Comstock’s Magazine “Pioneer Community Energy”

As the dynamics of energy in California continue to change and become more challenging, the foothills region now has a choice in energy providers. Launched in 2018, Pioneer Community Energy is leading the way in customer savings, offering competitively priced energy choices, enhancing local economies and creating programs that meet the unique energy needs of the communities it serves. 

Pioneer stands out for its commitment to saving customers money, with $85 million in savings since 2018 and an additional $41 million in anticipated savings in 2024. As a locally owned and operated electricity provider, Pioneer supplies the electricity for the generation portion of customers’ energy bills, purchasing locally-sourced energy whenever possible. (PG&E owns the lines and poles, so it still manages the transmission and delivery.) 

The strong leadership of Pioneer’s governing board is central to its success. Composed of elected officials and local leaders like Auburn city councilmember and board chair Alice Dowdin Calvillo, the board of directors offer a wealth of knowledge, experience and dedication to the region that benefit Pioneer customers. Dowdin Calvillo has deep roots in the Auburn and Placer County areas. Her family’s history in the region dates back to the Gold Rush, underscoring a long-standing commitment to and understanding of the local community. 

“There’s something so extremely special about this community,” she says. “I think that’s why it’s made my career in public service so wonderfully fulfilling and why it’s made serving on the governing board of Pioneer Community Energy so worthwhile.” 

During her term as Mayor Pro Tem of Auburn, Dowdin Calvillo adopted Pioneer’s Green100 program, the region’s only 100% renewable energy product, advancing the city’s climate goals and reducing emissions from 2005 levels by 50% in the city of Auburn. 

Pioneer is immensely proud to serve Placer and El Dorado counties and the cities of Grass Valley and Nevada City. As Pioneer looks to the future, it plans to expand its reach, offering more communities a choice in energy providers and a chance to reap the savings and benefits Pioneer offers. Through community engagement, reinvestment and growth, Pioneer aims to empower more communities with local control over their energy.