Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ: Rates & Billing | About Clean Power Alliance (Service, Community Choice Aggregation) | Partnering with SCE (Southern California Edison) | Solar Programs & NEM | Clean & Renewable Energy

I’m seeing multiple CPA or SCE charges on my bill. Why is that? 

  • Due to unintended billing delays, your current billing statement may show CPA charges and/or SCE charges from multiple past billing cycles that were not included in your prior bills. As a result, your current bill amount may be higher than normal. However, this does not represent incorrect bills or duplicate charges. We are working closely together with SCE to resolve these delayed billing issues for our customers. 
  • If you receive a bill that’s higher than anticipated and need to make payment arrangements, please call SCE at 800-655-4555. All payment arrangements must be handled through SCE. 

What are Clean Power Alliance’s Lean Power, Clean Power, and 100% Green Power options? 

  • Clean Power Alliance offers three energy options for our communities. Note: For commercial customers, Clean Power Alliance pricing varies by rate class. The pricing shown is for a typical business customer and subject to change. Any changes to Clean Power Alliance rates will be adopted at public meetings of Clean Power Alliance’s Board of Directors. 
  • Lean Power: 40% clean power with the benefit of local management and control. 
  • Clean Power: 50% renewable power and the opportunity to support building a cleaner future. 
  • 100% Green Power: 100% renewable content and the opportunity to be an environmental champion and lead the way to a greener future! 

Can I switch between Lean Power, Clean Power, and 100% Green Power? 

  • Yes! While you are automatically enrolled in the energy option selected by your community, you can always “opt up” or “opt down” to another energy option at any time. Choose your preferred option online here or call us at 888-585-3788 to make the change. Please have your SCE bill on hand because you will need your account information to process your request. 

How do Clean Power Alliance’s rates compare to SCE? 

  • Clean Power Alliance offers cleaner power at competitive rates. You can learn more about how your monthly bill is changing with Clean Power Alliance using ourbill comparison tool. The comparison tool does not include any applicable taxes or SCE minimum charges, special charges or credits, which are the same regardless of energy provider. You can also view our rates sheets or contact us at customerservice@cleanpoweralliance.org for a bill comparison. 

How does Clean Power Alliance set its rates? 

  • Clean Power Alliance rates are set by the Board of Directors based on the projected cost of energy, typically on an annual basis, so you’ll have a steady, predictable outlook on your rates. Unlike the rates of the local investor-owned utilities, which are set by the California Public Utilities Commission in San Francisco, Clean Power Alliance rates are set right here in our community. The Clean Power Alliance Board of Directors, which governs Clean Power Alliance, is committed to providing our community’s residents, businesses, and organizations with cleaner energy options at competitive rates. 

Do I have to participate in Clean Power Alliance? Can I opt out? 

  • You get to decide! Clean Power Alliance offers cleaner energy at competitive rates, plus other community benefits such as local management and control. The State Legislature designed community choice aggregate (CCA) programs like Clean Power Alliance to automatically enroll eligible customers. However, any customer may opt out of Clean Power Alliance service. The choice is yours. 

When can I opt out? 

  • Customers enrolled in a new CPA territory or rate can opt-out 60 days before their service.  
     
    For customers that move into an existing CPA service territory, you will default to Clean Power Alliance service and can opt out after your first billing period. Before then, you aren’t in our system yet so there’s nothing to “opt out” of. 
     
    If you’re not sure if you received an enrollment notice, contact us

Do I get billed separately by Clean Power Alliance? 

  • No. We work together with SCE so that you get just one bill each month. When you begin receiving our electric generation service, the charges for generation that used to come from SCE are replaced by charges from Clean Power Alliance. SCE will continue to charge for the transmission and delivery of electricity at the same rates they always have. Your bill will include your service account(s) for SCE’s transmission and delivery service and a new service account (or accounts) for Clean Power Alliance’s generation service. 

Who will send me my bill? 

  • SCE will continue to send you your bill. Only a few lines on the bill change since the charges for power generation will now come from Clean Power Alliance instead of SCE. Your bill will include your service account(s) for SCE’s transmission and delivery service and a new service account (or accounts) for Clean Power Alliance’s generation service. 

What are PCIA (Power Charge Indifference Adjustment) and other fees? 

  • SCE charges Clean Power Alliance customers a Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA) and a Franchise Fee Surcharge. Both fees are calculated based on your monthly energy usage (in kilowatt-hours, or kWh). The PCIA, commonly referred to as an “exit fee”, is intended to ensure that customers who switch to Clean Power Alliance pay for energy that was acquired by SCE to serve them prior to their switch. The franchise fee pays for SCE’s right to use public streets to run electric service to your home or business. These costs are always included in Clean Power Alliance’s cost comparisons. 

Who do I call with questions about my bill? 

  • If you ever have questions about the Clean Power Alliance portion of your bill, you can call us at 888-585-3788, or email us at customerservice@cleanpoweralliance.org. If you have questions about any other portion of your bill, you can contact SCE at 800-655-4555. For a handy resource on understanding your bill, view our Understanding Your Bill page here

What happens if I am already on one of SCE’s Green Rates? 

  • Customers in SCE’s 50% or 100% Green Rate do not have to do anything to be moved directly in our comparable program to receive either: 
  • Clean Power: 50% renewable content. 
  • 100% Green Power: 100% renewable content. 

As a customer of Clean Power Alliance will I still receive Climate Credit on my bill? 

  • Yes, residential and small commercial and agricultural customers will still receive the Climate Credit. 

Will I still receive my CARE, FERA, Medical Baseline, Level Pay or Summer Discounts with Clean Power Alliance? 

  • Yes. CARE, FERA, Medical Baseline, Level Pay, and Summer Discount Program are available to qualified Clean Power Alliance customers and provide the same discount regardless of enrollment with Clean Power Alliance. Customers enrolled in Clean Power Alliance continue to receive their CARE, FERA, Medical Baseline, Level Pay or Summer Discounts on their SCE delivery charges; there is no need to reapply with Clean Power Alliance. New enrollments or renewals must still be made through SCE’s customer service website or by calling SCE at 800-798-5723. 

How does Clean Power Alliance affect me if I have existing Direct Access (DA) arrangements? 

  • For non-residential customers, any existing direct access service accounts will not be automatically enrolled in Clean Power Alliance service. However, those customers can choose to become Clean Power Alliance customers at any time, but we recommend doing so when their direct access contracts expire. Special direct access termination provisions may apply for customers who wish to end their direct access contracts early. For residential direct access customers, your enrollment with Clean Power Alliance will be delayed to an undetermined future date. Please contact our customer service center if you are a direct access customer and wish to get more information 

What is Clean Power Alliance? 

  • Founded in 2017, Clean Power Alliance is the 4th largest electricity provider in California! We’re a community-driven organization that believes in a clean energy future where communities are empowered, and customers can choose their energy source.

How do we work with SCE? 

  • We “fill the wires” with cleaner electricity that we have purchased, and SCE continues to deliver your power, read your electric meter, send you one monthly bill, and provide the same maintenance and other services they always have.  

Who governs and administers Clean Power Alliance? 

  • Clean Power Alliance is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) governed by a Board of Directors which includes an elected official from each member city and county. Having a Board of local elected officials means that ultimately, Clean Power Alliance answers you! Our operations are administered by Clean Power Alliance staff. For more information on our Board and Committees, click here.  

How is Clean Power Alliance financed? Are any tax dollars used to finance or operate Clean Power Alliance? 

  • Clean Power Alliance is a self-sustaining organization financed exclusively by the payments received from our customers based on the electricity they consume. Clean Power Alliance does not receive tax dollars. During its start-up phase, Clean Power Alliance received a $10 million loan from Los Angeles County and acquired additional credit from a private bank. The start-up loan from Los Angeles County was repaid in September 2020.  

Does the Clean Power Alliance Board of Directors receive a salary or other payments? 

  • No. Members of the Clean Power Alliance Board of Directors do not receive a salary or any financial benefits. 

Clean Power Alliance Service 

Where does Clean Power Alliance offer service?  

  • We currently serve 32 cities across Los Angeles County and Ventura County, as well as the unincorporated areas of both counties. Please refer to our service map to check if CPA services your neighborhood. 

When did Clean Power Alliance begin serving customers? 

  • Clean Power Alliance began serving municipal customers in unincorporated Los Angeles County in February 2018, and then added commercial and municipal customers in unincorporated Los Angeles County, Rolling Hills Estates, and South Pasadena in June 2018. We began serving residential customers in February 2019 and non-residential customers in May 2019 for participating cities within Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. In June 2020, all residents and businesses within Westlake Village were enrolled in Clean Power Alliance service. 

Why was I automatically enrolled as a Clean Power Alliance customer? 

  • The 2002 State law that made community choice possible (AB 117), determined that the new local, public entities (in this case, Clean Power Alliance) would be the default energy provider and automatically enroll customers in the participating jurisdictions. 

How much clean and renewable energy does Clean Power Alliance provide? 

  • Clean Power Alliance purchases clean and renewable electricity on behalf of our customers. We currently offer three rate options, each with a different percentage of renewable energy. Lean Power offers 40% clean energy at the lowest possible cost, with the added benefit of local management and control. Clean Power provides 50% renewable energy and the opportunity to support building a cleaner future, all at cost competitive rates. 100% Green Power provides 100% renewable energy and the opportunity to be an environmental champion and lead the way to a greener future! Each member city or county of Clean Power Alliance has chosen a default option for their community, but you can always make your own energy choice and select the rate option that suits you, your business, or your family best. 

How do I know when my service begins? 

  • All customers will receive a minimum of four (4) notices by mail advising them of their enrollment in Clean Power Alliance; two (2) before and two (2) after the switch from Southern California Edison to Clean Power Alliance. These notices will be mailed by Clean Power Alliance, not by Southern California Edison. To check your status, call us at 888-585-3788, or email us at customerservice@cleanpoweralliance.org

My neighbor received a notice, but I haven’t received anything. Why? 

  • Clean Power Alliance service notices are sent out to customers in eligible communities in phases, so if you have not yet received a notice it may be on the way. To check your status, call us at 888-585-3788, or email us at customerservice@cleanpoweralliance.org

Why am I getting a notice from Clean Power Alliance? 

  • The notices were sent to inform you that your account is now eligible for Clean Power Alliance service. You don’t have to do anything to be automatically enrolled in your community’s default service option (either Lean Power, Clean Power, or 100% Green Power). You can also make your own choice and select a different Clean Power Alliance offering. We’re required by state law to contact you in writing at least four times, so you’ll probably be hearing from us again soon! 

I just moved to a new address, and I want to establish service. How do I sign up? Can I participate now if I’m not already a customer? 

  • To start electricity service at a new address, simply contact SCE at 800-655-4555 to get electricity at your new address and schedule an appointment. New customers who move into the Clean Power Alliance service area are automatically enrolled into Clean Power Alliance and will be mailed two notices within the first sixty days of service with information about their options. 

Who do I call if there is a power outage in my area? 

  • Southern California Edison is responsible for maintaining transmission lines that deliver the energy we purchase. Please call SCE if you’re experiencing a power outage to restore power: 800-611-1911. 

Can I participate now if I’m not already a customer? 

  • Clean Power Alliance already serves residential and commercial customers in 32 cities throughout Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. If Clean Power Alliance launched service in your community, you automatically became our customer, unless you chose to return to SCE. You should have received a minimum of four (4) notices by mail letting you know you were enrolled in Clean Power Alliance and providing information about your new options. If you recently moved into your home or business, you will be sent two (2) notices by mail with information on your new options. All customer notices are archived and can be accessed on our Customer Notices page. If you have questions about your account, you can call us at 888-585-3788 or email us at customerservice@cleanpoweralliance.org

I am a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) customer. Will I ever be able to receive service from Clean Power Alliance? 

  • LADWP is a municipal utility with an exclusive monopoly granted by the Los Angeles City Charter to provide electricity utility service for residents and businesses in the City of Los Angeles. A change would require a citizen vote to amend the charter. As such, Clean Power Alliance is not able to offer service to customers in LADWP service area. 

Can I participate in Clean Power Alliance if I am not in a member city or county? 

  • Unfortunately, you can only participate if you are located within the Clean Power Alliance service area. To find out if you are in our service area, view our map or a list of our enrolled cities and counties here. Becoming part of Clean Power Alliance service territory is an action taken by eligible local governments not already served by a municipal utility. 

Why was I enrolled into Clean Power Alliance? 

  • In 2002, California passed a law that allows local governments to join together to purchase electricity on behalf of their community members. You now have the power to choose who provides your energy, Clean Power Alliance or SCE. 

How do I opt out? 

  • While we don’t want you to miss out on the benefits Clean Power Alliance offers, you always have the choice to opt out. Once you receive an enrollment notice in the mail from us, you can opt out here or by calling us at 888-585-3788. Please have your SCE bill on hand because we will need your account information to process your request. 

Can I return to Clean Power Alliance after I opt out? 

  • Yes, we’d love to welcome you back! Customers who opt out before starting Clean Power Alliance service may return at any time by calling us at 888-585-3788 or emailing us at customerservice@cleanpoweralliance.org. Customers who opt out after service starts are required by SCE to remain with SCE for a minimum of twelve months. 

Is there a fee for opting out? 

  • Clean Power Alliance does not charge any fees to opt out. Customers who opt out after service launch may be charged a one-time account processing fee by SCE (currently 50 cents) and will be prevented by SCE from returning to Clean Power Alliance for a minimum of twelve months. 

Community Choice Aggregation

Clean Power Alliance operates as a Community Choice Aggregation program. So, what is Community Choice Aggregation? 

  • Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) offers an opportunity for California cities and counties to become their own electricity provider. They were permitted in California by Assembly Bill 117 following the energy crisis of 2000-2001. CCAs differ from traditional investor-owned utilities such as SCE because they allow communities to take control of purchasing their own power, make energy decisions locally, and reinvest funds back into their communities. They are also different from publicly owned utilities such as Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which are not regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and which generally own their local electricity distribution systems. 

Why is Clean Power Alliance enrollment automatic and why do I have to opt out to stay with SCE? 

  • California’s community choice aggregation law, AB 117, requires community choice energy providers to be the default electricity provider over investor-owned utility companies such as SCE. So, Clean Power Alliance operates as an opt out program, but we were created to give our communities new energy options, so choice is very important to us. We provide four written notices to our customers when beginning service so that you can make informed decisions regarding your new energy choices. 

Are Community Choice Aggregation programs like Clean Power Alliance reliable? Will we have enough power? 

  • Yes. Resource Adequacy (RA) is a program of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to ensure reliable electric service in California. This program requires Clean Power Alliance and other electricity providers to purchase enough power to meet customers’ anticipated needs, plus reserves that can be called upon if they are needed in an emergency. Clean Power Alliance is required to meet the same resource adequacy and reliability standards as investor-owned utilities such as SCE. 

Does Clean Power Alliance replace SCE? 

  • No. SCE continues to deliver power, provide maintenance services, send just one bill and resolve any electricity service issues. Clean Power Alliance provides electric generation by purchasing power on your behalf. We simply replace the fee SCE would charge you if they were providing your electric generation service. 

Are Clean Power Alliance customers still eligible to obtain rebates from SCE for energy efficiency and solar electric systems? 

  • Yes. The California Public Utilities Commission authorizes SCE to collect fees (called public goods charges) from all customers to fund energy efficiency and renewable energy incentive programs. SCE still collects these fees from Clean Power Alliance customers, so you remain eligible for these incentives and services. 

Can SCE raise delivery fees on Clean Power Alliance customers above those of non-Clean Power Alliance customers? 

  • No. SCE must provide the same rates for all customers in their service area whether or not they receive electricity from Clean Power Alliance or any other energy service provider. 

What if I already have solar panels or other generating systems? Will I still be able to offset my energy charges with the energy I generate once I switch to Clean Power Alliance? 

  • Yes, you will still be able to offset your charges with excess generated energy. Overall, what changes is that Clean Power Alliance will now become responsible for your monthly NEM generation charges and credits, while Southern California Edison (SCE) will continue to be responsible for your monthly NEM delivery service charges and credits. Once your account transfers to our NEM program, Clean Power Alliance will begin to charge you for the energy you consume beyond what you generate on your monthly bill (whereas with SCE you may have received only one annual settlement at the end of the relevant period). This will help you make smaller payments more regularly rather than potentially paying one large bill at the end of the relevant period. If you have accumulated credits at the end of the year, these credits will be refunded to you at the retail rate, up to the total amount you were billed during your relevant period. You will also become eligible for Clean Power Alliance’s Net Surplus Compensation (NSC) and will no longer be eligible for SCE’s NSC. You can receive NSC from Clean Power Alliance if you are a “net generator” at the end of your relevant period, meaning you produced more energy than you used over a 12-month period. There may be other differences. Please contact us with questions or review our NEM website page

What will happen to my SCE NEM account when transferring to Clean Power Alliance? 

  • SCE will true up your account at the time you transfer to Clean Power Alliance, and a new period will start the next month for both your SCE delivery service charges and Clean Power Alliance generation charges. You will be billed for any SCE energy charges not offset by energy credits at the time of true-up. Any SCE energy credits that exceed energy charges are set to zero for the start of the new relevant period, and if you are a net generator, you will receive an NSC check from SCE calculated at their current NSC rate. Once your account transfers to Clean Power Alliance’s NEM program, it will be eligible for NSC from Clean Power Alliance. 

What is Clean Power Alliance’s Net Surplus Compensation Rate (NSC)? 

How do I enroll in Clean Power Alliance’s NEM program? 

  • Clean Power Alliance customers who are already enrolled in SCE’s NEM program will automatically be enrolled in Clean Power Alliance’s NEM program. Upon your enrollment with Clean Power Alliance, your account will be settled with SCE, and you will be switched to Clean Power Alliance’s NEM program on your next meter read date. If you are new to net energy metering, please contact SCE at 866-701-7868 for residential inquiries or at 866-701-7869 for commercial inquiries and to request your interconnection application. Once you’ve completed the SCE NEM enrollment process, you will automatically be enrolled in Clean Power Alliance’s NEM program if you are an eligible Clean Power Alliance customer. 

When is Clean Power Alliance’s relevant period? 

  • A relevant period refers to the yearlong NEM billing period, in which NEM credits and charges are tracked. When a NEM customer is enrolled into Clean Power Alliance, their SCE NEM account is “trued up”, or reconciled, and their current relevant period ends. Your new SCE relevant period will begin on your enrollment date. Clean Power Alliance will annually true up all NEM customers at the end of their relevant period each April beginning in April 2020. If you are enrolled as a Clean Power Alliance customer prior to April 2019, your first relevant period may be longer than 12 months. If a customer has produced net surplus energy at the time of annual true up, Clean Power Alliance will mail you a check for net surplus credit greater than $100, calculated at the current NSC Rate. An NSC of less than $100 will roll over for the next relevant period, and any remaining energy credits that were not refunded are reset to zero for the start of the new relevant period. 

What if I am grandfathered into SCE’s “NEM 1.0” program? 

  • Automatic enrollment into Clean Power Alliance’s NEM program will not affect NEM 1.0 customers’ status. NEM 1.0 customers will retain the grandfathered elements of the program after the switch, while also enjoying our higher NSC rate. 

Where does Clean Power Alliance’s power come from? 

  • Clean Power Alliance’s energy is procured on behalf of its member communities from mostly non-polluting, clean and renewable sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. We do not use coal or nuclear power. The projects that produce our electricity are in California and on the western grid. The exact proportion of each source varies with time, based on demand and availability. Please check out our Power Sources webpage for more. 

Where does Clean Power Alliance get its electricity? What are the sources of power for Clean Power Alliance and where are they located? 

  • Clean Power Alliance gets its electricity from suppliers that have gone through a rigorous qualification and selection process. These suppliers, much like SCE, get their electricity from a variety of generation sources. Our Lean Power includes 40% clean power at the lowest possible cost, with the added benefit of local management and control.  Clean provides electricity from 50% renewable sources and the opportunity to support building a cleaner future, all at cost competitive rates. 100% Green Power provides electricity from 100% renewable sources at cost competitive rates. Please check out our Power Sources webpage for more. 

How does Clean Power Alliance procure power? 

  • Clean Power Alliance contracts with private firms to procure energy. Moving forward, we plan to procure steadily increasing amounts of renewable energy, including locally generated power that develops our economy and provides jobs in our communities. 

How can I be sure Clean Power Alliance is actually procuring renewable energy on my behalf? 

  • Each year, Clean Power Alliance procures an amount of renewable energy sufficient to meet the sum of the individual choices of all its customers. So, as a Clean Power Alliance customer, your energy choices directly impact the overall amount of renewable power Clean Power Alliance is buying. Selecting 100% Green Power means that Clean Power Alliance will procure additional, incremental renewable power to meet that demand. We are required to report to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and California Energy Commission (CEC) on an annual basis to verify the amount of renewable energy procured for our customers. This is the same standard used by California utilities such as SCE for verification purposes. 

How do I know I’m receiving the amount of renewable energy that I chose? 

  • The California Independent Systems Operator (CAISO) maintains the state’s grid to ensure reliability of electricity. There is no way to distinguish between electrons on the distribution system in any given moment. However, Clean Power Alliance procures renewable energy based on each customer’s selection. A customer’s decision to select 100% Green Power directly increases the amount of renewable energy Clean Power Alliance procures on behalf of that customer. An individual customer or community’s decision to go 100% Green leads to Clean Power Alliance purchasing power from renewable sources. 
  • Clean Power Alliance values transparency, so we make procurement and financial decisions through our Board of Directors, made up of elected officials from each of our member jurisdictions. We are also required to report to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and California Energy Commission (CEC) on an annual basis to verify the amount of renewable energy procured for our customers. This is the same standard used by California utilities such as SCE for verification purposes. For more information on our Power Sources, visit our Power Sources page here

How much clean and renewable energy does Clean Power Alliance provide? Is it enough to meet demand? 

  • Each of our rate options, Lean Power, Clean Power, and 100% Green Power, has a different percentage of renewable energy. Each member city and county of Clean Power Alliance has chosen a default option for their community, but you can always make your own energy choice and select the rate option that best suits your unique needs. Clean Power Alliance has purchased enough energy to ensure immediate reliability and we are currently in a long-term Request for Offers (RFO) process to build more renewable capacity. Over the next few years, Clean Power Alliance will build a portfolio of diverse renewable energy sources and energy storage that will put us on a path toward powering all our customers’ homes and businesses with carbon-free energy all day, every day. As a fiscally responsible organization without guaranteed cost recovery, we strive to provide our customers with clean energy choices at competitive rates while prioritizing financial sustainability. 

What is the difference between clean and renewable energy? 

  • Clean energy is carbon-free energy that creates little to no greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and comes from sources such as hydroelectric power. Renewable energy comes from resources that are naturally replenished such as solar, wind, and geothermal, and produce no waste. Unlike fossil fuels, such as oil, natural gas, and coal, which cannot be replaced (and produce GHG emissions), renewable energy regenerates naturally in a short period of time.