The Challenge

Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) agencies provide an alternative to traditional investor-owned utilities, but the concept is complex and often unfamiliar to residents. For the newly formed Clean Energy Alliance (CEA) in North San Diego County, launching a clean, affordable and locally governed energy agency demanded more than just infrastructure—it required a public-facing identity that could build immediate trust, communicate nuanced energy policy and scale across multiple cities over time.

From day one, the brand needed to clearly explain its mission and model to diverse communities, preempt customer confusion and opt-outs and position CEA as a forward-looking agency capable of delivering reliable service, sustainability and local control.

Our Approach

The branding strategy for CEA began with deep research and visual benchmarking, ensuring the agency could establish distinction in a space traditionally dominated by the big, legacy energy utilities. The resulting logo blends golden hills with ocean waves—a nod to the initial coastal cities served, and a visual cue anticipating future expansion into inland communities. Supporting identity elements—including colors, fonts, iconography and illustration style—were defined to feel modern, warm and clean, setting a tone that was accessible and optimistic.

A full visual identity system followed, including a brand guidelines suite, custom icon sets for service tiers and sub-brand structures to support future program rollouts. A photography library was developed to visually connect the brand to the local environment and its people.

Because customer understanding is essential in the CCA model, the communications strategy focused on clarity, transparency and education. A robust website was built with a user-friendly interface and extensive informational content, including an interactive bill explainer, infographics that simplify rate structures, and FAQ-driven landing pages designed to guide users through enrollment and opt-out policies. The tone throughout was crafted to reduce anxiety and inspire confidence—essential to maintaining high participation.

As new cities joined the alliance, expansion campaigns were rolled out with tailored outreach materials: direct mail, press releases, social media campaigns, digital newsletters and print collateral. Each campaign helped introduce the agency, clarify the local benefits of membership and explain how customers could engage with their new energy agency.

Results

Clean Energy Alliance successfully launched in 2021 and has since expanded to serve seven cities. Participation rates have remained consistently high, with opt-out rates well below state averages—an essential performance metric for CCAs. This reflects the strength of the brand identity and clarity of the public education campaign.

CEA achieved exceptional participation rates that consistently exceeded industry standards across all expansion phases. The initial launch generated 95.3% participation among transitioning Solana Energy Alliance customers and 96.1% participation among new CEA customers in Carlsbad, Del Mar and Solana Beach. The Escondido and San Marcos expansion achieved an outstanding 98% participation rate, while the Oceanside and Vista launch reached 96.5% participation as of June 2024. These results significantly surpassed the 93% California industry average and established CEA as a model program statewide.

Ongoing communications support has included campaign branding for renewable energy initiatives like Solar Plus and Local Solar, customer recognition programs like Green Impact Champions, and regular program announcements in both English and Spanish. The goal across all efforts: to make energy choices feel local, understandable and empowering. The brand continues to grow with each new program and member city, reinforcing CEA’s position as a trusted, modern energy agency. Its website, visual materials and outreach campaigns have set a benchmark for transparency and engagement among California CCAs.