Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Santa Barbara Clean Energy offers reduced rates to income qualified customers so that rates stay the same as with Southern California Edison’s low-income program, with the added benefit of using clean energy.

Visit our Financial Assistance page to learn more.

Local resilience is a major priority for the City of Santa Barbara. If Santa Barbara Clean Energy realizes budget surpluses, Council will look at the best ways to reinvest those dollars into our community, including building and developing local energy security. 

This could include building local energy generation and battery storage facilities, or helping you install energy resilience measures at your home or business.

After the passage of CA Assembly Bill 117, City staff began looking into starting a Community Choice Energy program. City Council voted to move forward with Santa Barbara Clean Energy in 2019. 

Visit About SBCE to learn more.

The City contracts with California Choice Energy Alliance (CalChoice) and their roster of highly qualified partners to provide expertise and management of the power procurement process, regulatory compliance, and customer service functions.

Santa Barbara Clean Energy buys carbon-free energy from solar, wind, biomass, and small and large hydroelectricity. 

Learn more about our Energy Sources.

Santa Barbara Clean Energy is unique because our priorities are ambitious. We are working toward a Citywide goal of 100% carbon-free energy use by 2030. 

By having our own program, we maintain local control over electricity rates, revenues, and the ability to create locally relevant projects that can build a cleaner, more resilient Santa Barbara. 

During a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), Southern California Edison (SCE) will de-energize certain vulnerable circuits and will not deliver power in specific areas. Since the City and SBCE are not in control of SCE’s poles and wires, safety shutoffs and unscheduled utility outages remain the same. 

However, a major goal of Santa Barbara Clean Energy is to invest in local energy resilience and help local area residents and businesses create energy resilience at their homes and places of work.

The City purchases a combination of solar power and battery energy storage capacity to achieve a 100% carbon-free electricity goal. This enables us to benefit from carbon-free energy throughout the day. 

You can change your enrollment a variety of ways: 

• re-enroll in Santa Barbara Clean Energy,
• opt down to Green Start,
• add on Solar+ when you add solar, 
• or opt out and go back to SCE.

Please call our team at (805) 897-1979 to re-enroll, change your service level, or complete the process of opting out. Please have your account number on hand when you call.

Being a SBCE customer gives you access to programs designed to help you decarbonize your lifestyle! 

Check out our Programs & Offerings.