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Cheaper, cleaner, more reliable power could be on the way.<\/p>\nWith little discussion or public comment, the Planning Commission just moved forward the city\u2019s long-term effort to take over PG&E\u2019s infrastructure and create a public power system.<\/p>\n
The commission, down to four members since Board President Rafael Mandelman hasn\u2019t filled three vacancies, voted unanimously to certify the environmental impact report on the project.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s just one step in a long path forward, and PG&E could appeal the approval to the Board of Supes, but the lack of controversy sends a signal that Mayor Daniel Lurie isn\u2019t actively opposing the concept.<\/p>\n
Cheaper, cleaner, more reliable power could be on the way.<\/p>\n
A representative of the Coalition of California Utility Employees, which is run by PG&E\u2019s house union, IBEW Local 1245, testified against the EIR. Local 1245 has always opposed public power in San Francisco, arguing that PG&E workers get a better deal with their private company.<\/p>\n
There is no way any public power project could move forward in San Francisco unless every PG&E worker who moves over to the city keeps their full pay and benefits.<\/p>\n
There wasn\u2019t much to argue about: The EIR looks only at the physical impacts of separating San Francisco from PG&E\u2019s grid and installing new utility lines and circuit breakers. But EIRs are complicated documents, and one pro-PG&E commissioner could have found a reason to dissent, sending the whole process back to the drawing board.<\/p>\n
Instead, assuming the supes don\u2019t derail it, the SF Public Utilities Commission can move forward on offering PG&E $3.4 billion for the system<\/a>. Since the utility is unlikely to accept, the city will need to file eminent domain proceedings, kicking off a legal process that could take several years.<\/p>\n Of course, if the city had started this process decades ago, electricity rates would be lower, blackouts rarer, and power cleaner\u2014and San Francisco would net hundreds of millions of dollars a year.<\/p>\n The longer we delay the more PG&E takes out of our pockets, and out of the city.<\/p>\n 48 Hills welcomes comments in the form of letters to the editor, which you can submit\u00a0here<\/a>. We also invite you to join the conversation on our\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>, and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n