Community Choice program
Clean Energy Alliance and your solar: how it actually works
Clean Energy Alliance is the CCA for North San Diego County's coastal and inland cities: Carlsbad, Del Mar, Escondido, Oceanside, San Marcos, Solana Beach, and Vista. CEA procures the generation while SDG&E delivers it — and for solar owners, CEA quietly runs some of the friendliest export terms in SDG&E territory, paying a premium over SDG&E's own export pricing.
How solar billing works on CEA
CEA splits solar customers into two named programs. Personal Impact covers legacy NEM systems (interconnected before April 15, 2023): CEA credits the generation side of exports and pays Net Surplus Compensation at $0.06/kWh, with checks issued for balances of $100 or more. Solar Impact covers newer systems on the Solar Billing Plan — and here's the differentiator: CEA pays SDG&E's hourly export pricing plus a $0.01/kWh premium on every exported kilowatt-hour. Small per unit, real over 25 years, and free — it comes with membership. The design fundamentals don't change (SDG&E's ~46¢ retail rates still make self-consumption king), but CEA is the rare case where the export line works slightly harder for you.
Delivery-side rules live with the utility: SDG&E net metering explained. Program details: thecleanenergyalliance.org.
CEA programs worth real money
CEA Solar Plus
CEA's turnkey solar-plus-battery offering: Tesla equipment installed through the program's certified local installers with no upfront cost and no credit check, predictable monthly rates, equipment maintained and replaced at no charge for the program term, and a fair-market-value buyout option. The trade-off to understand: the program (not the homeowner) captures the tax-credit value, similar to a lease structure. For homeowners who want ownership economics instead, a direct install with CEA's Solar Impact export premium is the comparison to run — we model both honestly.
Opting out (and why solar owners usually shouldn't)
Opt-out is available anytime through CEA. As with any CCA exit, weigh it carefully as a solar owner — the Solar Impact export premium and Personal Impact NSC terms are benefits you give up by returning to SDG&E-only service.
CEA member communities we serve
Also CEA members: Del Mar, Solana Beach.
CEA questions, answered.
- What is the CEA Solar Plus program?
- CEA's no-upfront-cost solar-plus-battery program: Tesla hardware, certified local installers, no credit check, predictable rates, and maintenance included for the term, with a fair-market buyout option. The program keeps the tax-credit value — so compare it against owning a system outright with CEA's export premium; we run both numbers side by side.
- Does CEA pay more for solar exports than SDG&E?
- Yes — on the Solar Billing Plan (Solar Impact), CEA pays SDG&E's hourly export pricing plus a $0.01/kWh premium. Legacy NEM customers (Personal Impact) get Net Surplus Compensation at $0.06/kWh with automatic checks at $100+.
- Which cities does Clean Energy Alliance serve?
- Seven North County cities: Carlsbad, Del Mar, Escondido, Oceanside, San Marcos, Solana Beach, and Vista. San Diego, Chula Vista, and Encinitas belong to San Diego Community Power instead — a different CCA with different programs.
- Does CEA membership complicate a solar install?
- Not at all — permitting and interconnection run through your city and SDG&E as usual. The CCA affects billing credits only. We factor the Solar Impact premium into your production model so the payback math reflects what CEA actually pays.
We model CEA's actual terms in every quote.
Your CCA tier, your export credits, your rebate eligibility — real numbers, one line-item quote, owner-reviewed.