CleanPowerSF is a program of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), an enterprise department of the City and County of San Francisco.
CleanPowerSF is committed to protecting customer privacy. Learn more at cleanpowersf.org/privacy .
OUR MISSION: To provide our customers with high-quality, efficient and reliable water, power and sewer services in a manner that values environmental and community interests and sustains the resources entrusted to our care.
525 Golden Gate Avenue, 7th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102
T 415.554.0773
TTY 415.554.3488
[email protected]
Date: August 29, 2025
To: Commissioner Kate H. Stacy, President
Commissioner Joshua Arce, Vice President
Commissioner Avni Jamdar
Commissioner Steve Leveroni
Commissioner Meghan Thurlow
Through: Dennis J. Herrera, General Manager
Barbara Hale, Assistant General Manager, Power
Michael Hyams, Deputy AGM, CleanPowerSF and Power
Resources
From Cheryl Taylor, Manager, CleanPowerSF Operations
Subject CleanPowerSF Third Quarter Update
This
memorandum serves as the regular quarterly update to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC or Commission) on the Power Enterprise’s CleanPowerSF program.
The third quarter of calendar year 2025 update focuses on the following topics:
1. Program Service Statistics and Enrollment Activities
2. Com
munications Activities
3. Cus
tomer Programs Update
4. Ener
gy Procurement and Planning Activities
*
*
1. Program Service Statistics and Enrollment Activities CleanPowerSF continues to provide clean electricity generation services to San Francisco customers, serving about 386 ,000 active customer accounts as of August 2025. CleanPowerSF’s opt-out rate remains stable at approximately
4.75 percent of all enrolled accounts.
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Figure 1: CleanPowerSF Enrollment, August 2025
Customer enrollment in SuperGreen, CleanPowerSF’s optional 100 percent renewable energy product, is currently at about 2.05 percent of active accounts, down slightly from 2.07 percent since the previous quarterly report.
In total, renewable energy sales to SuperGreen customers accounted for 16 percent of CleanPowerSF’s energy sales in calendar year 2024.
Enrollment in the SuperGreen Saver program is at 1,520 accounts, slightly below the available program maximum enrollment of approximately 1,607. For more information on the SuperGreen Saver program, see Section 3 below.
2. Communications Activities
CleanPowerSF is in the community and we regularly communicate with customers and the general public about our programs and services. Below are some highlights from this past quarter.
a) Solar Billing Plan Webinar
On June 20, CleanPowerSF hosted a webinar titled “CleanPowerSF Solar Workshop.” The free, one- hour event highlighted the possible changes CleanPowerSF is considering making to its rooftop solar program called Net Energy Metering. The proposed changes would apply to customers who are on PG&E’s Solar Billing Plan, including those that completed their interconnection application after April 14, 2023, and those who have received Net Energy Metering service for 20 or more years.
Over 50 participants joined the live webinar via Zoom. A recording of the webinar is available on YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE7iFRmp4XA
[accessed on August 29,
2025].
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Figure 2: Solar Workshop Webinar Graphic
b) CleanPowerSF Quarterly E-Newsletter
On July 9th, CleanPowerSF sent its quarterly digital e-newsletter to approximately 250,000 residents and businesses. The e-newsletter highlighted Fiscal Year 2025-26 rates, CleanPowerSF’s proposed Solar Billing Plan, and the Hourly Flex Pricing Pilot. It also included emergency preparedness tips for potential warm weather and wildfires, which bring the possibility of Flex Alerts and PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs. CleanPowerSF translates the digital e-newsletter into Spanish, Chinese, and Filipino to ensure the information is accessible for customers.
c) Outreach and Engagement
CleanPowerSF staff attended several community and educational events across San Francisco, speaking to customers, students, and the general public about clean energy, SuperGreen, and electrification programs. Some of the events included:
• Speaking in Spanish to students from the Latino Task Force Summer Program;
• Hosting an Environmental Science teacher from Balboa High School through the San Francisco Unified School District Teacher Externship program;
• Delivering a presentation and solar array tour at Davies Symphony Hall to students attending the Planning Department High School Summer Internship program;
• Attending a Housing and Resource Fair organized by HOME SF at the University of San Francisco; and
• Tabling at a “Back-to-School Event” at Bayview Hunters Point organized by BMagic.
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Figure 3: Presentation to High School Students attending the Summer Internship program at the San Francisco Planning Department
Figure 4: Tour of Davies Symphony Hall Solar Array with Students attending the Planning Department High School Summer Internship Program
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3. Customer Programs Update
CleanPowerSF continues to develop and offer programs that help customers manage their energy costs, reduce their carbon footprint, and align with City and state environmental goals. Below are some highlights from this past quarter.
a) EV Charge SF
On April 1 st, the EV Charge SF Program expanded to provide owners of existing San Francisco buildings with technical and financial assistance for installing electric vehicle charges. The program continues to support EV charger installations in new construction projects. Since the program expanded, interest and enrollment from existing buildings has been high. As of August 7 th, there are 25 enrolled projects in existing buildings (mainly multifamily buildings) with $936,500 in incentives reserved to add EV charging to 404 parking stalls.
b) Electrify My Ride
The Electrify My Ride Program provides $1,000 point -of-sale rebates for income-qualified SFPUC customers to purchase e- bikes at participating local retailers. By popular demand, the program returned on August 18 th to offer a
second round of incentives. Within hours, the program was fully subscribed.
This program is currently funded to provide up to $1,000,000 in total incentives, helping program participants smooth their commutes and avoid traffic and parking fees, all while cutting carbon emissions. On August 24 th, Electrify My
Ride hosted an event at the Southeast Community Center to boost the program’s launch, offering prospective participants the opportunity to learn more about the program and test ride eligible bike models, as well as encouraging participants to redeem their coupons at eligible retailers. Staff will be collecting and reviewing survey data from program participants as it begins to evaluate next steps for this program, including the possibility of future incentive rounds.
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Figure 5: Electrify My Ride event at the Southeast Community Center, August 24, 2025
c) SuperGreen Saver
CleanPowerSF’s SuperGreen Saver program provides 100 percent renewable energy at a 20 percent discount to qualifying low -income residential customers residing in state -defined Disadvantaged Communities (DACs). As of August 2025, there are 1,520 customers enrolled in the SuperGreen Saver program, which represents 95 percent of total program enrollment capacity.
During the last quarter, the SuperGreen Saver program enhanced its customer communications to make enrollment and eligibility status easier to understand.
To boost engagement and streamline participation, customers now receive text messages with step- by-step instructions for re- certifying their eligibility – an improvement over email -only outreach. Customers who do not complete re- certification are temporarily removed from the program and placed on a waiting list for return, allowing CleanPowerSF to maintain full enrollment by auto- enrolling new eligible participants. The latest round of auto- enrollment added 88 new customers to the Program. To maintain full program enrollment, CleanPowerSF conducts quarterly auto- enrollment to account for natural customer attrition and ensure continued participation among eligible households. Eligibility status re- certification is completed bi -annually and will begin in September 2025.
d) Hourly Flex Pricing Pilot (Real Time Pricing Pilot)
Starting in June 2025, CleanPowerSF began offering Hourly Flex Pricing (HFP) through a pilot sponsored by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
This pilot is available to eligible agricultural, commercial and residential customers and helps align energy cost with the time of day electricity is used.
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Under the pilot program, participating customers are billed each month on their normal rate with no change to their existing bill. Participants will receive a separate monthly performance report and will be eligible to receive bill credits valued at the hourly price of electricity if they shift their usage relative to their typical, historical usage patterns. Over the course of a year, if customers perform well in the pilot, by shifting their usage from high- priced periods to low- priced periods, they will receive a bill credit. If they do not shift their usage away from high-priced periods, they will have bill protection and won’t pay any more than what they paid on their monthly bill.
Thus far, 51 CleanPowerSF residential and commercial customers have enrolled in this pilot program that will continue until December 31, 2027. e) Heat Pump Water Heaters
Heat pump water heaters remain one of the most effective technologies for home electrification—and CleanPowerSF is committed to helping our customers make the switch. Last quarter, we transitioned from the regional contractor incentive program run by the local -government run Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN) to our new, customer -focused Water Heater Upgrade Program.
Under the BayREN program, CleanPowerSF supported 429 heat pump water heater installations across San Francisco, partnering with 21 local contractors and offering $1,000 per installation. Notably, 158 of those installations served low-income customers . While participation steadily increased, the program ended in March 2025 with only 40 percent of the incentive budget used, highlighting the need for a more direct approach.
In response, we launched the Water Heater Upgrade Program in July 2025 to better serve our customers —especially those who make the purchasing decisions but have historically received fewer incentives. Key features of the new program include:
• Monthly bill credits : Customers receive $50/month in electrification credits
• Rate education: Guidance on how to operate heat pump water heaters efficiently under time-based electric rates
• Program navigation: Support connecting to other rebates and incentives to maximize savings
CleanPowerSF customers on standard rates will receive $1,200 over two years, while income-qualified customers will receive $1,800 over three years. In the coming months, our team will focus on outreach and engagement to help more households benefit from this upgrade.
f) Peak Day Partners
Peak Day Partners is a voluntary demand response program that incentivizes large commercial customers to reduce their electricity consumption between 4:00 PM and 9:00 PM on “Event Days” in the summer and fall during high Page | 8
temperatures when the grid is expected to be strained. The 2025 season began on July 1 st and will run through October 31 st. Thus far, it has been a mild season with only two Event Days called. By contrast, 15 Event Days and three Voluntary Event Days were called through August 31, 2024. In total last season, there were 28 Event Days.
g) Net Energy Metering/Solar Billing Plan
As of April 15, 2023, PG&E began placing eligible customers with rooftop solar onto its Solar Billing Plan (SBP), a new statewide framework replacing the previous Net Energy Metering (NEM) program. While CleanPowerSF continues to serve rooftop solar customers under its existing NEM Program, we are evaluating our own version of the Solar Billing Plan to align with San Francisco’s clean energy goals , solar market maturity, renewable energy resource needs, and electric grid realities . We plan to bring a proposal to the Commission for approval.
Unlike NEM, the Solar Billing Plan compensates customers based on when they send energy to the grid, not just how much energy their systems send.
When customers send their excess for solar energy to the grid is just as important as how much is generated. Excess solar energy generated during the middle of the day, for instance when renewable energy is abundant and less valuable, would be worth less under the Solar Billing Plan than under NEM.
CleanPowerSF remains committed to supporting local rooftop solar, while ensuring ratepayer dollars are used effectively to promote clean energy when it’s most needed. To that end, CleanPowerSF is providing incentives for technologies that enable greater midday (and flexible) energy use, such as heat pump water heaters, battery storage, and electric vehicles.
To shape our version of the Solar Billing Plan, we have taken a community - informed approach, engaging with customers, solar companies and clean energy advocates. Key outreach efforts include:
• Rooftop Solar Industry Listening Session (Fall 2024)
• Customer Webinar (February 2025)
• Stakeholder Workshop (June 2025)
We are using community feedback to develop our proposal and anticipate bringing a recommendation to the Commission in the coming months. h) Budget Billing Program
This fall, we will be expanding the pilot Budget Billing Program (BBP) to enroll all CleanPowerSF customers who also participate in PG&E’s program of the same name for electricity distribution charges. CleanPowerSF was the first CCA in PG&E’s service territory to offer BBP. The BBP offers customers on eligible rates the option to average their monthly electric bills, making it easier for customers to plan for their energy payments. This program is already active on the PG&E side of the bill (for distribution service), but to -date only Page | 9
participants in the pilot program have had their CleanPowerSF bills balanced, even if they are already enrolled in PG&E’s BBP.
CleanPowerSF is adjusting some aspects of the program to align with recent changes by PG&E. Customers already enrolled in the pilot will be enrolled in the expanded program in September. All PG&E Budget Billing customers will be auto-enrolled beginning in October. Once all current BBP customers have been enrolled, CleanPowerSF will reach out to all customers enrolled in eligible rates who are not participating in the BBP to inform them of the benefits of the program and how to participate. This set of customers will receive letters highlighting the benefits of enrolling in BBP and financial assistance programs, like the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) and Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA).
4. Energy Procurement and Planning Activities
a) Gonzaga Ridge Wind Farm & Battery Storage Facility Site Visit A group of Power staff joined project developer Scout Clean Energy on a tour of the Gonzaga Ridge Wind Farm construction site. Gonzaga Ridge is the wind energy and battery storage project that CleanPowerSF will be purchasing electricity from when it becomes operational in the middle of next year. This project is a rehabilitation or “re -powering” of an existing wind farm site in Pacheco State Park in Merced County.
The team was able to witness the installation of a wind turbine blade at the site. Staff learned during the visit that due to the unique geography of the project site, Gonzaga Ridge is using components that are typically used for European wind farms where space is constrained. The site will be using some of the largest wind turbines available, allowing fewer wind turbines than would otherwise be required to achieve the same power output (allowing more efficient space utilization).
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Figure 6: Scout Clean Energy representative describing process of transporting and installing wind turbine blade at Gonzaga Ridge Wind Farm
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Figure 7: Blade installation on Gonzaga Ridge wind turbine
Our staff were joined on the tour by staff from the California Energy Commission, including Commissioner David Hochschild (former SFPUC Commissioner), Merced County permitting officials, representatives from Nordex (the turbine manufacturer), California State Parks and staff of the California Wind Energy Association.
As our team reflected on the folks in attendance, it really takes a village to get a large clean energy project like the Gonzaga Ridge Wind project completed. b) Status of Renewable Energy & Storage Solicitations
Due to changes in energy markets described herein, the SFPUC is conducting a bid refresh of PRO.0280, our most recent renewable energy solicitation, to allow proposers the opportunity to update their initial bid pricing. The bid refresh window opened in mid- August and will close in early September. We
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will reevaluate bids r eceived and depending on the results, may recommend negotiations with the highest scoring projects.
c) Changes in Energy Markets
Current macroeconomic forces have the potential to reshape clean energy markets for the foreseeable future. Staff is vigilantly monitoring tariffs, tax credits and other macro- economic factors that may affect our procurement costs.
The recently enacted H.R. 1, signed into law on July 4th, significantly modifies the renewable power industry landscape, particularly in terms of federal tax credits and supply chains for imported components and materials. The bill phases out tax credits for wind and solar projects while largely preserving them for other technologies like battery storage. Battery storage on the other hand, including those at wind and solar facilities, will maintain their Investment Tax Credit (ITC) status until 2033. However, all eligible technologies will have to comply with new Foreign Entity of Concern restrictions, potentially impacting supply chains.
H.R. 1 specifically rolls back and phases out some of the green energy tax incentives established under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, introducing tighter domestic content requirements and restrictions on foreign entities to qualify for tax credits, impacting the import of renewable energy components and equipment, potentially favoring domestic production and manufacturing.
The bill also introduces new qualification deadlines for renewable energy projects to access tax credits, with projects starting construction within 12 months of the bill's signing retaining access through 2030, altering the timeline for future project financing.
Under the new law, low -carbon energy technologies, including battery storage, geothermal and nuclear, continue to receive strong tax credit support. Projects of qualifying technology types that begin construction by the end of 2033 qualify for the full credit, with reduced eligibility in later years: 75 percent in 2034, 50 percent in 2035 and no credit after that. BloombergNEF’s (BNEF) revised outlook now projects a 23 percent drop in new wind, solar and energy storage project capacity through 2030. Different technologies are expected to fare differently within this decline. BNEF now expects 395 gigawatts (GW) of new clean power capacity to be built over this period compared with the 512 GW previously expected.
d) Tariff Impacts on Energy Markets:
On August 12th, the temporary trade deal between the United States and China that set tariffs on most Chinese imports into the US at 30 percent was extended to November 10 th. This is the second ex
tension of an agreement following
an initial plan in which US tariffs on Chinese goods would have reached 145 percent, and Chinese tariffs on US goods would have reached 125 percent.
After week s of stalled negotiations, the US announced a 30 percent tariff on imports from Mexico and the European Union (EU), effective August 1 st.
While the EU reached a partial agreement to lower the tariff to a 15 percent baseline
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rate, Mexico was granted a 90-day extension to continue negotiations, delaying full implementation until October 30th.
Following the President's August 1 st deadline for new trade agreements, Canadian imports now face a potential 35 percent tariff on items not already covered by the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a potential increase from an existing 25 percent tariff.
These tariffs are already affecting key sectors – including renewable energy.
Developers in both the US and Mexico are reporting 10-20 percent increases in project costs due to higher pric es on imported components, like solar panels, wind turbines, transformers and specialized s teel. Tariff uncertainty and related supply chain disruptions have delayed timelines and forced some c lean energy projects to scale back or pause entirely. Analysts warn that s ustained high tariffs could stall renewable energy adoption in the U.S. and soften deployment.