Redwood Coast Energy Authority or PG&E: what a household pays beta
Redwood Coast Energy Authority buys the electricity for 7 member cities; PG&E delivers it and sends the bill. Pick your city, rate plan and usage to see the official comparison of a typical bill on each Redwood Coast Energy Authority product and on PG&E, with an estimate for your own usage.
Every plan on the official comparison
The typical monthly bill printed on the comparison for each residential rate plan, and the difference from PG&E (red: more, blue: less).
All RCEA customers
PG&E–Redwood Coast Energy Authority joint rate comparison: PG&E rates utilize the 2026 PCIA vintage and are current as of March 1, 2026 · RCEA rates utilize the 2016 PCIA vintage and are current as of September 1, 2026. Source (fetched 2026-10-20).
| Plan | Typical use | PG&E | REpower default | REpower+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 Tiered · sheet: E-1 | 350 kWh | $146.94 | $149.43 +1.7% | $152.92 +4.1% |
| E-1 CARE Tiered · sheet: E-1 CARE | 373 kWh | $86.90 | $89.56 +3.1% | $93.29 +7.4% |
| E-TOU-C Time-of-use, peak 4–9 pm every day · sheet: E-TOU C | 349 kWh | $141.93 | $144.26 +1.6% | $147.75 +4.1% |
| E-TOU-C CARE Time-of-use, peak 4–9 pm every day · sheet: E-TOU C CARE | 370 kWh | $83.15 | $85.62 +3.0% | $89.32 +7.4% |
| E-TOU-D Time-of-use, peak 5–8 pm weekdays · sheet: E-TOU D | 641 kWh | $250.07 | $254.57 +1.8% | $260.98 +4.4% |
| E-TOU-D CARE Time-of-use, peak 5–8 pm weekdays · sheet: E-TOU D CARE | 634 kWh | $145.15 | $149.61 +3.1% | $155.95 +7.4% |
| E-ELEC Electric home · sheet: E-ELEC | 1,417 kWh | $477.91 | $485.45 +1.6% | $499.62 +4.5% |
| E-ELEC CARE Electric home · sheet: E-ELEC CARE | 1,363 kWh | $275.17 | $282.40 +2.6% | $296.03 +7.6% |
| EV2-A Electric vehicle · sheet: EV2-A | 684 kWh | $226.65 | $230.83 +1.8% | $237.67 +4.9% |
| EV2-A CARE Electric vehicle · sheet: EV2-A CARE | 644 kWh | $125.30 | $129.26 +3.2% | $135.70 +8.3% |
Why the bills differ
The delivery part of the bill goes to PG&E whichever provider you choose. What differs is the price of the power itself and the exit fee (the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment, PCIA): a charge on CCA customers for power contracts the utility signed before they left, set by the CPUC each year by the year the customer's community left (its “vintage”). How it moved since 2018, by utility and vintage: the exit fee by year.
Time-of-use, peak 4–9 pm every day (E-TOU-C), REpower: the power price is 8.03¢ a kWh against PG&E's 12.02¢ (4.00¢ lower). The exit fee and franchise fee (PCIA/FF) is 3.75¢ for Redwood Coast Energy Authority customers and −0.92¢ for PG&E customers (4.66¢ more). Delivery is the same. Net: 0.67¢ a kWh, or $2.33 on the typical 349 kWh bill (+1.6%).
Time-of-use, peak 4–9 pm every day (E-TOU-C), CARE, REpower: the power price is 8.05¢ a kWh against PG&E's 12.04¢ (4.00¢ lower). The exit fee and franchise fee (PCIA/FF) is 3.75¢ for Redwood Coast Energy Authority customers and −0.92¢ for PG&E customers (4.66¢ more). Delivery is the same. Net: 0.67¢ a kWh, or $2.47 on the typical 370 kWh bill (+3.0%).
The difference over time
Every comparison found from 2021 on, most of them from archived copies (utilities overwrite these sheets in place).
| Rates as of | Plan | Utility bill | Products (vs the utility) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG&E March 1, 2026 / CCA September 1, 2026 Humboldt County | E-1 · 350 kWh | $146.94 | REpower default $149.43 +1.7% REpower+ $152.92 +4.1% | source |
| PG&E January 1, 2026 / CCA February 1, 2026 Humboldt County | E-1 · 357 kWh | $146.87 | REpower default $146.66 −0.1% REpower+ $150.23 +2.3% | source |
| September 1, 2025 Humboldt County | E-1 · 357 kWh | $154.59 | REpower default $154.32 −0.2% REpower+ $157.89 +2.1% | source |
| March 1, 2025 Humboldt County | E-1 · 357 kWh | $158.05 | REpower default $157.77 −0.2% REpower+ $161.34 +2.1% | source |
| March 2025 Humboldt County | E-TOU-C · 357 kWh | $153.59 | REpower default $153.32 −0.2% REpower+ $156.90 +2.2% | source |
| January 1, 2025 Humboldt County | E-1 · 357 kWh | $155.66 | REpower default $155.38 −0.2% REpower+ $158.95 +2.1% | source |
| April 1, 2024 Humboldt County | E-1 · 377 kWh | $174.61 | REpower default $174.28 −0.2% REpower+ $178.04 +2.0% | source |
| January 25, 2023 Humboldt County | E-1 · 391 kWh | $138.73 | REpower default $138.43 −0.2% REpower+ $142.34 +2.6% | source |
| March 1, 2022 Humboldt County | E-1 · 421 kWh | $148.29 | REpower default $147.97 −0.2% REpower+ $152.18 +2.6% | source |
| June 21, 2021 Humboldt County | E-1 · 527 kWh | $155.25 | REpower default $154.95 −0.2% REpower+ $160.22 +3.2% | source |
| May 2021 Humboldt County | E-TOU-C · 903 kWh | $273.94 | REpower default $273.45 −0.2% REpower+ $282.49 +3.1% | source |
Your options
Switch to another Redwood Coast Energy Authority product
Web form on the page (service plan management form: upgrade to repower+ / switch to repower / return to rcea / opt out). Redwood Coast Energy Authority: change your product.
Return to PG&E
Redwood Coast Energy Authority: opt out · (707) 269-1700.
“Will I be charged for opting out of RCEA service? No. There is no charge to leave RCEA and choose PG&E generation service.” source
“Yes! However, if you've used RCEA service for 60 days or more and then switch to PG&E, state law dictates that you must remain with PG&E for at least one year before you have the option to return back to RCEA, even if RCEA costs less than PG&E.” source
PG&E's rules for returning customers
After 60 days: six months’ notice: “Former Bundled Service Customers that have been Automatically Enrolled in CCA Service returning to bundled service after the Follow-up Notification Period must provide the CCA with a six (6) month advance notice and are subject to the terms and conditions of Bundled Portfolio Service (BPS) as set forth below.” source
Or return at once: “Alternatively, customers have the ability to return immediately (at or about the next scheduled meter read) to Utility service and receive Transitional Bundled Service (TBS) commodity pricing terms as set forth in PG&E Schedule TBCC and be subject to the provisions and applicable charges of the CCA Cost Responsibility Surcharge as set forth in Schedule CCA-CRS for 6 months after returning to utility service.” source
Then a minimum stay: “Customers receiving this service make a one-year commitment and shall not be allowed to return to CCA service until their one-year minimum period has been completed. ... In the event a customer receives service under TBS during the six-month advance notice period, the time served under TBS shall apply toward the one-year BPS commitment.” source
Re-entry fee: “b. CUSTOMER RE-ENTRY This charge is imposed on the customer. This fee covers the cost of processing customer requests to switch back to PG&E Bundled Service after the Opt-Out period has expired. Fee ... $4.24 account” source
Member cities and their default product
The default product is the one a city's customers are enrolled in unless they choose another; where a CCA offers several, each member city's council chooses it. Every city's default and the council decisions behind it.
| City | Default product | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcata | REpower since 2017-05 (launch) | source | |
| Blue Lake | REpower since 2017-05 (launch) | source | |
| Eureka | REpower since 2017-05 (launch) | source | |
| Ferndale | REpower since 2017-05 (launch) | source | |
| Fortuna | REpower since 2017-05 (launch) | source | |
| Rio Dell | REpower since 2017-05 (launch) | source | |
| Trinidad | REpower since 2017-05 (launch) | source |
Redwood Coast Energy Authority in the CCA money pages: finances, credit ratings, money returned to customers, and money between Redwood Coast Energy Authority and its member city governments. · Every CCA