a minimum increase of $0.003 per kWh or 1% of total bill costs. Based on current forecasted rates, MCE is targeting a 2% savings for generation costs compared to PG&E. Read the MCE Notice of Proposed Rate Adjustments (pdf) to learn more about the proposed rate changes and opportunities to provide public comment. For more information, sample cost comparisons, and cost calculators, please visit Rates.
Electricity meters continue to be owned and read by PG&E. Therefore, MCE does not have any control over whether or not our customers receive SmartMeters from PG&E.
All MCE customers are still PG&E customers. PG&E provides electric delivery services for MCE customers, like meter reading and power line maintenance. PG&E will continue to send your electric bill, which will include MCE electric generation charges. MCE’s electric generation charges replace PG&E’s electric generation charges and account for the source of your energy. MCE is buying and building cleaner electricity supply for you. Learn more about billing.
If you are an MCE customer the front page of your PG&E bill will include a line item called “MCE Electric Generation Charges.” If you are a Deep Green customer, you will see a line item called “Deep Green” on the “Details of MCE Electric Generation Charges” page of your bill that shows the extra penny per kWh you pay as a Deep Green customer. You can also check your account status by calling us at 1 (888) 632-3674 with your PG&E account number (found on your bill) or by emailing us at info@mceCleanEnergy.org.
Sign up for Deep Green online or by phone at 1 (888) 632-3674. Please have your PG&E bill account information on hand to complete your enrollment.
Yes. MCE customers can switch between the Light Green, Deep Green, and Local Sol products at any time by calling us at 1 (888) 632-3674 or emailing info@mcecleanenergy.org. Please have your PG&E account information on hand to complete your change.
No. MCE buys and builds cleaner electricity sources. This electricity is fed onto the statewide shared electric grid and then moves down the path of least resistance to customers. This is why accounting is important. Clean energy is accounted through contracts and renewable energy certificates that confer the “renewable attributes” of that energy. It needs to work this way because individual electrons can’t be routed from a wind turbine to a particular house that just signed up for green power without building a new transmission line directly from the source to the home. MCE, just like PG&E, reports power purchases to the California Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission so you can be sure that we are putting cleaner electricity onto the grid on behalf of our customers.
Our energy is mostly produced from non-polluting, renewable sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, and bioenergy. The projects that produce our electricity are located in California, the Pacific Northwest, and Colorado. The exact proportion of each varies with time, based on demand and availability. For example, MCE may use a higher proportion of hydroelectric energy during the spring and summer months when winter run-off generates more power at affordable prices. Learn more about MCE’s power sources.
We are required to report to the California Public Utilities Commission and California Energy Commission on an annual basis to verify the amount of renewable energy procured for our customers. This is the same standard used by other California utilities, such as PG&E, for verification purposes. Learn more about MCE’s verified renewable energy procurement from our most recent Power Content Label.
Historically, investor-owned utilities have been the default service provider to customers in their jurisdictions. However, in 2002, when state legislators passed California’s Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) law, this default status was transferred from the investor-owned utility to the local community choice aggregator (CCA) when available. MCE is California’s first operating CCA program. The original CCA legislation, seeing the wisdom of collective community action, mandated that the customers residing in the service area would automatically be enrolled, unless they chose not to participate by opting out.
Customers may opt out online or by phone at 1 (888) 632-3674. Please have your PG&E bill or account information on hand in order to process your request.
Customers may request to opt out of MCE service at any time. There is a five-day business window for processing opt-out requests, and your account must be transferred on your regularly scheduled meter read date. If you request to opt out of MCE service after 60 days of service, PG&E will prohibit you from returning to MCE for one year. In addition, PG&E provides two options for customers who wish to return to PG&E after the first 60 days of service:
- A customer may request to return to PG&E by providing 6 months advance notice. The customer will continue to receive energy from MCE for 6 months, after which time they will return to PG&E. PG&E will apply their standard rates upon the customer’s return.
- A customer may request to return to PG&E immediately, but will be subject to PG&E’s Transitional Bundled Commodity Cost (TBCC) rate program for 6 months instead of PG&E’s traditional rates. PG&E’s TBCC rate is transitional and varies from month to month.
Customers should contact PG&E for more information about TBCC and their options for returning to PG&E after the first 60 days of service with MCE.
Yes. Any resident or business in MCE’s service area can choose MCE’s renewable energy service. This includes: Marin and Napa Counties, unincorporated Contra Costa County, unincorporated Solano County and the Cities and Towns of Benicia, Concord, Danville, El Cerrito, Fairfield, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, San Ramon, Vallejo, and Walnut Creek. To check on the status of your account, please call us at 1 (888) 632-3674 or email info@mcecleanenergy.org. Please have your PG&E account information on hand. Customers in the City of Fairfield will be eligible to enroll in MCE service in the spring of 2022.
No. MCE supports your power to choose! Any customer may opt out of MCE service in order to choose PG&E service. The choice is yours.
Establishing service is easy. Contact PG&E one week before you will need service at your new address to schedule an appointment: 1 (800) 743-5000 or visit PG&E’s website.
Customers starting new electric service accounts in our service area will start with our Light Green 60% renewable energy. We will mail you two notices within the first sixty days of service with terms and conditions and instructions for opting out, should you choose to do so.
Customers who opt out before starting MCE service or within the first 60 days of MCE service may return to MCE service at any time. Customers who opt out after the first 60 days of service with MCE will be prohibited by PG&E from returning to MCE for one year.
There is no charge for opting out of MCE before or within the first 60 days of service. After the first 60 days of service, MCE will charge a one-time $5 (residential) or $25 (commercial) administrative fee.
MCE is financed by the revenues received from our customers based on the electricity they consume. MCE is self-funded and does not use any tax dollars. MCE is a not-for-profit public agency which ensures that any financial benefits directly serve the community.
No. The Directors are not paid by MCE. The MCE Board of Directors is comprised of elected city and county officials representing each of the communities that MCE serves.
No, MCE does not receive tax dollars. MCE is funded by the revenue received from our customers based on the electricity they use.
No. The cities and counties have “firewalled” their general funds through the formation of a Joint Powers Authority (JPA). The debts and liabilities of the JPA do not extend to the member cities and counties. This firewall is protected by state law.
Yes. MCE’s Net Energy Metering (NEM) program credits rooftop solar customers for the excess electricity they send back to the grid.
Net metering allows customers to turn their meters backwards and receive credit at times when their solar systems generate more power than is used on-site. NEM customers are charged when they use more power than their system produces. The credits and charges are netted out either monthly or annually.
The California Public Utilities Commission requires PG&E to treat MCE generation customers the same as PG&E generation customers. That means that MCE provides generation credits and charges, while PG&E continues to charge for transmission, distribution, and all other services.
We have short and long-term contracts with a variety of power suppliers to meet the energy needs of our customers. Each year, we host an “open season” process where developers or owners of renewable energy projects can propose contracts. We also operate a Feed-In Tariff program, through which local developers can create and sell small renewable energy projects directly to us at a set price, provided that they are located in our service area.
Sign up for Local Sol online or by phone at 1 (888) 632-3674. Please have your PG&E account information on hand to complete your enrollment. Local Sol is limited to approximately 300 customers.
The MCE Board of Directors sets electric generation rates for our customers. We value public participation and transparency, which is why our rates are developed, discussed, evaluated, and approved at public meetings where customers are able to comment. We invite you to attend and give us your feedback. Rate-setting typically occurs on an annual basis, and new rates are typically approved in April.
MCE is proposing rate adjustments effective January 1, 2022, for a minimum increase of $0.003 per kWh or 1% of total bill costs. Based on current forecasted rates, MCE is targeting a 2% savings for generation costs compared to PG&E. Read the MCE Notice of Proposed Rate Adjustments (pdf) to learn more about the proposed rate changes and opportunities to provide public comment.
If you are a customer who uses the Budget Billing (previously called Balanced Payment Plan) option with PG&E, you will continue to receive your gas and electric delivery charges from PG&E in the Budget Billing form. However, your electric generation charges from MCE will not be included in your Budget Billing calculation and will vary from month to month, depending on your usage. Therefore, you will see some variance on your monthly bills.
Yes. MCE customers enrolled in CARE and/or FERA will continue to receive their discount; there is no need to reapply with MCE. New CARE and FERA enrollments or renewals are done through PG&E’s customer service center or website. If you think you may be eligible to receive a CARE and/or FERA discount and would like to sign up, please call PG&E at 1-866-743-2273 or visit PG&E’s website.
Yes. MCE customers enrolled Medical Baseline Allowance will continue to receive their full discount; there is no need to reapply with MCE. New Medical Baseline Allowance enrollments or renewals are done through PG&E’s customer service center or website. If you believe you are eligible for the Medical Baseline Allowance program and would like to sign up, please call PG&E at 1-866-743-5000 or visit PG&E’s website.
No. PG&E must provide the same delivery rates for all customers in their service area whether or not they receive electricity from MCE or another third-party energy service provider.
MCE’s program partners may approach your business or residence to offer energy efficiency services. Any representatives approaching you on behalf of MCE will be able to provide valid ID and credentials proving their relationship with MCE as an authorized trade ally or partner. This can be verified on MCE’s website. MCE representatives will never request payment from you at your door, will not ask you to write down or email your account number, or pressure you to act immediately to switch or receive services.
The program partners that you may be in contact with, include:
- Association for Energy Affordability (AEA) for the Multifamily Energy Savings and LIFT programs
- Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) for the EV vehicle rebate program
- CLEAResult for the AIR program
- The Energy Alliance Association (TEAA) for the Commercial Energy Efficiency program
- Enso2 for the Home Energy Savings program
- EV Charging Pros for the EV Charging program
- Franklin Energy for the Home Energy Savings program
If you are unsure of the identity of the representative or are asked to do any of these things, please notify us at 1 (888) 632-3674 or info@mceCleanEnergy.org. Learn more about how to protect yourself from energy scams.
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