Redwood Coast Energy Authority Compares Rates to PG&E

This is a press release from Redwood Coast Energy Authority:

Curious how the Redwood Coast Energy Authority’s (RCEA) generation charges compare to PG&E’s? RCEA recently partnered with PG&E to provide customers with a comparison of average monthly charges and energy sources. RCEA and PG&E are required to provide this side-by-side rate and power content comparison in an annual postcard mailer to all electric customers in the county.

Most customers should have received their card by now, but it can also be seen on PG&E’s website, pge.com/cca. Copies are also available at RCEA’s office at 633 3rd Street in Old Town Eureka and can be re-mailed upon request. Specific rates not included in the cards can also be found online.

RCEA’s default electricity option, called REpower, costs 3% less than PG&E’s equivalent generation rate. By comparison, PG&E’s electricity supply mix is about 33% from renewable sources while RCEA’s Repower is 44%. REpower+, with 100% renewable electricity, costs just a penny more per kilowatt-hour than REpower. Additionally, eligible RCEA customers continue to receive full CARE, FERA and Medical Baseline discounts. RCEA’s Community Choice Energy Program was launched in May of 2017 and is now serving about 62,000 customers in Humboldt County.

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules

Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

26 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Bunny Wilder
Guest
Bunny Wilder
5 years ago

I feel like a dumb bunny, I don’t understand any of this, don’t know why it’s needed. Is there a simple explanation?

WJ
Guest
WJ
5 years ago
Reply to  Bunny Wilder

It’s called Community Choice Aggregation. CCA exists in a handful of states to offer an alternative to investor-owned energy utilities. The chief purposes are to provide energy to the community at a lower cost and to provide energy from greener/more sustainable sources. Energy is still delivered over PG&E’s power lines, but the energy comes from different sources or the same sources except at less cost.

Redwood Coast Energy Authority does it right by being a joint effort of the county, the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District, Eureka, Arcata, Blue Lake, Ferndale, Fortuna, Trinidad and Rio Dell. Unless you opted out, you’re likely a member of this buying group.

This is not to be confused with ESCOs, Energy Service Companies. You’ll find out about these commercial outfits when a door-to-door salesman asks to see a copy of your energy bill with the promise of lower rates by having you pay the same monthly rate throughout the year. I ask for a copy of the salesman’s flyer and his business card so I can research the topic. No ESCO salesman has ever let me keep anything in writing. Golly, he really wants to sign me up, but won’t let me think about it and get back to him?

I’d steer clear of ESCOs. Stick with our CCA that is overseen by our local governments, answerable to by your local elected representatives. Could a CCA be mismanaged and cost more? In theory, yes. Hence, RCEA publicly reporting its outcomes and our local governments having oversight as a joint powers authority.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_Choice_Aggregation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_powers_authority

owl
Guest
owl
5 years ago
Reply to  WJ

excellent advice, thanks

Increasingly Cynical
Guest
Increasingly Cynical
5 years ago
Reply to  WJ

The only way the RCEA was able to get the CCA approved was by selling it politically as a boost for the timber industry — it was our version of bringing back coal jobs. They are buying biomass at a cost far higher than any of the other wholesale power sources. Despite what this postcard claims, biomass currently makes up 24% of their energy mix.

This is filthy energy — the biomass plants are the county’s largest stationary sources of several potent toxic pollutants. Yet the whole time the RCEA is selling it to the community as “greener” and “more renewable energy.” It’s Orwellian.

When they were, without permission, quietly opting people back in last year who had previously opted out, some of the people who suddenly found themselves unwillingly with the CCA discovered there was nobody they could file a complaint with except the RCEA itself — the CPUC doesn’t have jurisdiction over CCAs. They are answerable to nobody.

GrumpyOldGuy
Guest
GrumpyOldGuy
5 years ago
Reply to  Bunny Wilder

Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) is a great avenue for those wishing to have more say of “how & where” their purchased power comes from, and for those individuals that have a preference to more renewables in this power mix.

But bear in mind, that any “energy cost savings” will only affect the “de-regulated Generation” component of your current PG&E bill. Actual energy prices are determined by a variety of different factors such as fuel source, natural gas prices, out of state power purchases, power purchase agreements, seasonal usage patterns, etc.

All the other line items fall under CPUC rate making jurisdiction, and can only be adjusted through the rate making process, under State Law. For example, here’s my PG&E electric bill
breakdown, and you can compare yours:

Conservation incentive: $19.65
Generation: $83.13 <- this is the CCA affected line item
Transmission: $19.90
Distribution: $26.30
Elec Pub Purpose Prgm: $12.68
Nuclear Decom: $1.26
DWR Bond Charge: $4.64
Competion Trans Chrgs: $1.10
Energy Cost Recovery: $-0.01
Taxes and other: $0 .25

Total $168.90

So, only the “Generation” line item will be affect by CCA energy pricing; and in reality a small portion of it could adjust down or up too; depending upon generation contract allocations that are entered into locally. In other words, any savings in your bill will come as a percentage of the “Generation” line item only, and not the “Total” line item, as one would think.

Besides, PG&E does not make its money by "selling" power. PG&E makes its money on the "Delivery" of that power, through its infrastructure (wires, transformers, trucks, poles, pipes, etc) through an authorized rate of return on the use of that infrastructure; as approved by the CPUC. Think of PG&E sort of like UPS or FedEx….they don't care where you bought your product, they make money by delivering that product to you.

To me personally, CCA is more in making a statement about renewable energy source preference, through one's wallet. And more power to those individuals that convey this statement. It shows one's commitment to cleaner (though not always cheaper) sources of energy one chooses to consume. That's how your bill through RCEA could be higher….all choices you have.

But in the end, an electron is an electron, once it reaches your house. There is no way in telling where it originated from….

As an adder, you can also purchase Natural Gas much in the same way today. You work with a Gas Aggregator / Broker (sort of like RCEA's role) and purchase your natural gas through them. PG&E will deliver that natural gas to you, through its pipelines.

Oh, and I'm sticking with PG&E….

sawmill
Guest
sawmill
5 years ago
farce
Guest
farce
5 years ago
Reply to  sawmill

This is why larger indoor operations have moved out of here and on to cheaper electrical grids. They are even blowing up warehouses in the greater NYC area as that area -not “legal” yet- has relaxed it’s prosecution of weed. So we are losing all the outdoor and all of the indoor production too. Some will applaud this. However the result on the local economics will be devastating and are only beginning to be felt. Nobody in their right mind would come here to set up a warehouse “legal” grow with the electrical rates here- even the industrial rate offered by PG&E is prohibitive to the profits. Once again- we had people in local government positions making the decisions who had little to zero knowledge of the actual industry that made up a huge part of our economy! So yeah- good going!

Me_too
Guest
Me_too
5 years ago
Reply to  farce

So it is working. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Testes, testes, one two...three?
Guest
Testes, testes, one two...three?
5 years ago

Explains nothing. My last two bills suddenly show a $33 redwood coast “carrying fee” on the electricity, which considering $75 actual electricity charge on the bill is almost doubling the rate with this additional fee. I feel in the middle of a possible swindle that I have to call pg&e this week to figure out wtf it’s all about.

Kay Y
Guest
Kay Y
5 years ago

Trinity Co has had cheaper lectricity for a while now…

Michael
Guest
Michael
5 years ago
Reply to  Kay Y

1/2 of the power produced from the dam on the Trinity at Lewiston must be sold in the county so they have the cheapest power around.
That is why Google is rumored to be putting in a cloud farm there on a spur off the giant (about 200 times the counties projected need), private fiber-optic cable.
The state is putting up 80% of the capital for the cable (the Digital299 project). County residents will get no discounts (but some places with no service now will be able to pay market rates) despite about $500 being given to Inyo Communications on behalf of each of our ‘under-served’ selves.

Tall Trees
Guest
Tall Trees
5 years ago

Go solar.

PollyP
Guest
PollyP
5 years ago

The main problem I have with this, is that my bills doubled in size! Not the $$, but the actual amount of paper they ship doubled. So now I have four to six pieces of paper, where I’ve had two, for the last decade!

So “save your electric bills” but “let’s double the mailing costs” doesn’t seem like it adds up. Also comparing bills from the last 18 years to the current two bills, there’s exactly $0.32 cents saving on May, and $0.29 cents saving on June… for which I have to now file 8 pages of crap instead of four.

I went to their website, there’s no information on how to get out of this. Their phone number won’t take messages.

Since it looks like a scam, quacks like a scam and smells like one too… it’s either a scam or some pretty serious empire-building at work building a nice new outhouse.

Perhaps,perhaps not
Guest
Perhaps,perhaps not
5 years ago
Reply to  PollyP

There is a way to eliminate paper bills. I have direct pay from my checking account and receive bills by e-mail. I don’t think you need direct pay to avoid paper bills.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

Blockbuster Find From Walter Burien —- Here is Where Your Wealth Went
Posted: 04 Jul 2018 09:24 PM PDT

The Big Picture of: “Government Wealth vs. Private Sector Wealth”
by Walter Burien – CAFR1
07/04/18

1. What do Government corporations have the intent to do?

ANSWER: Take over all other corporations (Private)

2. Look at the numbers. Who are all of the private corporations (and I note the public) in hock to?

ANSWER: Government investment capital.

3. Look at the numbers of Financial Institution wealth (Banks, Brokerage, and Insurance) compared to government’s controlling equity. Who wins out there?

Keep in mind that the investment capital those entities are holding and investing (Banks, Brokerage, and Insurance) is “primarily” collective government’s equity, all of which are networked through private associations that government itself started and its own personnel are the primary members of.

4. The categories cover the entire wealth of the private sector; private corporate, and private non-incorporated. It also shows the debt liability of the private sector.

Is the private sector in hock to the “globalist banking cartel”? No, they are in hock primarily to government. (75%). Per mortgages, the primary debt of the private sector, 90% is funded directly or indirectly by collective government investment capital.

Government “promotes” through their covert media sources the exact opposite of reality to the population. That being it is the big-bad international bankers and large corporations that is the cause of the peoples woes.

The reality of the situation is that government now controls by ownership; investment; and cash (debt provided) the above, and the beat goes on, and the public is played like a Stradivarius violin.

** It is all about greed and opportunity running unrestrained. **

When I first started with national disclosure, I use to give an example to impact parents the following analogy:

“Would you ever give your 14 or 15-year old son cart-blanch to write his own allowance check?

Every one instantly said in so many words: “Hell no!” Then I bring up the point: “That is exactly what we did with our own government” and I note: “A government primarily run by attorneys whereby the public gets screwed every time, with more and more wealth being taken from them and that wealth transferred to government and the government’s inside players.” The same applies to the takeover of the corporate private sector in all respects.

I have been actively looking for this “Collective” consolidated data for the last 20-years and found it two-weeks ago. Obscurely entitled the: Z.1. report.

The following document is put out by the Data division of the Federal Reserve.

The link is the category listings of wealth held for years 2011 through 2015. This covers total Federal Pension Funds; Local Government Pension Funds (L; 119. a, b, and c. L120 a, b, and c = 16-trillion+); Federal and Local total investment wealth held; the a showing for the private sector (L.118.a, b, and c); financial institutions; insurance Companies, Brokerage; Banks, etc.

Also included is Worldwide wealth held by all of the above. The categories also cover the “Total Debt” held by all of the above AND who is the investor holding that debt. After digesting the numbers you will see that the private sector; AND corporations; etc. are primarily in debt to government via government’s (collective local and Federal) investment capital.

When you look at the data, I note two things:

1. The data is in billions of dollars. So when you see a figure such as 6457.23, that is six trillion, 457 billion dollars.

2. After you pull out your calculator and add up the category listings on a specific issue, (I suggest to do this with Federal and Local government pension accounts), the total there is in excess of 16-trillion dollars of wealth held. Now compare that figure with the same for the private sector.

Who do you think wins out on that comparison?

Then find and take a look at home and commercial mortgages by investor category. Who is funding the majority of that debt as the “investor”?

Between Government and all others, who do you think is the primary investor, (L.124 Government Sponsored Enterprises, 6.4 trillion dollars just there) So is it: Government or every one else that is the investor in that 24-trillion dollar private and commercial mortgage collective market place?

** On one last very important note that you could miss, if not told to you here:

When it lists “Private Sector” wealth in all respects, and in all categories, past and present government employees are part of the private sector in those totals shown. So, with the millions of government employees, what percentage of that wealth in fact was accomplished by government funds passed on to government employees compared to everyone else???

The data section starts off with L.100. Here it shows total wealth of “Non Financial” Domestic. For the end of the year of 2015, it shows total wealth at 98.7 trillion dollars and total liabilities at 61.14 trillion dollars.

Also when you see “Liabilities” especially for government Pension funds, keep in mind that is liability “projected out 35 to 45-years. The “Standing wealth” held today is the reality of the situation..

One last note: In most cases for government investments, the accounting used: The investment wealth held is offset for the same as a “liability”. A 100% default or a 100% payout over the next 45-years is the only thing that would make it a 100% liability. Seems like a cute tactic to show a diminished “net” worth compared to actual wealth “standing” today…

The link for the data, L.100 to L.234 is:

The Federal Reserve’s Z.1. Raw Data Report

Please share the link above and my comments made here with all you think would want to know the “Big Picture” of: Government Wealth vs. Everyone else.

Also, please copy and share across the land to every chat board and news site you have access to.

Walter Burien – CAFR1

PS: This is the raw data of which the Net Figures are derived from. The government boys will in some limited cases quote the net figures. They NEVER will quote the standing figures for an obvious reason: Total wealth built and now held by collective government, the people were never supposed to see; hear about; or comprehend. THIS IS THEIR OWN DATA! Government shills will have a visceral reaction to this coming out, and use every and any tactic to misdirect; obfuscate; and intimidate the public away from this data so it can not be comprehended or seen. The implications are as severe as they get. Is this the USA we all use to know from decades ago, or is it now a form of true communism designed for absolute wealth take-over for and by a runaway for profit government with a fascist twist to maintain direction; enforcement; and absolute control?

The raw data in the Z.1. report answers that question succinctly .
Government’s operating capital shown? Very low.
Government’s collective investment capital shown? As big as it gets! “Government owns it all by investment!”

Ernestine
Guest
Ernestine
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

Woa. That’s quite a read. I stopped at … everyone is in debt to “government investment capital.” That doesn’t exist. Government is in debt to the private sector.

Michael
Guest
Michael
5 years ago
Reply to  Ernestine

They probably are counting Fannie Mae and all the other bailout/backstop/subsidy programs to Capitalists as ‘government investment capital’. They also seem not to understand the concept of liabilities in double entry bookkeeping.
While government is currently in debt to the private sector who loan us (mostly) bank created money, I strongly recommend checking out Modern Monetary Theory for a fuller understanding as to how that is not beneficial or needed. http://neweconomicperspectives.org/modern-monetary-theory-primer.html
The poster does not seem to remember that we created our government to protect us from private capital (Kings being the ultimate ownership class). While recognizing that our collective abdication and occasional connivance have allowed the government to, more and more, serve private interests, the ire needs to be directed towards those who can afford the most lobbyists.

fuckwalterwhite.com
Guest
fuckwalterwhite.com
5 years ago

I think growerz on PG+E CARE Program get the lowest bills

local observer
Guest
local observer
5 years ago

I would think non-growers on CARE program would be lower.

Ron
Guest
Ron
5 years ago

Um growers get kicked off CARE after a few extrodinarily high electric bills.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Ron
No Chicken little
Guest
No Chicken little
5 years ago

These community buying group show a lower cost Per kilowatt. But by the time you add back in the PG&E charge because these entities are using PG&E’s transmission lines, there’s a little to no savings. When these entities have to start supplying their own infrastructure the price will be higher than PG&E. Still no free lunch!

Dude
Guest
Dude
5 years ago

I’m on this plan and honestly the pge power generation charges they tack into the redwood coast energy cost is more than just going with pge

I like stars
Guest
I like stars
5 years ago

They use the same lines but you’re only getting the “good” electricity. Yeah, right.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

Last November I stopped on in at the newly authorized (by?), Redwood Coast Energy’s leased office (Humboldt County Public Property Leasing Corporation. John Bartholomew in charge w/Stephen Strawn as back-up), and asked to see the (numbered) contract agreement between me and Redwood Coast Energy Authority.

RCEA is political (poly -many. ticks -blood suckers), business as usual. A sleight of the hand (take from the producers, give to the non-producers), financial transaction, stock-market- traded, alphabet agency, that has private males and females masquerading as Public Servants (Supes), above the land jurisdiction (conflict of interest to put it mildly), on the Board of Directors.

Two females kept repeating “Community Choice” at me, however, they could not provide evidence for Big Energy’s claim.

The creation of incorporated “personas” to entrap and enslave living people together with the practice of personage, barratry, and the subtle or armed ‘takings’ that goes with it, is the rankest kind of substitution fraud known to man.

Really?
Guest
Really?
5 years ago

I’m not sure how worth it is to comment on this thread since most of you seem quite nutty. But RCEA’s rates are cheaper. You are paying less than if you stay with PG&E. There is nothing illegal going on. People are not being lied to. Everything is political, so if you have a problem with that you best join a monastery. Biomass is renewable power and a good idea for any place with a population density of 35 people PER SQUARE MILE. I don’t know what having a “leased office” has to do with anything. And the more “good electrons” fed into the grid, the more you are getting at your point of use. Yes. That is how it works. It’s a demand/supply thing. We can see this actually happening as nuclear and natural gas plants are shuttered and no longer needed because of the increased demand for solar. And PG&E is still in charge of billing. All you have to do is log into your PG&E account and request electronic bills if you are concerned with paper.

We all have more choice than we did a year ago about something with the power to actually make a difference to our environment and long-term resilience in the face of climate change. But sure, whine and complain about it.