The Chula Vista City Council voted Tuesday to begin researching the possibility of buying energy and selling it to its residents for less than they're paying San Diego Gas and Electric.
The city of Chula Vista wants to reduce its carbon footprint 100 percent by 2035, and this energy plan could reduce energy prices for all of its residents.
“I know that everyone would be excited and pleased to make some savings on their monthly bill,” Chief Sustainability Officer Dennis Gakunga said.
A study was presented to the city council suggesting the city can buy energy in bulk and sell it to residents for as much as 2 percent cheaper than SDG&E.
It's called a Community Choice Aggregation, or a CCA.
The council voted unanimously to begin a feasibility study for the project. It also voted 4-1 in favor of directing staff to gather more details and report back by October 1.
“You could get energy cheaper because you can leverage and negotiate better rates,” Gakunga said.
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Additionally, Gakunga said the energy would be clean and renewable from solar and wind.
“It's always exciting when you can provide local control,” he said.
Leslie Bunker is conserving water and has already installed solar at her Chula Vista home. She likes that the city is trying to erase its carbon footprint by 2035.
“I think that all of us should be doing what we can,” Bunker said. “To have the city leading that is a wonderful idea.”
Gakunga said 4 million people in 18 other California cities are already benefitting from CCA’s. Chula Vista could join them by 2022.
