Happy 2023! We want to highlight how you can use your clean power to improve your home’s air quality, increase comfort and fight climate change.  

Removing greenhouse gas emissions from homes and buildings are necessary to achieve our climate goals. Visit eHub, an online tool that offers information and resources to help you make an impact. Also, in this newsletter, you will find that there are rebates available from Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) and the federal government to help you Go Electric! 

Electric Vehicle Assistant 

Browse more than 100 EV models, shop for EV chargers, calculate savings, and discover incentives that are available to you. 

Appliances 

Assistant 

Explore a wide variety of electric home appliances. Browse and compare with efficiency scores, customer reviews, and prices. 

Solar + Battery Assistant 

Discover how you can increase your home’s energy resilience with solar+battery. Get $1,000 off a panel upgrade with eligible installations. 

The SVCE Board of Directors approved rates that give customers a 4% discount to the equivalent PG&E generation rate effective January 1, 2023. This is an increased discount from the 1% discount in 2022. The new rates also provide additional savings for income-qualified CARE and FERA customers, which amounts to $100 in direct bill reductions distributed monthly throughout the year. 

SVCE remains committed to maintaining rates competitive to PG&E. The average residential customer is expected to save about $3 on their monthly bills compared to PG&E generation rates, and the discount is inclusive of PG&E’s added fees. The increased discount relative to PG&E rates is helping to offset cost increases customers would otherwise experience without SVCE service. Since launching in 2017, SVCE has saved customers approximately $90 million on their electricity bills. Read the press release for more information about the January 2023 rates. 

Get pumped for heat pumps! SVCE customers can receive up to $8,000 in rebates for replacing a gas water heater and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems with efficient, electric heat pump appliances through the FutureFit Homes Program.    

Gas water heaters and HVAC units are typically a home’s biggest source of emissions and contribute to poor air quality. Replacing gas appliances with electric avoids emissions without compromising comfort. Take advantage of the SVCE FutureFit Homes Program and begin your journey to Go Electric.   

President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law last year. It is the single biggest federal investment in clean energy and climate change to date. The IRA has grant programs and tax incentives to deliver community-scale projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Here are the highlights: 

Funding available for an electric vehicle 

The IRA renews and expands existing tax credits for electric vehicles. Starting in 2023, certain new vehicles qualify for up to a $7,500 tax credit, dependent on income level. The IRS has published a list of vehicles that qualify for the tax credit based on domestic assembly requirements. For used EVs, the IRA includes a tax credit for the first time of up to $4,000 for a previously owned used vehicle with a sale price of $25,000 or less. The IRS has published a list of qualifying used vehicles. 

Funding available to electrify your home 

The IRA renewed and expanded tax credits for certain home electrification projects like installing a heat pump water heater, or heat pump HVAC (up to $2,000), getting a home energy audit (up to $150), or getting an electric panel upgrade to accommodate electrification improvements (up to $600). Solar installations and battery installations also qualify for a 30% tax credit. There are no income limits to qualify for these tax credits. The DOE has a handy chart explaining the different improvements and tax credit amounts. For additional detail on the types of equipment and specifics of eligible panel upgrade requirements, visit the Energy Star tax credit guide. 

At its January meeting, the SVCE Board of Directors elected a new chair and vice chair to one-year terms. For 2023, Los Altos Hills councilmember George Tyson will serve as Chair, and Saratoga councilmember Tina Walia will serve as Vice Chair.   

George Tyson has been serving as a Los Altos Hills councilmember since 2018 and served as Mayor in 2022. Chair Tyson has served on the SVCE Board of Directors since 2019, and previously served as vice chair in 2022. Tina Walia was elected to the Saratoga city council in 2020; she served as Vice Mayor in 2021 and Mayor in 2022. Vice Chair Walia has served on the SVCE Board of Directors since 2021. Read the press release for more information about the newly elected leaders. 

As a joint powers agency, SVCE is governed by a board of directors comprised of one elected representative from each member community. Board meetings are open to the public and held virtually on the second Wednesday of the month.