In Pursuit of Clean Energy Alternatives.

Several years ago, in order to meet Marin’s carbon reduction goals, Charles McGlashan, representing the County of Marin, approached PG&E’s CEO, Peter Darby to see if he could broker a deal that would provide Marin residents more than double the clean energy PG&E currently provides. PG&E couldn’t come close. Even though California has required utilities to purchase 20% of their power from renewable sources by 2010, PG&E was only at 12% in 2009 (according the California Public Utilities Commission). With these facts in hand, Marin chose to take the matter in to their own hands. Marin Clean Energy (MCE), a community choice aggregation program, was formed to serve Marin’s energy priorities.

Marin clean energy now provides two options for their residents. “Light Green” starts at 25% clean energy raising the bar to 50% clean energy in 5 years, with pricing that begins at the same rates as PG&E, dropping below PG&E’s scheduled pricing over the next 5 years. “Deep Green” is a 100% clean energy option available for a small additional fee. Marin Clean Energy provides 78% green house gas free energy without any nuclear power. PG&E is currently at 54% green house gas free, half of which comes from nuclear power.

Marin’s energy program is creating healthy competition with the only energy provider in the area- PG&E. Marin County is well positioned to reduce their contribution to climate change and to create a model of success, which could be replicated in other counties across the country.
In this new energy model, residents and businesses can improve their overall quality of life, air quality, and health. Communities can create employment opportunities, increase local revenue and stimulate economic growth. By taking action as Marin County is doing, any county can make significant progress to reduce carbon emissions, slowing down climate change and its effects.

This new competition has been upsetting to PG&E, who stands to lose up to $90 million per year in revenue in the county of Marin alone. PG&E’s CEO, Peter Darbee, reportedly told shareholders that it would be cheaper to spend $35 million in ratepayers money to push for a statewide initiative (Proposition 16) that would create major hurtles for county energy initiatives to be created than to continue this fight to keep their territory one county at a time. PG&E has already spent well over $20 million to fight competitive municipal utilities in Sacramento and San Francisco. Proposition 16 is PG&E’s answer to protect their monopoly from a growing population that is fed up with ever raising rates and lack of clean energy options. As of mid-May, it can be assumed that PG&E is afraid that proposition 16 stands a chance at losing the vote; PG&E has added an additional $9 million in funding, raising their total to $44 million in their efforts to pass this proposition.

There are those who will argue that privately run utilities are preferable to government run utilities. Currently, 25% of all Californians purchase their power through local government run municipal utilities. On average, these small city and county run utilities offer the same service at 7-20% less than PG&E’s service. They are financially viable and create local jobs. Public utilities were also the ONLY stable utilities during the 2001 energy crisis. This track record shines next to PG&E who required California to bail them out of bankruptcy in 2003. Ratepayers will be paying off PG&E’s $12 billion debt for years to come.

There are those who will argue that taxpayers should have a right to vote. We agree that taxpayers should have choice, but a 2/3-majority requirement has been proven to be costly and prevent much of anything from passing. Conversely, no one gets to vote about how PG&E operates, especially when they are the only provider available. Did you approve their planned 30% rate increases that will be happening over the next 3 years? Do you get to choose whether your energy comes from wind and solar or from nuclear reactors? Do you get to choose if PG&E re-commission their Diablo nuclear plant which is less than 2000 feet from a fault line? If you are fortunate enough to be a customer of municipal utilities, you do get to vote on these issues. Furthermore, a CCA, such as Marin Clean Energy, is required by law to give their customers four notices on how to ‘opt-out’ of the CCA and remain with PG&E, but with a better energy product at a lower price, why would anyone want to opt-out?

PG&E is aware that this competition is for real and they are not interested in cooperating with Marin Clean Energy even though AB 117 mandates them to. PG&E has been sending out notices to Marin customers trying to convince them to opt-out of Marin Clean Energy’s program. These actions by PG&E are illegal and PG&E has been cited twice by the CPUC for their attempts to undermine Marin Clean Energy. The letters sent out by PG&E to new MCE customers imply higher rates and unreliable service with Marin Clean Energy. This is simply not true. Marin Clean Energy chose to team up with a business giant, Shell, because Shell guarantees of a higher percentage of renewable, carbon-free energy at guaranteed lower prices than PG&E. The Shell contract has a clause that allows Marin to reduce the amount of energy purchased through Shell as Marin grows its own local renewable energy. PG&E still delivers the energy and services the lines and gets paid to do so. This guarantees lower prices from Marin Clean Energy with the same great service you have always received with PG&E. The contract with Shell has provided the stepping stone that allows Marin Clean Energy to move forward, keeping millions of dollars in the county that will be used to finance local renewable energy projects. Marin already has a partnership with the San Joaquin Tri-Dam to provide all the energy Marin needs when the Shell contract is complete. Marin Clean Energy is also partnering with local companies to begin moving forward with local power creation with the intent to be entirely energy independent as quickly as possible.

Support local renewable energy efforts by voting No on Proposition 16. If you are in Marin, and have not become a customer yet, you can sign-up for early “Deep Green” 100% renewable energy now.

Learn more at Marin Clean Energy.
Learn about Marin’s challenges with PG&E at Welcome to Marin Energy Freedom, or Vote No on Prop 16.