In this episode of the Energy Changemakers podcast, host Elisa Wood interviews Russell Lowes about an effort to create an Arizona community choice energy (CCE) program.
CCEs, also called community choice aggregations, allow cities and counties to take over procurement and management of energy supply on behalf of their residents, typically at a cost lower than what the local electric utility charges.
These local energy programs can now be found in 11 states and serve about 1 in 10 Americans. Massachusetts created the first community choice aggregation, the Cape Light Compact, in 1997.
As conceived, the Arizona community choice energy (CCE) program would provide 100% renewable energy in nine years, a 98% reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and significant water savings, said Lowes of Arizonans for Community Choice.
“If you look at all the impacts of how quickly you can go over to a 98% reduction in CO2, CCE wins. It knocks it out of the ballpark,” Lowes said.
Free of the shareholder restrictions faced by investor-owned utilities, community choice programs also can more easily provide certain community services, such as resilience or cooling centers and expanded energy efficiency measures, Lowes said.