Valley Clean Energy_REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR MARKETING FOCUS GROUP RESEARCH SERVICES

Valley Clean Energy Alliance (VCE) is a Community Choice Aggregation program (CCA) that serves electricity customers in the cities of Woodland, Davis, Winters, and the unincorporated areas of Yolo County. VCE offers choice in the electric utility market; empowers local control of electricity procurement decisions; reduces the carbon footprint associated with electricity services; and helps support the growth of local energy projects. VCE is governed by an eight-member Board of Directors, two each from the Woodland City Council, Davis City Council, Winters City Council, and the Yolo County Board of Supervisors. As a community-governed entity, VCE gives customers access to the people who make the rate and service decisions: elected officials that represent them. The Board is advised by its eleven-member appointed Community Advisory Committee. Board meetings are held monthly. The purpose of this research is to strengthen VCE's understanding of customer awareness, perceptions, and decision drivers, and to use those insights to shape VCE's marketing, outreach, and customer program strategy. VCE serves a diverse customer base across urban, rural, and agricultural communities in Davis, Woodland, Winters, and the unincorporated areas of Yolo County. The majority of customers are English-speaking, with a large population of Spanish-speaking customers. The firm will design the research to address VCE's core questions, including but not limited to: 1. Customer awareness and understanding of VCE and the Community Choice Aggregation model, including distinctions between VCE and PG&E. 2. Drivers of customer opt-out decisions, and messaging or information that could reduce opt-outs or drive re-enrollments. 3. Motivations for, and barriers to, opting up to VCE's 100% renewable UltraGreen service. 4. Perceptions of rates, bills, value, and trust in VCE. 5. Awareness of, and interest in, VCE customer programs. 6. Reactions to VCE messaging and creative across language and cultural groups, including whether/how culturally-adapted messaging (transcreation) performs better than direct translation. 7. Preferred communication channels and trusted messengers for reaching residential, commercial, and agricultural customers, including CARE/FERA and Spanish-speaking customers.