COLUSA COUNTY, CA (MPG) – Pioneer Community Energy will begin providing electricity to customers in the cities of Colusa and Williams and unincorporated Colusa County in October 2027, giving residents and businesses another choice for power generation.
Pioneer is not another power plant, officials said. It is a public, not-for-profit agency created and governed by its member city and county governments rather than private investors.
Pioneer Community Outreach Manager Lisa Rhodes recently updated the Colusa and Williams city councils and the Colusa County Board of Supervisors on the planned expansion. The three jurisdictions are joining Pioneer after assessments determined expansion into the area would be economically feasible, Rhodes said.
“Pioneer buys the electricity from various suppliers,” Rhodes said. “PG&E delivers that electricity. They maintain the infrastructure, the power lines and poles, and they send out one bill to customers.”
Pioneer’s generation charge will appear separately on the PG&E statement, but customers will make only one payment. Existing PG&E programs, including CARE, FERA and Medical Baseline, will carry over, Rhodes said.
Customers in Colusa, Williams and unincorporated areas of Colusa County will be enrolled automatically but can opt out and have PG&E continue providing both electricity generation and delivery.
“If they want to stay with PG&E, they have that option too,” Rhodes said.
Pioneer will mail notices 60 and 30 days before the launch and again 30 and 60 days afterward. Customers may leave later without paying a fee, although those who opt out after the initial notification period may be placed on a transitional PG&E rate for six months.
The California Public Utilities Commission approved Pioneer’s expansion into Colusa, Williams and unincorporated Colusa County. Pioneer has already purchased the electricity needed for the October 2027 launch, Rhodes said.
The agency currently serves more than 170,000 customers in 10 jurisdictions. Pioneer reported that its customers have saved an estimated $145 million compared with PG&E rates since service began in 2018.
The cities of Colusa and Williams and Colusa County will have representation on Pioneer’s governing board. That representation gives the participating local governments a role in setting rates and deciding how money is reinvested.
Solar customers will retain their existing net-energy-metering status. Rhodes said Pioneer pays an additional half-cent per kilowatt-hour for excess electricity and issues annual checks when the accumulated amount exceeds $50.
Available programs include air-conditioning tuneup rebates of up to $75 for residential customers and $150 for businesses. Customers may also receive incentives for reducing electricity use when the grid is strained.
Rhodes said agricultural customers can use hourly pricing to plan energy use around peak periods and may receive a credit if they reduce costs over a 12-month cycle.
Pioneer plans a public education campaign throughout Colusa County before the changeover, including direct mail, advertisements, town halls, webinars and presentations to civic organizations.
“Our goal is to make the information clear and easy to understand in English and Spanish,” Rhodes said.
For more information about Pioneer Community Energy visit https://pioneercommunityenergy.org