Community Choice energy comes to SF

City's chance to show Washington a better way

Imagine living in a city with the world's largest urban network for renewable energy: with neighborhood solar power plants on rooftops citywide, windmills in windy spots all over town, and record-setting energy efficiency and conservation measures.

Imagine your city is powered with enough green energy to meet international standards for greenhouse-gas reduction in just three years, despite lack of action on a national level. Imagine breaking away from the Bush dirty-energy bill and using your rate dollars to jumpstart the transition to a clean-energy economy. Imagine thousands of jobs created to build solar panels, wind turbines, and energy-efficient appliances. Imagine this energy supply is stewarded by democratic, public institutions accountable to the people of the city, rather than by a private corporation accountable only to its shareholders. Imagine all of this without a rate increase, a tax increase, or risk to the city. Is this utopia?

No. This city is San Francisco. Through a new program called "Community Choice Energy", a top priority of the Bay Chapter, this vision can become a reality this year.

The state's Community Choice law, passed in 2002, enables cities and counties to choose new electricity suppliers for all customers - residential, commercial, and governmental. In 2004 San Francisco took advantage of this law by passing its Energy Independence Ordinance calling for the city to have in place a total of 360 megawatts (MW) of green energy - through conservation and efficiency improvements and use of wind, solar, and other distributed renewable-energy resources. This will be the equivalent of one-third of San Francisco's peak energy demand and would include the largest solar energy network in the world. By 2017, Community Choice will enable us to get over half of our electricity from clean energy sources, more than double the level required by the state for that year. Best of all, by taking advantage of the solar bonds passed overwhelmingly by voters in 2001, Community Choice will enable the city to keep rates at or below current PG&E rates.

Unfortunately, the San Francisco Public Utility Commission is attempting to scale back the renewables goals of Community Choice, ignoring the will of the voters, the Board of Supervisors, and the mayor. The Sierra Club, working with the Community Choice Energy Alliance, is fighting hard to maintain the high goals called for in the ordinance. We need big solutions for big problems!

In addition, we must act in a timely fashion. The Board of Supervisors must pass the Implementation Plan this fall, hopefully in September - before PG&E can lock in long-term contracts for non-renewable energy from nuclear and natural gas.

WhatYouCanDo

Help make San Francisco the worldwide leader in clean energy. Come join the Sierra Club to bring the dream home and ensure that we pass a visionary Clean Community Choice Plan this fall Opportunities include:

• every Monday night, phoning to educate other Sierra Club members, 6 - 9 pm, Sierra Club National Headquarters, 85 Second St., San Francisco;
• every Wednesday night, Energy Action nights to write letters and learn more about the campaign, 7 - 8 pm, Sierra Club National Headquarters, 85 Second St., San Francisco;
• every Saturday, collecting letters in the Park; locations vary;
• right now - write to your Supervisor and the mayor at

  City Hall
  One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
  San Francisco, CA 94102.

Ask them to act now to approve the Community Choice Implementation Plan with 360 MW of renewable energy.

Other cities in the Bay Area and across the state are also pursuing Community Choice. Write to your city council and let them know that you support taking local control of your energy supply through Community Choice Energy.

For information and to get involved, contact Cathleen at (510) 848-0800, ext. 316, or email cathleen-at-sfbaysc.org

Cathleen Sullivan, Bay Chapter conservation organizer