Marin County launches state's first public power agency

[bridgit]

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

NOVATO — California's first public power agency is now in business, delivering electricity to 6,000 Marin County homes and businesses.

Friday's launch of the Marin Clean Energy program will be a closely watched experiment in "community choice aggregation." Under the system, municipalities buy electricity on behalf of local residents and sets their own rates.

The concept has been fought by Pacific Gas and Electric Co., the state's largest utility. It says such programs could be costly to communities, exposed to the whims of a volatile energy market.

PG&E has engaged in bitter fights to stop community choice aggregation. It has poured nearly $35 million into Proposition 16, a June ballot measure that would require approval for such programs by two-thirds of local voters.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100507/NEWS/100509594/1350?Title=Marin-County-launches-state-s-first-public-power-agency

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/green/Parts-of-Marin-Go-PGE-Free-93164709.html

[KingFlorez]

1. It must be a good idea of PG&E is fighting this hard

[bridgit]

3. Yup

[kestrel91316]

2. I thought our LA DWP was a public power agency?? It's certainly

not private, for-profit.......

[sharesunited]

4. Municipal owned, needs no tax money, and actually contributes revenue to the city budget.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Department_of_Water_and_Power

[bridgit]

5. They still do some funky stuff, though...

DWP's decision to withhold $73.5M could break LA's bank by June 30

[kestrel91316]

6. Thought so. Marin is NOT the first. They just think LA is part of Mexico, I suppose.

[bridgit]

7. Its possible to discount the heavy lift Marin Co has performed dis-favoring...

PG&E - but less so by people IN the north AND the south favoring aggregate green alternative energies - LADWP was setup more like a crabgrass able to legislate themselves into a 'municipally' owned power entity

[XemaSab]

8. Redding has had an electric utility since 1921

n/t

[bridgit]

9. Yup, municipals do happen

http://www.smud.org

[XemaSab]

10. Word

n/t