WILLIAMS, CA (MPG) — Pioneer Community Energy project development manager Terrence Rogers told the Williams City Council last week that joining the public power agency could bring savings to local ratepayers and support a major new solar project in Colusa County, while Mayor Maria Belmontes Leva questioned how much “choice” residents will have and how well Spanish-speaking households will understand the program.
Rogers explained Pioneer as a community choice aggregation program in which a joint powers authority buys electricity on the open market while PG&E continues to own the poles, wires and billing system.
Pioneer currently serves municipalities in Placer, El Dorado and Nevada counties and has 10 member counties, with 13 more jurisdictions scheduled to join in 2027 if regulators approve.
“We don’t buy energy from PG&E, we buy energy from the open market and get the best deal for our customers,” he said, adding that PG&E “still owns the infrastructure. They own the poles and the wires.”
Rogers said Pioneer operates as a lean, community-owned agency that aims to return savings to customers.
“Since 2018, we’ve saved our customers $108 million, and we’re projecting another 37 million in 2025,” he said. “We’re leaner. We don’t have shareholders. We don’t have legacy costs.”
A Pioneer Community Energy staff member pointed to the Janus Solar and Battery Storage Project in Colusa County as an example of Pioneer’s investment strategy.
“We recently signed a huge power purchase agreement in Colusa County, 15 years, $400 million,” they said. “So we’re the offtaker for the solar and battery storage project Janus.”
Rogers said Pioneer’s board looks for long-term contracts in the communities it serves and also partners with agencies such as the El Dorado Irrigation District on other projects.
If Williams joins Pioneer, all PG&E electric customers in the city would automatically move to Pioneer for power supply and could opt out if they want to remain with PG&E. Rogers said Pioneer sends several mailers before and after enrollment and offers bill reviews to help customers compare costs.
“All we are is a choice. We are giving folks a choice,” he said.
Belmontes Leva pushed back on that description.
“By the city moving forward, we are committing all residents to move forward with you,” she said. “We’re not giving them the choice.”
She added that the structure differs from a program where residents sign up individually and said she wants clear explanations of how people can opt out if they do not want Pioneer service.
The mayor also raised concerns about outreach to the city’s residents who speak Spanish.
“This is a very high Latino populated community,” Belmontes Leva said, asking whether notices and educational materials will go out in Spanish.
Pioneer staff said, “We do have a call center manager who is bilingual,” and agreed to confirm what written information and mailers could be provided in Spanish as part of a broader public education campaign.