Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Energy Cca topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves joining Pioneer Community Energy; ordinance to authorize Community Choice Aggregation introduced
Summary
Nevada County voted to request membership in Pioneer Community Energy and approved the first reading of an ordinance authorizing a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program; second reading was scheduled for Feb. 25, 2025.
Nevada County’s Board of Supervisors on Feb. 11 approved a resolution requesting membership in Pioneer Community Energy — the regional community choice aggregation (CCA) joint powers authority — and introduced an implementing ordinance required under state law.
County analyst Mandy Stewart presented the resolution and ordinance package, which staff and external advisors had reviewed as part of a multi-year feasibility and impact assessment. Stewart told the board the executed resolution and a signed amended and restated joint powers agreement would be included in Pioneer’s California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) filing scheduled for March 2025.
Why it matters: Community choice aggregation allows local governments to procure electricity on behalf of their customers while retaining transmission and billing through the incumbent utility. Joining Pioneer would expand locally negotiated electricity supply choices for county residents while aligning with local climate and electrification goals.
Board action and timeline: The board voted to adopt the resolution requesting membership in Pioneer Community Energy and to introduce and waive further reading of the implementing ordinance (first reading). The ordinance’s second reading was scheduled for Feb. 25, after which the county would submit required documents to the CPUC as part of Pioneer’s amended implementation plan.
What staff said: Stewart noted the county is one of 13 jurisdictions pursuing membership; amendment 6 to the JPA was described as a “clean up” to the joint powers agreement. Staff said the county’s earlier impact assessment found Pioneer to be financially viable for Nevada County.
Vote: Both the resolution and the motion to introduce the ordinance passed by recorded vote (four yes, one absence). The county will return Feb. 25 for the ordinance second reading and continued board approvals required before implementing a CCA.
Ending: With the actions taken, Nevada County moved from study to formal request to join Pioneer Community Energy; if finalized, the county would participate in regional CCA governance and the CPUC filing process.
