Redondo Beach Joins LA County Clean Energy Program

REDONDO BEACH, CA – The Redondo Beach City Council overcame a mayor's veto and approved joining a county-wide effort to offer cheaper, more renewable energy. The decision came after debating the issue at six meetings that started last year, as well as an additional two hours again on Tuesday, according to The Beach Reporter.

Redondo Beach residents could save as much as 4 percent on their total power bill when they switch from Southern California Edison, according to Clean Power Alliance (formerly known as Los Angeles Community Choice Energy). Money accumulated by the CCA could be used to build local renewable power generating facilities like a solar panel farm, The Beach Reporter reports. Whether those savings will come to fruition, or whether costs may actually increase for ratepayers has been the subject of debate, according to The Beach Reporter.

The Los Angeles County Clean Power Alliance predicts a $15 million deficit in the first three years. That made Councilmember Nils Nehrenheim wonder whether that number would possibly double or triple with stiffer Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA) fees. PCIA fees occur when an investor-owned utility charges a customer for the cost of generating energy on the customer's behalf when the customer ends service. In the case of community choice aggregation, according to The Beach Reporter, those fees could build up as they acquire more customers. A final ruling on PCIA fees from the public utility commission is expected in September.

"Having deficits in the first three years is like any startup," Carnahan told The Beach Reporter in response. "I don't think it's a given the PCIA fees are going to go up and I haven't heard anyone predicting the numbers you're throwing out there, though I won't say it won't happen."

Read more at The Beach Reporter; Image via Shutterstock