Additional help is on the way, as Clean Power Alliance (CPA) continues to do all it can to assist our customers who have fallen behind on their electricity bills during the COVID-19 pandemic. The California Arrearage Payment Program (CAPP) is a new program distributing $1 billion in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to help address California energy utility customers’ energy debts. The program provides a one-time credit to reduce past-due energy bill balances accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic. Established by Governor Newsom and the California Legislature in the 2021-2022 State Budget, the program is administered by the Department of Community Services and Development (CSD).
CPA provided the necessary arrearage data and a CAPP funding allocation of nearly $16 million has been approved for CPA. Eligible CPA customers will automatically receive their benefit. Please note: Customers do not need to do anything. These CAPP credits will help get many of our customers back on track with their electricity bills and allow them to pay their bills on time moving forward. One of the primary purposes of the program is to provide additional support to customers at risk of disconnection.
All CPA customers who have unpaid bills from the COVID-19 Pandemic Bill Relief Period (March 4, 2020, to June 15, 2021) are eligible for CAPP. However, not all eligible customers will necessarily receive a credit. The State of California’s payment guidelines are based on customer need and eligible charges billed during the COVID-19 Pandemic Bill Relief Period. Qualified customers will receive the credit in this order:
1. Active residential customers
2. Inactive residential customers
3. Commercial customers
Because of limited funding, we do not anticipate that non-residential customers will receive a CAPP credit. In addition, customers who are on special rates, including Medical Baseline, California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE), Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA), Disadvantaged Community (DAC) business partners, military, and first responders, are not currently prioritized for the CAPP credit.
It is anticipated that CPA customers receiving a CAPP credit will have the credit applied to their bill during the first half of February 2022. The credit will appear as a payment on the billing statement.
To view the California Department of Community Services & Development’s CAPP Frequently Asked Questions Page click here.
Questions? Reach out to our Customer Support Team at customerservice@cleanpoweralliance.org or 888-585-3788.
Sergei Kotsan serves the Energy Risk Manager for Clean Power Alliance. He has over a decade of experience working on quantitative research and modelling of the wholesale power markets as well as hedging commercial risk and market monitoring. He led commercial operations at TexGen and fundamentals research at Talen Energy on the power supply side. He also has utility experience at Portland General Electric and Pacific Gas and Electric evaluating market risks and financial valuation on the demand side. In addition, he worked at the Market Monitoring Unit at CAISO, developing dashboards and preparing market reports. Sergei holds Ph.D. in Economics from West Virginia University.
Rachel serves as Project Manager, Settlements for Clean Power Alliance. Rachel is responsible for reviewing and identifying discrepancies with our California Independent System Operator (CASIO) and bilateral counterparty invoices, validating transactions of wholesale market products, and performing after the fact analysis on settlements and Congestion Revenue Rights (CRR) to influence resource optimization and CRR strategies. Prior to joining Clean Power Alliance, Rachel served as a Power Settlements Analyst at Utah Municipal Power Agency for two years where she developed and finalized all settlement processes. Rachel earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Lewis-Clark State College.
Riju serves as the Website Developer, Communications and Marketing at CPA. He brings over 10 years of software development experience in addition to having a strong background in information technology and server infrastructure. Riju oversees all web related functions at CPA to ensure that the organization is able to effectively sustain meeting the requirements of its rapidly growing digital presence. Prior to joining CPA, Riju worked as a digital content developer at Claremont Graduate University where he developed and launched an online learning platform for the federally funded POLARIS mentoring program for museum professionals. More recently, Riju founded and operated a web development and digital marketing agency which served government organizations, non-profits, and other multi agency partners. Riju holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems & E-Business from Cal Poly Pomona. Riju supports CPA’s overall goal and mission to a cleaner, brighter future.
Jacob Adamson is an Analyst, Data and Systems, at Clean Power Alliance (CPA), where he collaborates with the Data and Systems team to develop and maintain robust data analytics frameworks. Jacob supports cross-functional departments in data enablement and business intelligence, focusing on automating reporting tasks and assisting staff with data requests. With a background in engineering, information technology, regulatory analysis, and data analytics, Jacob brings a wealth of expertise to CPA’s work in the renewable energy sector. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geological Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, is a former licensed professional engineer in the state of Colorado, and is a GCP certified professional data engineer. Outside of work, Jacob is passionate about outdoor recreation, conservation, and engineering sustainable community development.
Ammad serves as the Analyst, Strategic Finance at CPA. He comes to CPA with 3 years of prior experience in financial planning and analysis. Ammad most recently served as a Financial Analyst at Georgia Power, the largest subsidiary of the Southern Company. In this role, he supported various areas in the Customer Experience division where he ensured timely and accurate financial reporting, conducted monthly expense forecasting, and created 5-year budgets with the approval of the Georgia PSC. He also sat on the 2024 Budget Committee where he contributed to developing guidelines for the company’s budgeting process and identifying areas for cost savings. Ammad earned his Bachelor’s in Finance from the University of Central Florida.