News Clips
How Ava Community Energy aims to bring the East Bay to 100% clean energy
By William Hicks, San Francisco Business Times, September 17, 2024
Ava CEO Howard Chang was interviewed by the SF Business Times on plans to achieve 100% clean energy. He pointed out that the mission of providing lower-cost energy to its customers is hampered by the fact that two-thirds of the cost of providing the energy comes from portions of the bill over which Ava has no control. Transmission and distribution lines are still owned, built, and maintained by PG&E, and various public purpose charges are set by the state. Still, Ava has managed to save its customers $23 million a year compared to what they would have paid PG&E.
Bayer takes big steps toward global net zero emissions
Sponsored by Bayer Berkeley, Berkeleyside, October 24, 2024
Bayer Pharmaceutical has built a new Cell Therapy Launch Facility in Berkeley to manufacture drugs that treat Parkinson’s Disease. The building is fully electric, using Ava’s clean electricity to cut Bayer’s carbon footprint. “Reaching carbon neutrality is central to Bayer’s mission of health for all, hunger for none,” said Drew Johnston, vice president of site engineering.
California CCAs Secure 18 Gigawatts in New-Build Clean Energy Contracts, Posting Record-Breaking Annual Increase
CalCCA press release, November 7, 2024
Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) in California have signed 346 long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) totaling over 18,000 megawatts (MW) with new-build clean energy resources. CCAs added a record 4,300 MW in contracts in just the past year, their largest annual increase to date.
Over 7,900 MW in 116 clean energy projects are already operational and serving CCA customers, including over 2,000 MW that became operational in the last year.
CCAs have committed more than $37 billion to the projects, supporting more than 36,000 construction jobs. CCA clean energy projects are in 30 California counties, from Humboldt County in the north to San Diego County in the south, as well as in the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah.
New Pilot Program from Ava Community Energy Seeks to Better Understand the Impact of Gas Stoves on Indoor Air Quality
Ava Community Energy, November 12, 2024
Ava has launched its Health-e Communities pilot program to study the linkage between electrification and indoor air quality. Partnering with Berkeley Air Monitoring Group and Franklin Energy, Ava is offering qualified low-income customers the opportunity to replace their existing gas stove with a free electric induction stove. Indoor air quality will be monitored before and after the stove is replaced, and the customer will receive a customized report on their air quality at the end of the pilot period.
New energy provider can help Stockton, Lathrop residents save money starting in April 2025
Hannah Workman, The Stockton Record, December 12, 2024
Starting in April 2025, Stockton residents will start service with Ava Community Energy, saving money on their energy bill and helping cut climate pollution.
"One of the really important reasons for working with Ava on this is they continue to look for the true renewable sources, and wind, and solar, and hydroelectric primarily," said Councilmember Dan Wright.
Customers will be notified about the change through an outreach campaign starting in February.
PG&E Rates Grew 48% from 2019 to 2023, Threatening Progress on Climate Change
Larry Altman, The Independent, January 16, 2025
A report issued by the state Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) says California’s residential electricity rates are close to double those across the rest of the United States, a fact that could derail the state’s efforts to meet its clean-energy goals.
The LAO report blames utilities' high rates on the increasing costs of wildfires and wildfire prevention, the state’s greenhouse gas reduction programs and policies, and the utilities’ operational structures.
PG&E’s rates could push some local customers toward Ava Community Energy, an alternative energy provider in Alameda County, including Dublin, Livermore and Pleasanton.
Ava is a nonprofit community choice aggregator that claims to save its customers on their electricity bills, while contracting for wind, solar, geothermal and battery storage. Its primary service sets prices 5% lower than PG&E, while customers opting for a 100% wind and solar power mix pay one-fourth of one cent more per kilowatt-hour than PG&E. Ava promises to offer 100% carbon-free energy to all its customers by 2030.
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