The city of Encinitas announced its intent Tuesday to join a countywide joint-powers authority that would provide energy service to residents and compete with private companies like San Diego Gas & Electric.
The Encinitas City Council voted Aug. 21 to join the JPA, which will be headed by the city of San Diego, because it aligns with the city's Climate Action Plan. In February, the San Diego City Council voted to begin the process of establishing a so-called community choice energy program with the intention of inviting other cities into the fold as the program expands.
The county of San Diego and the cities of Chula Vista and La Mesa have also expressed a willingness to join the CCE program in recent weeks. Later this year, the San Diego City Council will officially vote to form the authority.
"We're excited to work together with the City of San Diego in accomplishing this key component of our very similar Climate Action Plans," Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear said. "Partnering in a large regional JPA gives us many more opportunities to develop large-scale projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gases in the region."
If the city of San Diego remains on its current timeline, the joint-powers authority would hire a CEO and CFO by the end of the year and begin hiring staff and securing funding in early 2020.
City officials hope to have the project off the ground and providing energy in 2021, but would need to submit the proposal to the state's Public Utility Commission by the end of the year to make that deadline.
The Encinitas City Council plans to vote on a draft JPA agreement in September.
