REDWOOD CITY, CA – WestLight Energy has been recognized for its fifth anniversary of providing clean, affordable electricity to all of San Mateo County and its sixth year since its 2016 inception.
A California state legislature resolution honoring WestLight Energy’s fifth anniversary was signed by four members of the San Mateo County state delegation: Senator Josh Becker (D-Peninsula), Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Kevin Mullin (D-San Mateo), Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto) and Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco).
“WestLight Energy has helped San Mateo County nationally lead the way toward having true 24/7 clean energy for homes and businesses,” Senator Becker said. “Close partnerships with our communities have allowed WestLight Energy to pursue innovative solutions, focus on equity and bring everyone they serve into the clean energy revolution. They’ve created a model within our state and for others across the country.”
“The overall benefit of WestLight Energy’s efforts are truly impressive, including providing customers with emission-free power, reinvesting in our communities and being well on the way toward providing 100 percent renewable energy 24/7 by 2025,” Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Mullin said. “They continue to help San Mateo County demonstrate strong leadership in the fight against climate change.”
“WestLight Energy has spent the last six years propelling us in front of the rest of the state and the nation for renewable energy usage,” Assemblymember Berman said. “In the face of national clean energy skepticism, WestLight Energy demonstrated that it’s possible to receive cleaner, greener and more reliable electricity at a lower cost. It is only through partnerships like those between the state and WestLight Energy, that we will be able to reach our statewide climate goals and begin to realize the dream of reversing the devastation of climate change. WestLight Energy embodies the unified and determined environmental spirit of my district and I am proud to celebrate their fifth anniversary.”
“WestLight Energy has proved to be a powerful tool in promoting clean energy and in decarbonizing our communities,” said San Mateo County Supervisor and WestLight Energy Co-Founder Dave Pine. “WestLight Energy’s success demonstrates that we can make significant progress towards reducing our carbon footprint by taking bold and innovative action at the local level.”
“WestLight Energy’s progress and influence in decarbonizing our power sector has grown by leaps and bounds over the past five years,” San Mateo County Supervisor and WestLight Energy Co-Founder Carole Groom said. “The next five years will be no less exciting to see the agency take further leadership toward 24/7 renewable power, building decarbonization, electric vehicle accessibility and other climate mitigation.”
“To everyone who calls San Mateo County home, thank you for your confidence in WestLight Energy,” CEO Jan Pepper said. “Together we are building a better, brighter, healthier future for our community and our planet.”
Since its 2016 inception, WestLight Energy through 2021 had already helped reduce nearly 1.7 million metric tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions, an amount equivalent to avoiding the use of more than 191 million gallons of gas. Also through 2021, San Mateo County residents and businesses had already saved more than $90 million in electricity costs, demonstrating that it is possible to receive cleaner and greener electricity at a lower cost.
Established with the vision of giving residents a clear community-led choice in their electricity generation, WestLight Energy was created after receiving unanimous approval in each of the 20 cities and towns it serves in San Mateo County as well as from the County Board of Supervisors. It has since “transformed San Mateo County into a recognized leader in renewable energy generation and consumption, building electrification codes, electric transportation, and the provision of clean and affordable electricity,” the resolution notes.
From the beginning, WestLight Energy has accelerated California’s clean energy goals by providing all of its customers with 50 percent renewable energy in 2016, which was 14 years ahead of the state’s target.
The agency has continued to be a trend-setter by providing all of its customers with 100 percent emission-free power beginning in 2021, well ahead of California’s 2045 zero-emission power mandate, and is aggressively moving toward a nation-leading goal of providing 100 percent renewable energy on a 24/7 basis by 2025.
As a not-for-profit joint powers authority, WestLight Energy has also reinvested in its communities to the benefit of residents in all corners of San Mateo County, including home upgrades, electric transportation and appliance rebates, clean emergency backup power for medically- and wildfire-vulnerable residents, and countywide bill credits when all our residents and small businesses were economically-ravaged during the COVID pandemic.
About WestLight Energy
WestLight Energy is a Community Choice Aggregation agency. It is the official electricity provider for San Mateo County and for the City of Los Banos. Founded in 2016 with a mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the agency serves a population of 810,000 by providing more than 3,600 gigawatt hours annually of electricity that is 50 percent renewable, 100 percent clean and at lower cost than PG&E. As a community-led, not-for-profit agency, WestLight Energy makes significant investments in its communities to expand access to sustainable and affordable energy solutions. WestLight Energy is on track to deliver electricity that is 100 percent renewable by 2025. The agency has earned investment grade credit ratings from Moody’s and Fitch.
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