ComplaintsforClean Power Alliance
Need to file a complaint?
BBB is here to help. We'll guide you through the process.
Complaint Details
Note that complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. See details.
Initial Complaint
01/31/2022
- Complaint Type:
- Order Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I was signed up to clean power alliance without my knowledge. I was an ****** customer for years and had no idea that I was signed up to clean power ********* I am a senior citizen on a fixed income, and this causes a hardship for me. When I called to ******* they would only cancel if I paid them six months at the highest rate they have. To me this is ********** I will be contacting the state *********** office to see if I have any recourse as I did not sign up for this and will cause ***** financial ******** for me, I have never received any ************** from them by mail or phone.Business response
02/15/2022
Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/02/02) */ Thank you for contacting Clean Power Alliance (CPA). Regarding your concern about never signing up for our services, we would like to emphasize that your city council voted to join CPA. The 2002 State law that made organizations like CPA possible (AB 117), determined that the new local, public entities (in this case, CPA) would be the default energy provider and automatically enroll all customers in the participating jurisdictions. We provide customers with the opportunity to opt out and remain with Southern California Edison generation services via written notices. When a new city joins CPA and customers in the city will enroll in CPA service, the law requires CPA to send two notices before enrollment and two notices after enrollment. These notices explain CPA, your new energy service options, and provide directions on how to change service options or opt out of CPA service. I've listed below the dates of the four notices that were sent to you. Pre Enrollment Notice #1 - 12/06/2018 Pre Enrollment Notice #2 - 1/04/2019 Post Enrollment Notice #1 - 2/13/2019 Post Enrollment Notice #2 - 3/13/2019 Customer choice is one of the main values of CPA, so even when that choice is to opt out, we do our best to honor that in as timely a way as possible. We do not charge any fees to opt out, but Southern California Edison may charge you a one-time processing fee (currently 50 cents, but subject to change). If you have been a CPA customer for more than 60 days, Southern California Edison provides two options for returning to their service: Option 1 (TBS Return): The first option Southern California Edison offers is a return on your next meter read following a 5-business day processing window. If you choose this option, you will return to Southern California Edison generation services on your next meter read date. At that time, Clean Power Alliance will stop billing you for the electricity you use, and Southern California Edison would begin doing so. However, during your first six months back with SCE, you will be subject to SCE's transitional rates, which are the market rate for electricity. This rate could be higher or lower than standard rates and is subject to change throughout the six-month period. After six months, you will be returned to standard rates. Option 2 (Six-Month Advanced Notice Return): The second option Southern California Edison has available is a Six-Month Advance Notice Return to Southern California Edison bundled service. If you choose this option, we will notify Southern California Edison that you would like to return to Southern California Edison's generation service under its standard rates. You will then remain with Clean Power Alliance at our standard rate for the 6-month notification period. At the end of the 6 months, you will return to Southern California Edison at their standard bundled rate. You will not be subject to any transitional fees with this option. We value your business and hope the information provided helps you make an informed decision. If you have any questions about your account, please feel free to contact us at ************ (TTY XXX-XXX-XXXX) or *************************************** Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/02/02) */ This is not an accurate estimate of my power bill this person is a ****** My electric bill went up *** since the California government slammed me into the ****** ******** of ********** ********** The people who elect to enroll us into this plan are the city council and they also sit on the clean power ********* If you look at the comparison of prices on there own flyer there power is not cheaper it is more expensive. They say they are ***** but that is not true ask them where there power comes from and you will find the are ************ there power. They are ****** ***** power and selling it for ***** total ***** *** of there power is ************ that means they can't tell you where it comes from. If a private business did this they would be ***** But these people get away with it because they want a state ******** of the public ******** This is all virtue signaling. They are trying to take money from all tax paying citizens and re distribute it to ******* ****** coming to California. The ********* get nothing but ****** ***** ****** ********* while ******** and others have to pay practically ******** Consumer Response /* (-5, 8, 2022/02/02) */ Why can't I find out where all there power comes from why won't they tell the public? They know where it comes from because they are buying it. They say 54% comes from undetermined sources. That is greenwashing. Tell me where the 54% of undetermined power comes from. They are total fake virtue signaling liars. Just tell me where the 54% of undetermined power comes from. Oh yes they won't. There response to there standard lie. Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2022/02/04) */ Clean Power Alliance values transparency, so we make procurement and financial decisions through our Board of Directors, made up of elected officials from each of our member jurisdictions. We are also required to report on our power content to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and California Energy Commission (CEC) on an annual basis to verify the amount of renewable energy procured for our customers, which is audited by a third-party. This is the same standard used by other California utilities such as SCE for verification purposes. Information on CPA's power content is available on our website at: ********************************************* Clean Power Alliance's energy is procured on behalf of its member communities from mostly non-polluting, clean and renewable sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. We do not use coal or nuclear power. The energy facilities that produce our electricity are located in California and on the western grid. The exact proportion of each source varies with time, based on demand and availability. Unspecified power refers to electricity that is not traceable to specific generation sources by any auditable contract trail or equivalent. For more information regarding unspecified power, please visit the California Energy Commission *************************** If you have any questions about your account, please feel free to contact us at ************ (TTY XXX-XXX-XXXX) or ***************@cleanpoweralliance.org.Initial Complaint
01/24/2022
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Clean Power Alliance signed me up for their electricity utility services in 2019 without my knowledge. I spoke to ************************** and they confirmed I've been being billed for this "clean power alliance" service since 2019. I want a refund.Business response
01/26/2022
Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/01/25) */ Thank you for contacting Clean Power Alliance (CPA) regarding our enrollment process. The 2002 State law that made organizations like CPA possible (AB 117), determined that the new local, public entities (in this case, CPA) would be the default energy provider and automatically enroll all customers in the participating jurisdictions. We would like to emphasize that your city council voted to join CPA and all new service accounts were automatically enrolled. We provide customers with the opportunity to opt out and remain with ************************** generation services via two written notices. Your first notice was mailed on December 10, 2018, and your second notice on January 09, 2019. In reference to your bill, since CPA charges are itemized on the *** bill, customers often think it is an additional charge, but it is not an additional charge. The CPA charge replaces what *** would have charged customers and your bill is based on how much electricity you use during the billing period. Your usage for the month is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) and is determined by reading your electric meter. In other words, we "fill the wires" with cleaner electricity that we have purchased, and *** continues to deliver your power, read your electric meter, send you one monthly bill, and provide the same maintenance and other services they always have. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us at ************ (TTY XXX-XXX-XXXX)****************************************** Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/01/25) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I was signed up for your service WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE AND/OR PERMISSION. I want a refund or I will sue you. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/01/26) */ Clean Power Alliance operates as a Community Choice Aggregation program. Community Choice Aggregation is also commonly known as CCE or Community Choice Energy. In 2002 California Assembly Bill 117 was passed ** establish Community Choice Aggregation, a new way for ********** communities to provide local residents and businesses with a choice of electric providers and sources of electricity. CCA is an opportunity to change the electricity market and provides residents and businesses with a new choice. A CCA agency functions as a new electricity provider and is entirely locally operated and administered. The new agency buys power on the open market, encouraging the kind of competition that can result in more renewable energy sources contributing to the energy grid at lower rates. California's CCA law requires Clean Power Alliance to become the default provider of electric generation services for customers within our service area, this means that all customers are automatically enrolled. Therefore, Clean Power Alliance operates as an opt-out program, but we were created to give our communities new energy options, so choice is very important to us. We provide written notices to our customers when beginning service so that you can make informed decisions regarding the type of electricity you want, where your electricity comes from and how your dollars are spent. Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2022/01/26) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I was signed up for this service without my knowledge. I want a refund.
*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩
BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.
BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles.
When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.
BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Business Profile.
As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation.
Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating
Contact Information
Customer Complaints Summary
16 total complaints in the last 3 years.
5 complaints closed in the last 12 months.