Community input sought on new electric power source for City of Hayward

The City of Hayward will soon need to select a new electricity product for local residents and businesses, and is seeking community input on the decision.

The change is coming because East Bay Community Energy, Hayward’s electricity supplier since 2018, is in the process of updating its electricity product options. East Bay Community Energy is the organization that provides the electricity delivered to Hayward customers, while transmission and billing are still handled by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).

As of Jan. 1, 2022, the City’s current electricity product through East Bay Community Energy, called Brilliant 100, will no longer be available.  Brilliant 100 power was 100 percent carbon free and available to customers at rates equal to PG&E rates.  It also has been instrumental in helping the City meet and surpass its climate protection goals for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Due to the discontinuation of Brilliant 100, the City will have to choose between Bright Choice, a slightly cheaper electricity product that draws power from some carbon-emitting sources, and Renewable 100, a slightly more expensive option that is based on entirely carbon-free, renewable sources.

On May 10, the Hayward City Council Sustainability Committee voted to recommend to the full City Council the designation of East Bay Community Energy’s 100-percent renewable and carbon free Renewable 100 as the primary energy source in the City of Hayward.

To learn more about the cost and environmental tradeoffs of the decision, discount programs for income-qualifying households, ways to opt out of receiving cleaner electricity through East Bay Community Energy and to offer your opinion through an online survey, go here to the East Bay Community Energy page on the City of Hayward website.

Or call or email the City of Hayward Environmental Services Division at (510) 583-4770 or Environment@hayward-ca.gov.