SCVE Approves Dispersal Of $10 Million In COVID-19 Relief Funding

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — The Silicon Valley Clean Energy Board of Directors announced Friday it has approved programs to allocate $10 million in COVID-19 relief efforts. The funding will go to bill credits for qualifying customers, training programs and support for clean energy job creation.

The board pledged to allocate $10 million towards COVID-19 relief funding in April.

“We want to ensure that all customers are supported during these times, especially those who have been financially affected by the pandemic,” said Howard Miller, the SVCE board chair and mayor of the city of Saratoga.

“Our goal for these innovative programs is to help local communities as they begin to recover from the impacts of COVID.”

The SVCE customer relief program will distribute $3.5 million directly to qualifying customers. The program will provide immediate relief to residential CARE and FERA customers in the form of a $100 bill credit that will be automatically applied.

In light of COVID-19, access to CARE, monthly electricity discount of 20% or more, and FERA, a monthly electricity discount of 18% for homes of three or more people, has been expanded.

Customers who have been affected by the pandemic are encouraged to learn more about CARE and FERA discounts at the PG&E website.

SVCE will provide a $250 bill credit to qualifying small business customers. Qualifying businesses will receive information on how to apply for the credit in a letter sent via mail from SVCE.

“The towns and cities that make up SVCE have shown great strength and resilience during this pandemic, we aim to assist in a way that will benefit the entire community,” said SVCE CEO Girish Balachandran. “Supporting our communities in resilience implementation will immediately create local jobs while having the long-term benefits of energy resilience and public health.”

For more information on SVCE COVID relief programs please visit SVCleanEnergy.org/covid-19.