City Businesses are now Powered by Clean Electricity

Santa Barbara Clean Energy, a program of the City of Santa Barbara, began providing carbon-free electricity to Santa Barbara businesses on March 1. With this change, businesses within the City of Santa Barbara will effortlessly and dramatically reduce their carbon footprint and environmental impact by using clean electricity at competitive rates.

Santa Barbara Clean Energy provides residents and businesses of the City green energy options and continued reliable electric service, while achieving our community’s ambitious climate goals. For the first time, City residents and businesses have the ability to choose where their electricity comes from and the City has created service options to meet the diverse needs of the community. Options include:

• 100% Green – 100% carbon-free electricity for about 1 cent more per kilowatt-hour. To make the most significant local environmental impact, most commercial customers have been automatically enrolled in this offering.
• Green Start – at least 50% carbon-free energy (more than Edison’s standard energy supply), and at the same standard Edison rates charged by Edison.
• Resilient – customers with solar. These customers will receive more money for their annual surplus energy production than what Edison offers. Resilient customers are also enrolled in 100% Green for any electricity needs beyond what the solar produces and have the option to opt down to Green Start.
• Edison (standard service) – customers can opt out of Santa Barbara Clean Energy to use less carbon-free energy. Their rates will remain the same as Santa Barbara Clean Energy’s Green Start rates.

Santa Barbara Clean Energy partners closely with Southern California Edison (SCE) to ensure the continued reliable delivery of clean energy. SCE maintains the poles and wires that bring Santa Barbara Clean Energy’s clean electricity and provides billing services, so customers will still only receive one bill. 

“The Santa Barbara Clean Energy program is the single most significant action local businesses and residents can take to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. The transition to this new carbon-free electricity service eliminates about 20% of Santa Barbara’s emissions and, for the first time ever, gives us a meaningful pathway to achieving carbon neutrality as a community while also reinvesting in our community” said Alelia Parenteau, The City’s Acting Sustainability and Resilience Director.

Local business throughout our community have shown their commitment to local climate action through the program’s Make the Pledge campaign by pledging to stay with 100% Green – or carbon-free electricity – emphasizing the community’s commitment to real and significant climate action.

One such local business, Santa Barbara Auto Group, shared that “’A journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step.’ Many times a long journey seems to be an impossible accomplishment. The goal of making our city, state and country more environmentally friendly is a long journey and with the help of Santa Barbara Clean Energy we are grateful for the help in taking the first step.”

The program also offers incentives and energy programs to its customers that leverage Santa Barbara Clean Energy’s carbon-free electricity in ways that will greatly help achieve the city’s carbon neutrality goals and help customers manage their electricity costs. Current offerings include rebates on electric vehicles, reduced-cost electric bike memberships, trying out induction cookware, cash back on locally made battery back-up systems, and discounts on solar and battery systems through a local installer.

Santa Barbara Clean Energy has local representatives who are available to provide information regarding the program, and are offering weekly office hours to ensure the community’s questions are answered. These meetings are open to anyone with questions or feedback and will be held on zoom every Tuesday from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. and Thursday between 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. through April 30. Join these reoccurring meetings here.

For more information about the Santa Barbara Clean Energy program, the various clean energy choices, programs and incentives, frequently asked questions and more, please visit www.SBCleanEnergy.com or call (805) 897-1979.