In our Opinion

May 2023

Stacking Electric Vehicle Rebates Can Make EVs Accessible

Electric vehicles (EVs) are fun to drive, simple to charge, and cost less to fuel and maintain – not to mention being better for the environment, especially when powered by

December 2020

VALLEY CLEAN ENERGY PUTS THE POWER BACK INTO THE HANDS OF WINTERS COMMUNITY MEMBERS - by Jesse Loren - VCE Board of Directors and Winters City Council member

By Jesse Loren, Winters City Council member and VCE Board member

Starting in January, Winters residents and businesses will take a giant step toward a more sustainable energy future as the

June 2020

In Celebration of VCE’s 2-year Anniversary - by Yvonne Hunter, Chair of the Community Advisory Committee and member of the Outreach Task Group

As Valley Clean Energy reaches its two-year anniversary, memories of my role in its formation keep popping into my head.

Way back in 2002, it was my job as a lobbyist representing a statewide association of cities to advocate on behalf of cities before the California Legislature. This included the legislation that became law and authorizes cities and counties to buy electricity on behalf of their residents and businesses.

January 2020

WHAT A YEAR IT’S BEEN! - by Tom Stallard - Chair of the VCE Board of Directors and Woodland City Council member

The end of each calendar year offers an opportunity to sit back and reflect on the goals reached over the past 12 months and to look forward to a new

September 2019

A Reflection on High Summer Utility Bills - by Tom Stallard, Chair of the VCE Board of Directors and Woodland City Council member

It’s been a long hot summer, but those cool autumn days aren’t too far off… And thanks to Valley Clean Energy, local electricity customers are not paying any more to run their air-conditioners than they would have paid under PG&E. At the same time, they are reaping the environmental benefits of a greener energy portfolio.

Community choice programs like VCE can keep their rates competitive by buying electricity through a process that encourages private energy companies to compete to provide clean, renewable power.

June 2019

Community Choice Energy: One Part of the Solution to Climate Change - by Christine Kimball Shewmaker, Vice-Chair VCEA Community Advisory Committee

Climate change is here. The impacts are becoming ever more serious. Fossil fuel combustion is the main cause. We need to lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions rapidly. Community Choice Energy programs such as VCEA can be part of the solution.

Sea level rise, increased drought and floods, higher temperatures and more devastating wildfires are among a number of indicators that have been telling us for quite a number of years that climate change is impacting our lives, our health and our ecosystems.

March 2019

It’s Time for Smart Cities and Counties to Provide Smart Energy - by Gerry Braun

Yolo County, Davis and Woodland have taken an important first step by creating Valley Clean Energy. VCE has a legislatively mandated responsibility to buy and resell wholesale electricity. It is importing higher-renewable-content electricity for the communities it serves at costs competitive with PG&E’s electricity imports.

It has an opportunity to do more, i.e., bring clean local energy resources on stream, strengthening local economies in the process. This will require keeping rates competitive with PG&E’s and having money left over to source more clean electricity locally.

January 2019

A New Year - by Tom Stallard and Don Saylor

A new year offers a clean slate — a chance to celebrate achievements, assess the challenges of the past and start the new year with fresh energy.

Our biggest achievement in 2018 was the launch of Valley Clean Energy (VCE), our local public electricity program. With years of planning and lots of community support, we officially started serving the cities of Woodland and Davis and unincorporated Yolo County last June. Over the last 6 months VCE has been providing greener energy, customer choice, local control and reinvestment in the community.

December 2018

PG&E Exit Fees - by Lucas Frerichs and Tom Stallard

In a disappointing decision, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recently voted to approve increases to the “exit fees” charged to Valley Clean Energy (VCE) customers by PG&E. Valley Clean Energy is our official locally governed electricity provider, bringing cleaner energy at competitive rates to Davis, Woodland, and unincorporated Yolo County. It began serving 55,000 customer accounts this past June.

The decision by the CPUC to raise the exit fee affects all 19 community choice aggregation (CCA) programs in the state, including VCE.