Creating Marin's Energy Future

A free event held on Saturday April 12, 2003, from 10AM to 12:30PM 618 B, St. San Rafael Community Center, San Rafael, CA

Meeting of the Architects of San Francisco's Plan for Energy Independence

• Tom Ammiano, San Francisco Board of Supervisors and S F Mayoral Candidate, Sponsor of 2001 Solar Bond (Prop H) and the San Francisco 50 Megawatt Solar Power Facility
• Paul Fenn, Local Power, Author of California Community Choice Law, Prop H and 50 MW Plan
• Donald Aitken, Union of Concerned Scientists, International Authority on Solar Energy

This was a rare opportunity to meet with the leaders, visionaries and architects behind San Francisco's move to Solar Power and Energy Independence. The focus was on how Marin could act decisively to decrease its reliance on fossil fuels, stabilize energy rates, meet local climate change commitments and achieve energy independence and security. 

As President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Mr Ammiano sponsored San Francisco's 50-Megawatt Solar Power Facility, which was the world's largest to date. Dr. Aitken of Donald Aitken and Associates is the Senior Staff Scientist for renewable energy with the Union of Concerned Scientists and has received the highest awards given in the service of solar energy both nationally and internationally. Mr. Fenn Director of Local Power is author of California's new 'Community Choice' law (2002) and San Francisco's 'Solar Revenue Bond Authority', Proposition H (2001), the key mechanisms for San Francisco's new energy plan.

Sustainable Fairfax worked with Local Power since 1999 on a Marin energy strategy, and initiated the passing of local resolutions in support of the new Community Choice law, which was signed by Governor Davis in September. First passed by Massachusetts and Ohio, Community Choice has already set clean energy records by allowing local governments to switch their communities from dirty to clean power sources at a lower price. California's new Community Choice law allows municipalities to find alternative electricity providers, plan for local energy security, and invest energy efficiency funds locally. Most importantly, Community Choice provides Marin with the revenue streams that are needed to finance renewable power generation.

Local Power is the nation's leading authority on Community Choice, Community Power and other municipal strategies for local energy independence.

Community Choice of Energy Act of 2002

Allows California Municipalities to:

• Secure lower, less volatile electricity rates for their businesses, residents and agencies by soliciting and choosing an alternative electricity provider for their communities while allowing unwilling consumers to opt-out;
• Improve local electricity services and technologies, including energy efficiency, conservation, renewable resources and distributed generation;
• Join with other municipalities and county governments for greater purchasing power;
• Access millions of dollars per year in Public Benefits Charge funds paid by ratepayers to benefit local residents and businesses;
• Plan long-term energy independence by targeting resources on afternoon peak energy consumption, reducing residents' and businesses' exposure to price-volatile grid power.

Thus Avoiding:

• The 40% electricity rate increases in effect since 2002 with rates as high as 23 cents/kwh;
• Continued captivity to future rate increases under PG&E's bankruptcy;
• Exposure to expected fuel price volatility in California's natural gas plants.Enabling Businesses to:
• Avoid future rate shocks;
• Access more stable and reasonable energy costs;
• Transfer market energy risks from ratepayers to energy service providers;
• Reduce long-term costs through targeted energy efficiency and peak-shaving;
• And Enabling Municipalities to:
• Protect local economies against future rate shocks;
• Improve the local business climate to existing and future businesses;
• Promote and attract high technology business development;
• Clean up the air and water in a meaningful way.