The California Community Choice Association (CalCCA) today expressed deep disappointment in the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) proposed decision in the Resource Adequacy (RA) proceeding, particularly regarding the Commission’s rejection of CalCCA’s hourly slice-of-day trading proposal — a missed opportunity that could deliver substantial cost savings to ratepayers while achieving the reliability the Commission seeks.
The proposal addresses a problem in California’s new slice-of-day RA program, whereby electricity providers must buy capacity from power plants every hour they generate in a month, rather than just the hours when the power is needed. This unnecessarily restrictive system is driving up prices — and the extra costs land on California’s families and businesses.
“CalCCA is stunned that the Commission’s proposed decision dismisses a common-sense, cost-saving reform that would enhance market efficiency under the new slice-of-day framework,” said CalCCA Chief Executive Officer Beth Vaughan. “The CPUC’s excuse — that further analysis is required — is particularly troubling given there is already ample evidence of a costly problem and a solution that is supported by detailed study to address it.”
CalCCA’s hourly trading solution aligns RA obligations more precisely with actual resource availability and system needs, providing CCAs and other load-serving entities with the tools to optimize RA procurement and reduce customer costs — without compromising reliability. The proposal is based on an extensive analysis that indicates hourly trading would provide Californians with over $180 million in savings annually.
Numerous stakeholders in the proceeding expressed support for CalCCA’s proposal, including Alliance for Retail Energy Markets, American Clean Power–CA, Cal Advocates, Clean Energy Buyers Association, Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies, California Environmental Justice Alliance, Hydrostor, Microsoft, and Shell.
The CPUC’s proposed decision is scheduled to be considered for a final vote at the June 26, 2025, business meeting. CalCCA urges the Commission to reconsider and adopt the hourly trading mechanism, a step that would demonstrate its commitment to ratepayer protection and market innovation.
For more details on CalCCA’s RA transactability proposal, visit: https://cal-cca.org/ra-transactability/.
About CalCCA
Launched in 2016, the California Community Choice Association (CalCCA) represents California’s community choice electricity providers before the state legislature and at regulatory agencies. There are 25 operational CCA programs in California serving more than 14 million customers—about one-third of the state’s population—in 200+ cities and counties throughout the state. For more information about CalCCA, visit www.cal-cca.org.
Media Contact: Jackson McDonough
(925) 597-1995 | jackson@cal-cca.org