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Board approves impact assessment study to evaluate joining Pioneer Community Energy
Summary
Supervisors voted 5–0 to fund (up to $15,000 county share) an impact assessment study with Pioneer Community Energy to analyze whether Madera County (and potentially the cities) should join the CCA for possible service launch in 2027.
The Madera County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Sept. 23 to participate in an impact assessment study (IAS) with Pioneer Community Energy to determine the financial and operational feasibility of joining Pioneer’s community choice aggregation (CCA). Pioneer will pay half the IAS cost; the county’s maximum share was cited as $15,000 if only the county participates. The study would analyze historic usage, projected generation rates, and potential program and local‑energy investments and return to the community.
Pioneer representatives presented the board with the CCA’s role and recent track record. Don Eckert, Pioneer CEO, described the CCA as a not‑for‑profit, locally governed aggregator that purchases generation and returns savings or program benefits to local customers. Gina Stasi, Pioneer communications director, said Pioneer has saved its customers roughly $108 million since 2018 and forecast another $37 million in 2025. "Pioneer buys power on the open market; PG&E continues to deliver it on its poles and lines," she said.
Why it matters: joining a CCA would change only the generation portion of residents’ electric bills—roughly 40% of the total—and provide the county an elected representative on Pioneer’s governing board, with influence over power procurement and local programs such as biomass incentives, HVAC and LED rebates, and community‑scale power purchase agreements. Pioneer emphasized biomass as a local development priority and outlined a feed‑in tariff budget for front‑end support to local biomass and small hydro projects.
Board discussion focused on risks and the IAS timeline. Supervisors sought clarification about the exit charge known as the PCIA (power charge indifference adjustment) that PG&E applies when load leaves bundled service. Pioneer staff acknowledged the PCIA adds uncertainty and fluctuates annually but said the IAS will include conservative assumptions and a hedging strategy. Joel Baguley, CAO, advised that the IAS results would be returned to the board and would not commit the county to joining Pioneer; staff recommended the study so the county could vet numbers before any decision.
The vote: the board approved participation in the IAS and authorized the CAO or designee to complete the administrative steps to provide PG&E the historic usage data Pioneer needs to run the study; vote 5–0.
