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Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) are rooted in the promise of green energy under local control. That promise is the foundation of public trust and a fundamental reason why many cities form or join a CCA.

While some organizations treat transparency as a back-end compliance task, CCAs that seek to strengthen community confidence elevate transparency from a regulatory checkbox to a powerful tool for inspiring support and leading with integrity.

With the 2023 launch of the California Community Choice Association’s (CalCCA) Model Practices Guide — and centralized Key Documents Portal — CCAs gained a clear and consistent path for demonstrating transparency in a meaningful and accessible way. Two years later, it’s time for CCAs to support those tools with thoughtful communication strategies that truly serve our communities.

A Close Look at CalCCA’s Model Practices Guide

CalCCA’s Model Practices Committee — comprised of CalCCA member agency staff with expertise in compliance, operations, finance, risk management and power procurement — created the Model Practices Guide (Guide) to outline an optimal framework for sound governance, financial strength and open communication.

While acknowledging the complexity of balancing the public’s right to know with delicate market information and customer privacy, Section 7 of the Guide affirms transparency as a cornerstone of CCA governance and sets a clear expectation for proactively publishing essential governance and operational documents in a standardized, centralized and up-to-date format. In addition to building trust, clear actions and reporting help demonstrate accountability, reliability and responsible stewardship of public resources.

7.1: Transparency Commitments

This subsection outlines the specific types of documents CCAs are expected to make publicly accessible.

  • 7.1.1 Organizational and Governance Documents
    • Implementation Plan(s): How the CCA will serve customers, procure power and achieve policy goals
    • Joint Powers Authority Agreement or Local Ordinance: Legal foundations for CCA formation and governance
    • Why it matters: CCAs can reinforce legitimacy and shine a light on accountability by reporting why a CCA exists, how it operates and who’s in charge.
    • Example: Silicon Valley Clean Energy’s website offers links to categorized information from formation documents to current resolutions, presented with icons for at-a-glance recognition.
  • 7.1.3 Policies Identified in Section 6
    • Section 6 of the Guide addresses confidentiality, risk and debt management, governance and finances.
    • Why it matters: CCAs can demonstrate responsible management of taxpayer-funded or ratepayer-funded resources.
    • Example: Redwood Coast Energy Authority’s policies include not only required items but also values-based topics such as employment best practices and racial justice.
  • 7.1.4 Financial Reports
    • Annual Audited Financials: Reviewed by a third party for accuracy and completeness
    • Quarterly Unaudited Financials: More frequent snapshots of fiscal health
    • Annual Budget: Anticipates income and expenses across programs, staff and operations
    • Why it matters: Financial reporting is the heart of public accountability and transparency, helping stakeholders monitor fiscal discipline, identify trends and assess the viability of the CCA.
    • Example: As part of a searchable key documents page that allows constituents to filter by date and category, Central Coast Community Energy publishes a polished, branded budget book.
  • 7.1.5 Integrated Resource Plan
    • Filed with the CPUC, this forward-looking plan describes how the CCA will meet energy reliability, affordability and decarbonization goals.
    • Why it matters: Sharing how local agency action is linked with state-level policy shows customers how their CCA is preparing for future grid reliability.
    • Example: Ava Community Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan is presented on a dedicated web page.

7.2: Availability of Information

This section focuses on how CCAs should present the required documents.

  • 7.2.1: Single “Key Documents” Portal
    • CalCCA recommends that all CCAs organize transparency-related materials on one easily accessible webpage, using a standardized format.
    • Why it matters: Without standardization, documents may be buried in inconsistent formats or obscure menu structures. A centralized portal ensures that customers, journalists, regulators and community leaders can quickly find what they need. It also promotes comparability across agencies — crucial for policy and advocacy work.
    • Example: Regular analysis of web traffic can help drive organization of key documents to suit constituent interests and needs.
  • 7.2.2: Quarterly Updates
    • CCAs should post new information as it becomes available.
    • Why it matters: Regular posting sets a clear baseline for trust and reliability, preventing outdated materials from lingering online and keeping stakeholders confident about information reflecting current operations.
    • Example: Adding version dates or update logs to each document shows attention to detail and improves usability.

7.3: CalCCA Centralized Portal

  • CalCCA maintains a central directory that links to each member’s “Key Documents” page.
  • Why it matters: CalCCA’s centralized hub adds visibility and convenience, reducing friction, encouraging broader engagement with data across CCAs and reflecting an industry-wide commitment to model behavior and collective improvement.
  • Example: Attend CalCCA’s annual conference and networking events to stay current on best practices and learn from other CCA communication professionals.

Implementation Guidance

The Guide provides a solid foundation. But simply uploading PDFs isn’t enough. CCAs can transform regulatory compliance into public trust by investing in clear, consistent communication that meets residents where they are, explains why each document matters and shows how their operations reflect community values.

To meet not only the letter but also the spirit of Section 7, CCAs should:

  • Audit current practices: Confirm all documents listed in 7.1 are published and up to date.
  • Consolidate materials: Link all key documents from one page, with clear labels and categories.
  • Add context: Use plain language, FAQs or infographics to make technical information digestible.
  • Design for equity: Make portals mobile-friendly, ADA-accessible and multilingual.
  • Cross-promote: Link to key documents in newsletters and on social media; share during community events and presentations.
  • Inform and educate: Train CCA spokespeople and call center staff to respond to questions confidently and flag opportunities for enhanced presentation.
  • Advocate: Pair updated documents with a descriptive blog post from your chief executive officer or board chair, an explainer video or a community webinar.
  • Integrate: Synchronize the release or quarterly financial updates or other new documents with your comprehensive communications calendar.

Ready to raise your transparency game? Tripepi Smith can help take your CCA’s commitment to good governance from visible to compelling. Reach out today for a consultation, communications audit or bespoke support plan.

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