Prop 16: A Big “Thank You” to PG&E for Educating Consumers about Local Public Power
AN OPEN LETTER TO PETER DARBEE, CEO of PG&E,
On behalf of Pacific Environment, I am writing to thank you for your generous contribution to spreading the word about public power in California. Thanks to your $45 million public education campaign, millions of Californians now know that by working with their local elected representatives, California communities can choose to buy their own energy. This can be done in partnership with your company, PG&E through a Community Choice model, or without, with public power that is owned 100 percent by the community.
At first we were worried that this $45 million was just a big waste of money. After all, that same amount of money could have solarized about 3,000 homes, if you had chosen to spend it there. But because of your campaign, many citizens around the state will no doubt look into public power, and discover that many California communities who do offer public power are paying less. Communities such as Sacramento, Alameda and Palo Alto are paying less for electricity than what PG&E ratepayers are paying, while the public power agency in Los Angeles is embarking on a clean energy program with the goal of shutting down the coal power they’re now buying. And Marin County just recently “flipped the switch” to their Marin Clean Energy Program, which will bring cleaner power to many Marin residents.
Of course, much of the state is still buying power from your company, but thanks to your campaign, we expect some of that burden on you will be lifted in coming years.
So, again, thank you!
-Rory
Tags: Energy, PG & E, public power
