The Riverside County Board of Supervisors took another step forward in its path to create a Community Choice Aggregation program, in which the county could provide electricity.
In 2002, the Legislature passed legislation authorizing local governments to procure or develop electrical power for themselves, or their residents and businesses.
In November, the supervisors passed Ordinance 940, which set the framework for a CCA in Riverside County. An implementation plan was submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission.
The CPUC certified the county’s implementation plan. In March, Southern California Edison submitted a letter raising concerns about the county’s plan. The county responded a few weeks later.
In a letter to the county, the CPUC stated that the “Rivco CCA is authorized to begin serving customer load in 2019, … subject to all Resource Adequacy and other statutory Commission requirements.”
One of those requirements is a $100,000 bond, which the supervisors approved this week. However, it still intends to delay implementation until the CPUC determines the fee the county must pay SCE for reimbursement of its lost customers.
County residents should not expect to hear anything about its implementation until late summer. The CPUC is expected to issue a decision then and the ultimate charge may significantly influence the success of a county electric agency.
