VACAVILLE, Calif. — Vacaville will not be the next city in Solano County to join the MCE program and replace PG&E's energy — at least for now.
The five councilmembers in attendance unanimously rejected joining but voted to allow it to be brought back up in the future by recommendation of a council member. One other councilmember was not present for the vote.
MCE officiates new cities into the program annually, meaning the item likely wouldn't be revisited until some time potentially next year at the earliest — if a council member brought it up again.
MCE, formerly known as Marin Clean Energy, is a not-for-profit public agency with the goal to “offer its members a more renewable choice for their electricity supply,” according to a statement.
The program already exists in communities in Contra Costa, Marin, Napa and Solano counties — Fairfield opted-in last year and MCE says about 88% of residents are still opted-in.
Residents took to addressing the council both in support and against joining MCE. Many were frustrated with the opt-out model of the program and also the potential increase in cost.
Council members expressed similar concerns and had lingering questions about the program, its benefits and how much of the community had actually heard about it.
One councilmember suggested the vote be deferred since a member of the council was not present. This was ultimately rejected due to the time constraint on the vote.
Members also suggested looking further into the changes neighboring communities who have opted-in to MCE have experienced.
More information about MCE, including an FAQ put together by the city, can be found HERE.
