Introducing Ava Community Energy

This month, Stockton and Lathrop residents and companies are transitioning to scrub electrical energy at decrease charges by Ava Neighborhood Vitality. A lot of you will have questions on this modification. As a Stockton native and Ava Neighborhood Vitality’s Outreach Coordinator for San Joaquin County, I’d like to deal with the most typical issues I’m listening to from my neighbors and fellow neighborhood members.
What’s Ava Neighborhood Vitality and why is it in Stockton and Lathrop?

Ava Neighborhood Vitality is a not-for-profit public company that generates electrical energy at charges 5% decrease than PG&E. We’ve been serving communities in Alameda County since 2018 and Tracy since 2021. In 2022, the Stockton Metropolis Council voted unanimously to hitch Ava, adopted by Lathrop in 2023. We’re totally different from PG&E in just a few methods, however one key distinction is that we don’t have shareholders anticipating earnings. As a public company, we reinvest income again into the communities we serve by decrease charges, native applications, and clear power initiatives.

Why was I robotically enrolled? Can I choose out?
State regulation (AB 117) says that neighborhood alternative power suppliers like Ava change into the default choice for his or her communities. That signifies that, by regulation, we should enroll everybody by automated enrollment. We all know this course of can really feel disconcerting. Nonetheless, you will have the selection to choose out and return to PG&E service at any time. There is no such thing as a charge to choose out by April 2026 for Stockton and Lathrop prospects. You possibly can choose out by visiting AvaEnergy.org/opt-out or calling Ava Buyer Assist at 833-699-2668.

Will I get a separate invoice?
No. You’ll proceed to obtain only one invoice from PG&E. The one distinction is that Ava’s technology prices (that are 5% decrease) will change PG&E’s technology prices. In truth, you possibly can see what PG&E would have charged you by their Era Credit score on the invoice. PG&E will proceed to ship your electrical energy, preserve energy strains, deal with billing, and reply to outages.

How a lot will I save?
The typical family in Stockton and Lathrop will save about $5 per thirty days with our Vibrant Alternative service, which is robotically 5% decrease than PG&E’s technology charges. Since 2018, Vibrant Alternative has saved our prospects greater than $102 million in comparison with what they’d have paid with PG&E.

Will I lose my CARE, FERA, or Medical Baseline advantages?
Completely not. These low cost applications proceed precisely as earlier than, plus you’ll obtain the extra 5% Ava low cost.

What if I’ve photo voltaic? Will this profit me?
You probably have photo voltaic panels, your transition to Ava service will preserve many acquainted points of your present setup whereas providing new choices. Once you’re enrolled with Ava, you’ll promote your surplus technology to Ava as an alternative of PG&E, and also you’ll buy electrical energy from Ava as an alternative of PG&E when wanted. A key distinction with Ava is the selection between month-to-month or annual true-ups for technology prices. Extra data for photo voltaic prospects is accessible at AvaEnergy.org/welcome-solar.

Who governs Ava?
Ava is ruled by a Board of Administrators composed of elected officers from every metropolis and county we serve, together with Mayor Fugazi from Stockton and Metropolis Councilmember Minnie Diallo from Lathrop. Board members obtain a $128 stipend per month-to-month assembly—there isn’t a different compensation. All Ava board conferences are open to the general public. You’re welcome to attend in particular person or on-line and take part in selections about your electrical energy service.

Is Ava the identical as these door-to-door power salespeople?
No. Ava is a public company created by native governments, not a non-public firm. We by no means go door-to-door, we don’t lock you into contracts, and we’ve a confirmed observe file of constant financial savings since 2018. If somebody involves your door claiming to characterize Ava, please report it to us and/or native authorities instantly.

How are you investing in our neighborhood?
Ava sponsors local people occasions and native sports activities groups, together with the Stockton Ports and Stockton Cargo. We additionally provide $2,500 sponsorships 3 times per yr to native community-based organizations and develop native power applications to assist our prospects lower your expenses and enhance their high quality of life.

How can I study extra?
Go to AvaEnergy.org/welcome for extra data. As your native consultant, I’ll even be internet hosting webinars and in-person workplace hours this summer time. Examine the calendar at AvaEnergy.org/occasions or search for our sales space at neighborhood occasions all through Stockton and Lathrop!