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NORTH COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL x FALL 2017 x sdnedc.org l THE ENVIRONMENT their electricity in renewable form. Those who enroll in EcoChoice pay a very small premium each month based on the amount of renewable energy they want to use. SDG&E then purchases this energy from generating facilities built specif- ically for the program. (Since renew- able-energy facilities aren't constructed overnight, a pool of solar facilities is used until the permanent ones come online.) Anyone who purchases electricity from SDG&E is eligible to participate. "We want to provide the tools and resources our customers need to make smart energy decisions," said Allison Torres, SDG&E communica- tions manager. "This program is help- ing residential and business customers reach their energy goals by giving them a means to reduce their carbon footprint. We realize that many customers want to take advan- tage of renewable energy but don't have the means – they live in an apartment or condo, or have a roof not suited for [the hardware] – to in- stall solar panels. So EcoChoice is a great way to receive solar-generated energy." The cost to help support the envi- ronment and promote the expansion of renewable energy in the region is a lot less than expected. For many cus- tomers, it amounts to only a few dol- lars a month. "Typically, it comes out to a little more than a penny per kilowatt hour for residential service and a little less than a penny for a small commercial [business], but we always recom- mend that our customers use our on- line calculator," Torres said. "Medium or large businesses actually pay less per kilowatt hour for EcoChoice than any other customer class. We typi- cally let businesses know that it's about a 3- to 5-percent increase on the electric portion of their bill, which can always vary, based on the amount of energy used." Torres added that any EcoChoice customer can use as little as 50 per- cent of their energy via the program, which is handy if using 100 percent is prohibitive. EcoChoice customers, who are billed on their monthly SDG&E electricity bills, may change their subscription percentage one time during the first 60 days of enroll- ment. New enrollees are required to commit for one year; after that first year, they're billed on a monthly basis. The San Diego North Economic Development Council, National City and the Otay Mesa Chamber of Com- merce are among the businesses and organizations that have already signed on. So has the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce. "We have a good working relation- ship with SDG&E," said Scott Ash- ton, CEO of the Oceanside Chamber, "and for a nominal increase in our monthly bill – less than $200 per year – we're able to use 100 percent of our electricity from renewable resources. Besides the obvious benefit, we want to be a leader in our business commu- nity, and if we're pushing the use of renewable energy out there, it makes sense for us to take the lead our- selves." To help put out the word about EcoChoice, the Oceanside Chamber has a blog post to help North County residents and businesses sign up. "We have very environmentally minded businesses in our region, and EcoChoice gives them the oppor- tunity to help make a difference," Ashton said. < Oceanside Chamber of Commerce CEO Scott Ashton displays sticker that the organization will power its facility with 100 percent renewable electricity. ENERGY OPTIONS Y ou can get up to 100 percent of your energy from renewable sources with the Eco- Choice program at SDG&E. Here are some things you need to know: WHAT DOES IT COST? For many customers, EcoChoice costs a few dollars a month. CLICK HERE for an EcoChoice Cost Calculator. HOW DOES IT WORK? You can enroll to have from 50 percent to up to 100 percent of your electricity come from re- newable and pay a pre- mium each month based on the amount of renew- able energy you select. When you enroll, SDG&E buys renewable energy from generating facilities built specifically for EcoChoice. The more renewable energy you buy the more re- newable generation SDG&E can build. CLICK HERE for more information. {CLOSER LOOK}