The City of Palm Springs is enjoying the advantages of clean, carbon-free power at competitive rates as an active member of Desert Community Energy. DCE is your community-based, locally controlled electricity provider serving Palm Springs.

As part of our commitment to sustainability and saving the planet, Palm Springs has chosen 100% Carbon Free power as the default option for our community. The Carbon Free power sources include renewable sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal in addition to large hydroelectric (which is considered carbon-free but not renewable). Starting in April 2020, all electricity accounts were automatically enrolled into DCE's 100% Carbon Free plan.

The DCE Carbon Free plan is one of the best ways we as a community can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The City assessed its greenhouse gas emissions for 2020 and found that it had exceeded the State of California’s ambitious goals to reduce emissions and help fight climate change. This accomplishment is the direct result of about 60% of the City’s residents and businesses receiving 100% carbon-free electricity from DCE. Without DCE, the assessment shows that Palm Springs would have had nearly a 5% increase in greenhouse gas emissions over the past decade. 

If you are a DCE Carbon Free customer, you will experience a small increase in your electricity bill (currently about 14%) compared to SCE's base rate. You also have the choice to opt down to DCE's Desert Saver plan which costs less than SCE's base rate, saving you money on your current bill. Or you can choose to opt out of both plans and keep SCE as your provider. 

Palm Springs joined DCE because we wanted to provide a local choice for cleaner renewable electricity at competitive prices. Community Choice Aggregation Programs, such as DCE, have been working throughout the state for years, offering a greener choice and making a positive impact on our environment. SCE will continue to deliver, maintain, and service your electricity. And you’ll still get a single monthly bill from them, which will include DCE’s charge for electricity generation. Revenues from DCE will be reinvested into our own communities, creating jobs and more local renewable resources while helping reduce our carbon footprint.   

Community members may be eligible to participate in discount utility programs. For more information on how you can save up to 30% on your energy bill, visit https://www.sce.com/residential/assistance/care-fera?from=/care. Other ways to save money on your energy bill can be found on DCE’s website at: https://desertcommunityenergy.org/save-energy-and-money/.

To learn more about Desert Community Energy, please visit: www.DesertCommunityEnergy.org or call toll-free (855) 357-9240.

If you are a Desert Community Energy (DCE) customer and have a solar installation, here is some important information for you to know: 

• If you have a home or business with a solar installation operating or applied for before April 15, 2023, you are considered a Net Energy Metering (NEM) customer.
• If you have a home or business with a solar installation operating or applied for after April 15, 2023, you are considered a Solar Billing Plan customer, which also may be referred to as NBT or NEM 3.0.
• Solar customers with DCE will receive two annual true-up statements, or settlement bills, from Southern California Edison (SCE). All your bills are sent by SCE. One bill will be for the delivery of energy to your home based on the date your solar panels were connected to the grid. For example: if you connected your panels to the grid in September, you should be billed for delivery of energy to your home in September of each following year. You will also receive another bill from SCE for the actual power you used (referred to as generation) above and beyond what your solar panels produced. This is the DCE portion of the bill.
• There are some Solar Billing Plan customers who will be automatically enrolled in SCE’s Monthly Billing Option (MBO). This means the delivery of energy to your home or business will true-up monthly. You may request with SCE to switch to an Annual Billing Option (ABO) if you prefer to return to the annual true-up schedule.
• All DCE solar customers will receive their annual true-up in May of every year for their generation charges, since this was the month all solar customers were initially enrolled with DCE. 
• DCE’s solar programs are the same as SCE’s solar program. DCE is paying you the exact same amount that SCE is paying for the power produced by your solar panels.
• Each May on your meter read date, the kilowatt usage is evaluated by DCE and may reveal that you produced more energy than you used or used more energy than you produced.

If you produced more energy than you used:

• If the energy produced by your solar panels exceeds what you used, you will see a credit on your bill. You will be compensated at Desert Community Energy’s Net Surplus Compensation Rate, which matches SCE’s Net Surplus Compensation Rate. 
• The credit on your bill is determined by the current Net Surplus Compensation (NSC) rate that SCE sets, which changes each month. The current NSC rate can be found here: https://www.sce.com/regulatory/tariff-books/rates-pricing-choices/net-surplus-compensation. 
• Any credits of less than $100 are rolled over to your next bill and any credits of $100 or more are cashed out. DCE solar credits cannot be applied to any SCE charges.

If you used more energy than your system generated:

• If your energy use exceeded what your solar panels produced, you will be charged for the net amount you used at the current DCE rate you are enrolled in. 
• DCE assures its solar customers they are not being charged twice. Simply put, there is a separation of the transmission and delivery charges by SCE from the generation charges by DCE.

If you are experiencing high energy bills, you should first take these steps:

• Check your monthly or annual kWh usage to see if you used more energy than the previous month or year.
• Check to ensure your solar panels are working properly. If they are not, check to ensure they are clean and free of debris, not shaded by your trees, or contact your solar installer to have them serviced.
• You may also lower your bill by opting down to DCE’s Desert Saver rate for any power you utilize from the grid. DCE’s Desert Saver plan is less expensive than SCE’s base rate. To opt-down, visit www.DesertCommunityEnergy.com/opt-down. 

If you still cannot figure out why your energy bills are abnormal, you can contact DCE at CustomerService@DesertCommunityEnergy.org or call (855) 357-9240.

DCE shares updates and helpful information via email notifications, on its website, and social media channels. DCE is also out in the community at public events. Connect with DCE by visiting www.DesertCommunityEnergy.org, or follow DCE on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DesertCommunityEnergy/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desertcommunityenergy/

X: https://x.com/DesertComEnergy

Say hello to electricity bill savings & rewards with OhmConnect

Desert Community Energy is proud to offer members a clean energy solution and an exclusive offer  

Here at Desert Community Energy we’ve forged an exclusive relationship with OhmConnect to provide another sustainable way to use energy in our community that also helps you lower your electricity bill and earn rewards at the same time. OhmConnect is a free service that rewards California residents for saving energy. When you sign up, you’ll receive alerts when energy is most expensive and dirty. If you save electricity during this time, OhmConnect will reward you with gift cards or even cash via Paypal. That’s in addition to the savings on your utility bill. It’s a win-win! Plus, get $50 when you join! 

For more information and to enroll, please visit: https://desertcommunityenergy.org/ohm-connect-offer/.

To learn about other ways to save energy and money, you can visit: https://desertcommunityenergy.org/save-energy-and-money/