Contracts Represent Nearly $517 Million in Renewable Energy Investments Through California’s BioMAT Program
ROCKLIN, Calif. —Pioneer Community Energy (Pioneer), a locally owned, not-for-profit electricity provider headquartered in Rocklin, California, announced today that it has signed six long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with renewable energy developers West Biofuels and Phoenix Energy for biomass energy projects located throughout Northern California. Collectively valued at nearly $517 million, these 20-year agreements support the development of renewable generation resources that advance California’s clean energy goals while helping address the growing challenge of catastrophic wildfire risk.
The projects were approved under California’s Bioenergy Market Adjusting Tariff (BioMAT) program before the program’s December 31, 2025 sunset, positioning Pioneer among the few Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) to successfully secure BioMAT contracts.
“These agreements demonstrate how local energy providers can leverage public policy, market opportunities, and long-term planning to deliver meaningful benefits for both customers and communities,” said Pioneer Chief Operating Officer Sam Kang. “Pioneer worked to expand BioMAT participation to CCAs, and we are proud to see that effort result in tangible investments in baseload renewable energy infrastructure, including projects located within both our current and future service areas.”
Established by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) pursuant to Senate Bill 1122, BioMAT was designed to promote the development of small-scale bioenergy facilities by providing long-term, fixed-price contracts that support project financing and construction. Originally available only to California’s investor-owned utilities, Pioneer led efforts in 2021 to expand the program to include CCAs through the passage of Assembly Bill 843. The CPUC subsequently implemented the program expansion in 2024.
The six projects secured by Pioneer include five facilities being developed by West Biofuels, and one facility being developed by Phoenix Energy. The West Biofuels portfolio includes four sustainable forest management biomass facilities located in Nevada County, Mariposa County, Plumas County, and Yuba County, as well as one agricultural and organic waste facility in Butte County. Phoenix Energy’s project is focused on wildfire mitigation biomass and located in Calaveras County.
Forest sourced biomass facilities play a particularly key role in California’s wildfire mitigation strategy by converting forest residues and excess woody biomass into renewable electricity. By creating a productive use for forest fuel loads, these projects help support forest health initiatives while providing dispatchable renewable generation that complements intermittent renewable resources.
“These agreements strengthen Pioneer’s long-term resource portfolio at a pivotal moment in our organization’s growth. As we prepare to more than double the number of customers we serve in 2027, securing reliable, renewable generation resources today helps ensure we can continue delivering affordable, sustainable energy to the communities that depend on us,” said Pioneer Chief Executive Officer Don Eckert. “We are pleased that two of these projects – the Grass Valley and Butte County projects – are located in Pioneer’s current or future expansion territories.”
Since launching service in 2018, Pioneer has returned more than $145 million in customer savings while advancing local control, regional economic development projects, and strong community partnerships.
