In Rush to Buy Clean Energy, Coal and Gas Have Hidden Role

Local governments, including San Diego, want to start their own agencies to buy clean power. But deals made by two Northern California agencies may not have made much difference in the fight against climate change.

By Ry Rivard

Across California, local governments are trying to slow down climate change by starting their own agencies to buy and sell energy. In some cases, though, the green power they buy may be replaced with dirty power.

These government agencies are known as community choice aggregators, or CCAs. Solana Beach is about to start one. San Diego is thinking about forming one, too.

Two of the state’s oldest CCAs are Marin Clean Energy and Sonoma Clean Power. Marin, in particular, is a model for governments across the state hoping to fight climate change and wrest control of the energy market from power monopolies, like San Diego Gas & Electric.

Almost all CCAs start without any power to sell. So, to quickly enter the market, they sign contracts to buy energy from existing projects.