Rating Validates VCE’s Clean Energy Mission and Financial Health, Fostering Continued Reliable and Cost-Competitive Service
By: Rebecca Kuczynski, VCE Chief Customer Officer
Valley Clean Energy (VCE), the locally governed public electricity provider for Woodland, Winters, Davis and unincorporated Yolo County, announced today that it has received an ‘A-‘ long-term issuer credit rating with a Stable Outlook from S&P Global Ratings. This high-grade rating underscores VCE’s strong financial health, sound governance, and long-term commitment to the communities it serves and its clean energy mission.
“Valley Clean Energy’s achievement of an investment-grade credit rating further demonstrates that our commitment to providing community benefits by reinvesting our revenues can go hand in hand with financial stability,” said Bapu Vaitla, VCE’s Board Chair. “The potential to negotiate
lower power costs with this credit rating translates into more opportunities to bring clean energy and benefits to the customers in the communities we serve.”
S&P Global Ratings highlighted VCE’s low energy transition risk, based on its predominantly carbon-free resource portfolio. The rating agency also noted VCE’s generally credit-supportive governance factors, citing the Community Choice Aggregator’s (CCA) robust long-term financial and energy forecasting and solid cohesion among the board and management.
“The Issuer Rating from S&P Global Ratings further validates the CCA model in California and helps to further VCE’s mission of providing cleaner electricity at competitive rates to our customers,” noted Jesse Loren, VCE’s Board Vice-Chair. “We’re honored to continue providing community benefits coupled with financial strength.”
The ‘A-‘ rating places VCE among financially sound public power entities and is expected to provide VCE with greater flexibility in its power procurement activities, ultimately benefiting customers across its service area.
“Valley Clean Energy is excited to have reached this important financial milestone,” said Mitch Sears, CEO of Valley Clean Energy. “This credit rating allows VCE to better serve our customers by increasing access to clean, cost-competitive energy, and helping to keep rates stable while continuing to provide customer-benefiting programs and services.”
Valley Clean Energy continues to build a secure and resilient energy portfolio that supports local economic benefits and exceeds climate goals. The agency remains committed to reinvesting revenues into customer programs, rate stability, and local decarbonization solutions.
About Valley Clean Energy
Valley Clean Energy — or VCE — is the public electricity provider for residential and commercial customers in Woodland, Winters, Davis, and unincorporated Yolo County. We’re a not-for-profit public agency, which means that we’re working 100% for our customers. VCE keeps program control and revenues right here at home, where we can create jobs and build local clean energy projects. We reinvest dollars to boost our local economy while taking control of our clean energy future. More information is available at https://valleycleanenergy.org/.
