San Diego Intl. Airport to get 100% RE from San Diego Community Power

San Diego International Airport (SAN) has decided to opt for the Power100 service offered by San Diego Community Power (SDCP), a not-for-profit community choice aggregation program, as a result of which SDCP will provide 100% renewable and carbon-free energy to SAN. The airport served 25 million passengers in 2019, making it the busiest single-runway commercial airport in the United States.

Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) programs were enabled by state legislation as part of the solution to the 2001 energy crisis, allowing local communities to control the energy they buy and address constraints on competition that contributed to the problem. There are currently 23 CCAs operating successfully across California and providing reliable service to more than 11 million customers in more than 200 cities and counties.

“Having the opportunity to work with San Diego Community Power enables us to reach our goal of 100 percent renewable electricity well before our planned timing of 2035,” said Kimberly Becker, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority President and CEO. “SDCP’s ability to provide reliable, zero-carbon energy at competitive costs is a game-changer for us and everyone in the region.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the Airport Authority to advance our shared vision of a cleaner, healthier region,” said SDCP Board Chair and Encinitas Councilmember Joe Mosca. “They are a great role model for organizations and businesses that are committed to saving money, our environment, and reinvesting in our local community.”

Throughout June, approximately 72,000 commercial and industrial accounts in San Diego, Chula Vista, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, and La Mesa will become customers of SDCP; a public energy agency committed to providing clean energy, competitive rates, and innovative programs. The move offers businesses a choice in energy providers for the first time in the region’s history.

SDCP provides competitive rates for significantly greener energy options and reinvests in clean energy projects supporting healthier communities today and for the future. SDCP offers two service levels, PowerOn, which provides 50 percent renewable energy, and Power100 a 100 percent renewable energy service. Businesses that upgrade to the Power100 tier will soon have the option to register as a Power100 Champion, enabling them to be included on the SDCP website and receive promotional materials.

“As one of our first Power100 Champions, we hope SAN’s choice will inspire additional businesses to upgrade to 100 percent clean energy enabling us to reinvest even more in the community,” said Bill Carnahan, Interim CEO of San Diego Community Power. “As a local not-for-profit, all of our excess revenue will be invested locally in workforce development, job training, aid for communities of concern, and training and employing local workers.”

In March, SDCP launched renewable energy procurement services for municipal customers. Residential service will begin rolling out in February 2022. SDCP customers can change service levels or opt-out of the service at any time. SDG&E will continue to deliver power, manage monthly billing and customer service and provide ongoing system maintenance.

In January this year, Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL), the company which operates the world’s first 100% solar-powered airport, commissioned one of the biggest floating solar power plants in Kerala. The new plant will have a capacity of 452 KWh, increasing the the total installed capacity of the airport to 40 MWp, helping it to produce around 1.60 lakh units of power a day as against its daily consumption of around 1.30 lakh units.