The city of Roseville, Calif., currently gets 15 percent of its power from renewable energy resources (not including large hydro), about 90 percent of which is geothermal power acquired through assets administered by the Northern California Power Agency. A portion of this renewable energy generation serves the nearly 600 residential customers (more than 1.5 percent of all residential customers) who participate in Roseville Electric's green-pricing programs, "Green 50" and "Green 100". However, the majority of the renewable generation remains in the utility's rate-base.
In addition to its green-pricing products, the utility offers customers the choice of contributing to a "green fund" through a 1¢/kWh surcharge. The utility matches these contributions dollar-for-dollar with public benefits funds to finance utility-owned renewable energy projects in the Roseville area. Most recently these funds have gone to the development of two 18-kilowatt PV systems. Public benefits funds are also used as incentive rebates to help customers buy down the costs of customer-sited PV systems to serve native load. Thirty 2.4 kW systems have been installed on new homes during 2002.
Roseville Electric has no near-term plans to add new renewable energy resources into the rate-base. Nonetheless, it would like to meet the spirit of California's Renewable Portfolio Standard for obtaining a portion of new load from renewable energy by setting goals to increase the use of renewable energy through increasing customer participation in its green-pricing products and renewable energy programs.
Contact:
Carla Johannesen
Retail Energy Services Manager
Roseville Electric
Roseville, California
Telephone: 916-774-5567