One of the great things about living in La Mesa is that small town feel we all know and love.

We witnessed it when we joined together after the riot, and we see it today as we interact with our neighbors at the farmers market or local parks. Many of us are active voices in shaping how our city evolves, balancing the need to support a growing number of residents and business owners with preservation of the landscape and environment that makes our city the jewel that it is.

One positive step toward an environmentally sustainable city is making clean, renewable energy available to all residents.

Beginning this month in La Mesa, our city officials have flipped the switch to a new clean energy provider, San Diego Community Power (SDCP). For the first time ever, residents will have a choice about where to purchase their energy. SDCP, which is locally operated, offers a baseline service of 50% renewable energy at rates that are competitive with SDGE, with the option to power up to 100% for a slight premium of less than a penny per kilowatt hour. We’re thrilled that SDCP makes this option so affordable.

All La Mesa residents and businesses have been automatically enrolled with San Diego Community Power. While any customer can opt out at any time, remaining with SDCP makes sense for the pocketbook and the planet.

La Mesa’s climate action plan, adopted in 2018, includes a strategy to reach 100% renewable energy by 2035, which is estimated to reduce local carbon emissions by 53%. “Community Choice” energy, authorized by the State of California, is one of the most effective ways in which local governments can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reach climate action plan targets. Yes, even a smaller city like La Mesa can play a key role in the global problem of climate change.

In October 2019, the La Mesa City Council unanimously voted to form a “joint powers authority” with the city of San Diego and three other cities to create SDCP. So it’s been a long, eagerly anticipated journey to get here. A lot of people have worked really hard to make this happen, including Council member Bill Baber, City Manager Greg Humora, and volunteer activists from SanDiego350 and Climate Action Campaign. After three years, it’s so rewarding to see this project come to fruition.

The not-for-profit SDCP was founded by the joint efforts of five cities in our county – La Mesa, Imperial Beach, Encinitas, Chula Vista and San Diego – with each city represented on its board of directors. SDCP launched service to 70,000 municipal and business customers last year, and with the roll-out of residential customers this spring, will soon serve an additional 700,000 residential accounts.

As a community choice energy service , SDCP will become the second largest in the state. National City and the County’s unincorporated communities have also recently joined SDCP, and will begin receiving service from early 2023. Some residents are wondering why they were automatically enrolled in SDCP. California law requires all residents of member cities to be automatically enrolled. We will continue to receive just the one bill from SDG&E, which will deliver power, manage monthly billing and customer service, and provide ongoing system maintenance.

But unlike the for-profit utility, San Diego Community Power will reinvest its surplus revenue (profits) into local renewable projects, supporting new clean energy jobs and equitable sustainability programs. So it’s a win-win for La Mesa’s future, since SDCP offers cleaner energy, competitive rates, and a real commitment to invest in our community.

For both of us, it’s important to live by our values, find ways to live more sustainably, and protect our children’s future. We’re pleased that we can do so through the Power100 service plan. The City Council selected the Power100 plan last year and now all city-owned facilities are operating on 100% renewable energy.

This progress makes us proud to be La Mesa residents.

Editor’s note: This article was provided by Jen Derks and David Harris. Harris is a climate activist, retired community development manager, and long-time resident of La Mesa. Derks is a San Diego native and proud La Mesa resident, raising her family, and running a business in the historic La Mesa Village.

Photo credit: Pixabay.com.