March 28, 2024

Clean Energy. More Choices. Locally Controlled.   

On April 1, San Marcos residents and businesses will have a new default energy provider, Clean Energy Alliance (CEA). CEA, a locally controlled not-for-profit entity, offers clean energy options at competitive rates to power your home or business. CEA currently serves the cities of Carlsbad, Del Mar and Solana Beach. Along with San Marcos, CEA becomes the default energy provider in Escondido this month followed by Oceanside and Vista in April 2024.  

CEA was formed to help meet the goals of its member city’s Climate Action Plans by providing electricity with a higher renewable content than San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). The program is locally controlled and supported by ratepayers, with no taxpayer subsidies. Because CEA is locally managed and a not-for-profit, any excess revenue is reinvested into the member communities through on-bill savings and innovative energy projects and programs, including rebates and other incentives, low-cost energy programs, job training and more. 

CEA is governed by a Board of local elected officials from member agencies, who oversee decisions regarding power purchasing, programs and rate setting, and are directly accountable to the people who elected them. 

How It Works  

CEA follows the community choice energy model allowing local governments to purchase energy directly from power providers to meet their community’s electricity needs, offering an alternative to investor-owned utilities. SDG&E will continue to handle customer billing, transmission and distribution to homes and businesses.  

A How it Works on the Clean Energy Alliance

Local control allows CEA to make better investments in clean power purchasing.  

CEA is proud to offer three power supply products: Clean Impact 50% renewable; Clean Impact Plus 75% Carbon Free and Green Impact 100% Renewable. Each city government is responsible for selecting a default product for their community. The City of San Marcos has selected Clean Impact Plus for all customers to be enrolled in, which offers 50% renewable/75% carbon-free energy content. Customers will have the option to opt up or down with CEA’s other two power options or they may also choose to opt-out and remain with SDG&E.  

To learn more about the Clean Energy Alliance, visit TheCleanEnergyAlliance.org.