The SFPUC announced that the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC) will upgrade to the City’s 100 percent renewable energy service at all 43 of its affordable housing sites in San Francisco, providing clean power to more than 5,000 local residents.

The TNDC is a nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing and services for people with low incomes in the Tenderloin and throughout San Francisco. The organization is the SFPUC’s first affordable housing customer to upgrade to SuperGreen, the 100 percent renewable energy option offered through CleanPowerSF.

The TNDC has committed to power 43 affordable housing sites across seven neighborhoods with 100 percent renewable electricity. More than 5,000 residents live in TNDC housing sites and upgrading those units to 100 percent renewable energy will avoid 26,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions—the equivalent of 30,000 miles driven by an average passenger vehicle. The TNDC will pay for the upgrade, not residents.

“TNDC plays a critical role in solving both the housing and climate crises by embracing a bold vision to reduce carbon emissions across our entire portfolio of more than 40 affordable properties,” said Don Falk, Chief Executive Officer at TNDC. “Switching to CleanPowerSF’s SuperGreen service demonstrates not only our commitment to the environment but to the health and well-being of our residents and communities.”

“From energy and water efficiency upgrades to rooftop gardens, TNDC is deeply committed to comprehensive sustainability and well-being initiatives” said Ruchi Shah, Senior Sustainability Manager at TNDC. “Sustainability is no longer optional; it’s embedded in how we operate and build affordable homes.”

CleanPowerSF launched in 2016 with a mission to provide San Francisco residents and businesses with the choice of having their electricity supplied from clean, renewable sources at competitive rates. Following the largest and last enrollment period in April of this year, CleanPowerSF now serves more than 376,000 customers in San Francisco, a 360 percent increase from the year prior. With a 96 percent participation rate, the program is popular among businesses and residents.

Along with CleanPowerSF, the SFPUC operates the Hetch Hetchy Regional Power System, which provides 100 percent greenhouse gas free energy to public facilities, such as City Hall, San Francisco International Airport, Muni buses, schools and libraries. Collectively, the two systems meet approximately 80 percent of the electricity demand in San Francisco.

Upgrading to SuperGreen is just one of the TNDC’s sustainability initiatives. The TNDC invests in energy efficiency and carbon reduction projects, and 50 percent of the multifamily buildings have either Solar PV or Solar Thermal systems on-site. In 2019, the TNDC was recognized by the Department of Energy and the Department of Housing and Urban Development for reducing portfolio-wide energy and water use by 20 percent over 10 years.