If you live in the South Coast, you might soon be able to turn on your lights using geothermal power.
A non-profit electricity provider which serves most of Ventura and Los Angeles Counties is adding geothermal energy to its mix. It’s the latest effort by an agency which is giving some customers choices in electricity.
Ted Bardacke is Executive Director for Clean Power Alliance. He says for those not familiar with it, it shares Southern California Edison's power grid to bring customers renewable energy.
The four year old energy provider is an option everywhere in Ventura County except for in the cities of Santa Paula, Fillmore, and Port Hueneme. The number of customers in the region has been climbing fast, with more than 200,000. About 150,000 are signed up for totally renewable energy.
The power company gets its electricity through a number of renewable resources, including solar, wind, and hydroelectric facilities.
Natasha Keefer is the Clean Power Alliance’s Director of Power Planning and Procurement. She talks about the addition of geothermal electricity from the Heber South Geothermal Facility in the Imperial Valley. Beginning in January, the facility will add 14 megawatts of renewable energy to the power supplier’s mix. That’s enough to power nearly 20,000 homes for a year.
It’s part of the non-profit’s bigger goal of reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Bardacke says consumers can choose from three options for cleaner power, from partial to completely renewable power. The highest tier will cost the average Ventura County homeowner about 9% more than the base Edison power rate
There are also discounts available to help low income residents who want to go green.
Central Coast Community Energy, which is similar to the Clean Power Alliance, is developing renewable energy opportunities in parts of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties this year.
You can find information on the Clean Power Alliance at: https://cleanpoweralliance.org/
