Pomona Choice Energy (PCE) Rate Selection Guide
Pomona Choice Energy (PCE) is a not-for-profit Community Choice Aggregator created by the City of Pomona in 2020, serving roughly 41,800 electric customers. PCE procures generation while Southern California Edison (SCE) handles delivery, metering, and billing — so all C&I data access runs through SCE's Green Button Connect, CISR Form 14-796, and My Account systems.
Market Overview
PCE is itself a Community Choice Aggregator within SCE's service territory, regulated under CPUC rules. SCE delivers power, reads meters, and bills; PCE sets generation rates for Pomona customers. Customers may opt out of PCE back to SCE bundled service.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Pomona Choice Energy (PCE) Data Access Guide →
Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) Options
Current Rate Schedules
Pomona Choice Energy (PCE) is the City of Pomona's community choice aggregator: it buys generation and replaces SCE's generation charge on the bill, while SCE continues to deliver power, meter, and bill on its standard TOU-GS and TOU-8 commercial schedules. C&I customers keep their SCE rate schedule (TOU-GS-1 for small, TOU-GS-2/3 for medium with demand charges, TOU-8 for large >500 kW) — only the generation line changes. PCE offers two products: default Pomona Choice (40.9% renewable, no fossil or nuclear) and Pomona Choice 100 (100% renewable content) at roughly a $0.004/kWh premium. The Pomona City Council sets PCE generation rates annually; PCE generation has recently run modestly above SCE's generation rate on several schedules (e.g., TOU-GS-2-E: PCE ~$0.128 vs SCE ~$0.097/kWh generation in the 2024 JRC), partially offset by exit-fee (PCIA) differences — consult the current Joint Rate Comparison for your exact schedule.
Effective: December 1, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOU-GS-1 (A/D/E) with PCE Generation | commercial | Small commercial accounts under 20 kW demand on SCE's TOU-GS-1 family | SCE delivery charges plus PCE generation replacing SCE generation; TOU energy pricing with on-peak 4-9pm; no demand charge on GS-1; Choice (40.9% renewable) or Choice 100 product options | — |
| TOU-GS-2 (B/D/E/R) with PCE Generation | commercial | Medium commercial accounts 20–200 kW demand | SCE delivery including facilities and time-related demand charges, plus PCE TOU generation; 2024 JRC reference: PCE generation ~$0.1276/kWh vs SCE $0.0966 on GS-2-E, with offsetting cost-responsibility surcharges — see current JRC | PCE generation ~$0.128/kWh (GS-2-E, 2024 JRC); total bill ≈ SCE ± small delta |
| TOU-GS-3 (D/E/R) with PCE Generation | commercial | Larger commercial accounts 200–500 kW demand | SCE delivery with demand charges plus PCE TOU generation (2024 JRC reference ~$0.112/kWh on GS-3-D); 15-minute interval metering standard at this class | PCE generation ~$0.112/kWh (GS-3-D, 2024 JRC) |
| TOU-8 (Secondary/Primary) with PCE Generation | industrial | Industrial and large commercial accounts above 500 kW, at secondary or primary voltage | SCE TOU-8 delivery with substantial demand charges plus PCE generation; primary-voltage service earns lower delivery rates; see JRC and SCE tariff for current figures | — |
| Pomona Choice 100 (100% Renewable Product) | commercial | Opt-up product available to any PCE customer on any underlying SCE schedule | Same structure as standard Choice with a ~$0.004/kWh generation premium for 100% renewable content — useful for RE100/ESG procurement without PPAs | Standard Choice generation + ~$0.004/kWh |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small commercial storefront (under 20 kW)
Pomona retail, restaurants, and offices ride SCE's TOU-GS-1 schedules with PCE supplying generation by default.
GS-1 has no demand charge, so the bill is driven by TOU energy — the 4-9pm on-peak window is the only lever, and the PCE/SCE choice changes only the generation line.
- Compare your GS-1 sub-option (A/D/E) using SCE's rate analysis tools — the best fit depends on your load shape
- Review the annual Joint Rate Comparison before deciding whether to stay with PCE or opt out to SCE bundled service
- Shift discretionary load out of the 4-9pm on-peak window
Mid-size facility with demand charges (20–500 kW)
Warehouses, medical buildings, and retail centers on TOU-GS-2/3 pay SCE demand charges regardless of generation provider.
Demand charges and TOU delivery are SCE's and unchanged by PCE participation — so demand management remains the dominant savings lever, while the PCE-vs-SCE generation comparison decides only a few percent of the bill.
- Pull 15-minute interval data (available to GS-3+ accounts via SCE) to target demand peaks
- Run the JRC math annually — PCE generation rates are set by city council each year and the PCIA exit fee shifts the comparison
- Check option B/D/E/R variants; the right one depends on load factor
ESG-driven enterprise / RE100 site
Companies with renewable procurement targets can hit them through Pomona Choice 100 without contracts or PPAs.
Opt-up costs roughly $0.004/kWh over standard Choice and delivers verified 100% renewable content — the cheapest administrative path to renewable supply claims for Pomona facilities.
- Enroll by contacting PCE at (909) 620-2079 or CustomerService@PomonaChoiceEnergy.com
- Document the power content label for Scope 2 market-based reporting
- Standard Choice already carries zero fossil/nuclear content at 40.9% renewable — verify which tier your reporting framework requires
Large industrial load (>500 kW) evaluating opt-out
TOU-8 industrial accounts carry the largest dollar exposure to the PCE-vs-SCE generation differential and should evaluate annually.
At industrial volumes, even a fraction of a cent per kWh on generation is real money; the JRC plus PCIA analysis determines whether PCE or SCE bundled service wins in a given year.
- Model total cost including the PCIA/cost-responsibility surcharge, not just headline generation rates
- Opt-out and re-enrollment rules have timing constraints — confirm with PCE before switching
- Primary-voltage service discounts on TOU-8 are SCE delivery items and apply either way
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because PCE only replaces SCE's generation charge, optimization splits in two: standard SCE-side levers (TOU shifting, demand management, schedule option selection) drive most savings, while the annual PCE-vs-SCE generation comparison and product tier decide the rest. SCE's 15-minute interval data makes all of this measurable.
TOU load shifting around the 4-9pm peak
For: All TOU commercial accounts
All commercial TOU-GS and TOU-8 schedules price energy highest 4-9pm weekdays. Pre-cooling, scheduling EV charging and batch processes overnight, and automating setpoint resets move energy into cheap off-peak periods on both the SCE delivery and PCE generation components.
Demand charge management (GS-2/GS-3/TOU-8)
For: Accounts 20 kW and above
SCE facilities-related and time-related demand charges bill monthly peak kW and are unaffected by CCA participation. Use 15-minute interval data to find peaks, then stagger equipment, add controls, or deploy battery storage to clip them — SGIP incentives can subsidize storage.
Annual JRC review and opt-out analysis
For: All PCE commercial customers
Pomona City Council sets PCE rates annually and SCE's generation and PCIA change too, so the cheapest provider can flip year to year. Review the Joint Rate Comparison each release and model your actual usage — not the average customer — before deciding to stay, opt up, or opt out.
Rate option optimization within your schedule
For: GS-1/2/3 accounts
Each TOU-GS class carries multiple options (A/B/D/E/R) with different demand/energy balances. High-load-factor facilities usually favor demand-heavy options; low-load-factor ones favor energy-heavy options. SCE's rate comparison tools (or interval-data analysis) identify the cheapest variant.
Demand response and efficiency program stacking
For: Facilities with flexible or curtailable load
PCE customers remain eligible for SCE delivery-side programs — demand response, capacity bidding, and energy-efficiency incentives — alongside PCE offerings. Stack DR payments with TOU shifting since the same flexibility earns both.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Pomona Choice Energy (PCE) interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How do C&I customers in Pomona get 15-minute interval data?▾
PCE customers are metered by SCE's Edison SmartConnect AMI. Commercial customers on rate schedules GS-3/PA-3 and above can pull full 15-minute interval data through SCE My Account (CSV/XML), SCE EnergyManager (for demand >200 kW), or authorize a third party via Green Button Connect My Data. Up to 36 months of history is available.
Does Pomona Choice Energy have its own data portal or API?▾
No. PCE procures generation only — SCE owns the meters, runs billing, and is the data custodian. All programmatic access goes through SCE systems: Green Button Connect (OAuth 2.0/ESPI), CISR Form 14-796, or SCE My Account data sharing. PCE maintains no separate portal, API, or developer documentation.
What does third-party data access cost for PCE accounts?▾
Green Button Connect registration and data access are free. CISR Form 14-796 requests cost $9.00 per form submission plus $7.00-$35.00 per service account in fulfillment fees (effective October 1, 2025), with the first two Option 1 fulfillments free per 12-month period.
Can PCE customers use EDI for usage data?▾
No. EDI (ANSI X12 814/810/820/867) applies only to SCE Direct Access customers working with Electric Service Providers. PCE customers are CCA customers with a simpler structure — use Green Button Connect (ESPI/OAuth) or CISR instead for programmatic access.
How do energy management platforms integrate PCE accounts?▾
Register as an SCE Green Button third-party vendor, build an OAuth 2.0 client against SCE's ESPI endpoints, complete SCE's connectivity testing, then have each customer authorize access through SCE My Account. Data flows as ESPI XML per NAESB REQ.21 with recurring automated pulls — covering interval usage, billing, and meter information.
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