Central Coast Community Energy reports 90% enrollment and outlines battery, storage and rebate programs

Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) on Tuesday gave Atascadero City Council its first annual update since the city enrolled in 3CE earlier this year, reporting strong early enrollment, a renewable-energy procurement plan and a suite of customer programs to support electrification and resiliency.

“Your local community leaders are making decisions about your power, where it comes from, and how we reinvest in our communities,” said Catherine Steadman, chief communications officer for 3CE, who presented to the council. She noted Mayor Mark Roboe and City Manager Jim Lewis serve on 3CE boards.

Steadman reported that as of March, 3CE had enrolled over 90% of Atascadero customers and that the agency delivered 409 megawatts of renewable electricity in 2024 — a portfolio she said avoided more than 445,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. She said 3CE’s current supply is about 40% clean and renewable and is projected to reach roughly 64% of the agency’s load by October 2028.

The presentation emphasized the role of battery energy storage. Steadman explained batteries store energy when solar and wind are abundant and discharge during peak demand, reducing reliance on fossil-fueled “peaker” plants and improving affordability and resiliency. She said 3CE requires containerized battery systems with fire suppression and compliance with the latest codes, and highlighted projects in its portfolio such as Willow Rock (compressed-air storage), Atlas Solar, Aratina Solar and Victory Pass.

Programs and local investments Steadman described 3CE programs available to Atascadero residents and public agencies, including: - Electrify Your Ride rebates of $1,000 to $4,000 for qualifying new or used electric vehicles; - Rebates and incentives for home electrification and home-battery installation; - Fleet electrification grants for public agencies, covering light-duty to heavy-duty vehicles; and - Targeted agricultural electrification assistance.

She said Atascadero has already been allocated more than $30,000 in rebates and incentives for January–March (the quarter shown in the slide deck), and that local school districts (Atascadero Unified and Templeton Unified) are in the application process for electric buses.

Legislative and market notes Steadman also summarized federal and state policy developments affecting 3CE procurement and customer incentives. She said a recent federal legislative change (referred to in the presentation as HR 1) will phase out individual tax credits for new and used vehicles after Sept. 30, 2025 and end some home-energy tax credits after Dec. 31 (as described in the presentation), and that some federal tax-credit changes could affect utility-scale solar and wind tax credits for projects that have not broken ground by 2026. Steadman said 3CE is continuing procurement and is co-sponsoring a regional-market bill (identified in the presentation as SB 540) intended to facilitate exporting midday solar generation and importing renewables at other times of day.

Council questions and next steps Council member Funk asked about customers with rooftop solar and year-end true-up differences; Steadman said 3CE staff work individually with solar customers to explain the net energy metering process and that 3CE’s annual true-up mirrors PG&E timing but uses a different date. Steadman provided contact information for customers with further questions.

The presentation closed with a pledge to continue community outreach and to return with annual updates. No council action was needed; the presentation provided information and set expectations for future reporting.