The transition to clean and renewable power is a key strategy for achieving carbon neutrality. Renewable electric power sources in California include solar, wind, nuclear, large hydropower, biomass, and geothermal. The State of California further defines qualified clean (carbon free) and renewable electricity sources as those that have minimal environmental or ecosystem impacts, eliminating nuclear and large hydropower as qualified renewables under state law.

In accordance with state climate action goals and standards, energy utility providers are required to increase the amount of clean, renewable energy in their portfolios over time. Fremont residents and businesses are served by two energy providers: Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) and Ava Community Energy (formerly East Bay Community Energy).

CA Renewables Portfolio Standard

In 2002, California established the Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) with the goal of increasing the percentage of renewable energy in the state's electricity mix. In 2017, California's three large investor-owned utilities (IOUs) collectively served 36% of their 2017 retail electricity sales with renewable power, significantly exceeding the 27% target for that year. In 2018, California passed SB100, mandating the state achieve a 50% clean power mix by 2025, 60% by 2030, and 100% clean, renewable, and carbon-free energy mix by 2045.

Ava Community Energy 

In 2017, the County of Alameda and 11 of its cities including Fremont authorized the formation of Ava Community Energy (formerly East Bay Community Energy), a not-for-profit public agency and local electricity provider that reinvests its earnings back into the community to create local green energy jobs, local programs, and clean power projects. Ava is an electricity generation provider, with PG&E still serving as the power transmission and distribution entity and billing agency.

Ava provides Fremont households and businesses with cleaner electricity at an affordable rate. Residents and businesses are automatically customers of Ava's Bright Choice energy product, and have the option of opting up to even cleaner and more renewable products or opting out to stay a customer of PG&E. The City has opted-up all municipal accounts to Ava's Renewable 100 carbon-free energy product, making all City streetlights, park lights, buildings and facilities, and public electric vehicle charging stations GHG emissions free.

Find out more about Ava and how you can opt-up by visiting their website.

PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), the electric and natural gas investor-owned utility serving our region, provides natural gas for residents and businesses of Fremont as well as electricity to customers who choose to opt-out of EBCE.

PG&E continues to serve as the power transmission and distribution provider, and oversees line maintenance and repair as well as billing and payments for Fremont customers of both PG&E and Ava.