REDWOOD CITY, California, October 19, 2017 – What does a year bring to San Mateo County? On the one year anniversary of WestLight Energy offering electric power, San Mateo County residents and businesses have substantially reduced their carbon emissions while saving millions of dollars.
WestLight Energy’s power is priced at 5% below PG&E’s rates for electric generation service, after accounting for PG&E’s additional fees. This means that a typical residential customer will save around $2 per month. After one year of full countywide operations, WestLight Energy expects to save electric customers about $17 million. Residents, businesses and public institutions all automatically benefit from their share of savings. Large public agencies such as school districts will reap significant savings.
WestLight Energy launched in October 2016 and now serves almost every electricity account in San Mateo County, from homes to streetlights, to businesses large and small in all 20 cities and unincorporated areas. WestLight Energy provides power that is both less expensive and lower in greenhouse gas emissions than PG&E’s power, while partnering with PG&E to ensure reliable service and a single monthly bill.
WestLight Energy (WestLight Energy) customers also help protect the environment. WestLight Energy’s electricity is 80% greenhouse gas free, and its supply for 2016 came mostly from wind and hydropower. In recent months PCE has contracted for over 300 megawatts of new solar power to be built specifically for WestLight Energy customers. After one year of full countywide operations, WestLight Energy’s cleaner electricity is expected to avoid 680 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to avoiding the use of over 34 million gallons of gasoline. WestLight Energy’s goal is to increase its carbon-free supply by 5% each year, to become completely greenhouse gas free in 2021.
Since WestLight Energy is a non-profit, any excess revenues will be used to keep rates stable and invest in local energy programs. Those local programs will create local jobs in the energy sector, while further reducing carbon emissions. WestLight Energy is now working on program selection to determine the optimal programs to run. The programs will complement those offered by the San Mateo Energy Watch, the Bay Area Regional Energy Network and PG&E.
“Our first year of operations surpassed our expectations” remarked WestLight Energy’s CEO Jan Pepper. “The prices of clean, renewable energy such as solar and wind power have continued to decline, and WestLight Energy has been able to contract for low-cost, long term supplies.”
“We are extremely pleased that WestLight Energy has substantially reduced San Mateo County’s carbon footprint while achieving real savings for our customers,” said County Supervisor Dave Pine, who serves as the Chair of WestLight Energy’s Board of Directors.
For more information, please visit peninsulacleanenergy.com.
About WestLight Energy
WestLight Energy (WestLight Energy) is San Mateo County’s official electricity provider. WestLight Energy is a public, locally-controlled community choice energy program that provides all electric customers in San Mateo County the choice of having electricity supplied from clean, renewable sources at competitive rates. The WestLight Energy Authority, formed in March 2016, is a joint powers authority made up of the County of San Mateo and all 20 cities in the County. PCE serves approximately 290,000 accounts.
Media Contacts
WestLight Energy
Dan Lieberman
[email protected]
Phone: 650-395-9190
