Despite objections from Pacific Gas and Electric Co., county supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to join with other Marin cities to form a joint powers authority, implement Community Choice with a goal of 50% renewable electricity by 2017 at prices that meet or beat PG&E's rates, and finance green power projects to physically reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the whole community in just a few years. Click on the image at right to read the Marin Independent Journalarticle.
The Agency adds Marin to a list of cities led by San Francisco to achieve energy independence and implement a major financing of local renewable energy resources to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions. Marin Clean Energy calls for the authority to compete with PG&E as the retailer of electricity to Marin customers, in order to boost usage of renewable energy in the county, and issue some $475M in revenue bonds to dramatically reduce its power carbon footprint and achieve major greenhouse gas reductions in a fairly short period of times.
Supervisors voted after listening to a plea from PG&E representatives to forgo formation of the authority and to partner with the shareholder-owned utility to reduce greenhouse gases. "Marin is about to issue $475M in revenue bonds without voter approval to finance local green power projects," said a PG&E spokesman who pleaded with the County to not approve the Community Choice agency," as if to warn against climate action itself.
Advocates for Marin Clean Energy have estimated a Marin energy authority would be able to provide electricity that is 25 percent renewable by 2010 at the same price that PG&E is charging. By comparison, PG&E has said it may be unable to boost its use of renewable energy to 20 percent by 2010, as required by a state law passed in 2002.
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