PUC approves changes to Clean Power SF rates and authorizes $150 million credit facility

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission on a unanimous vote approved a package of changes to its Clean Power SF program that trims super-green premiums, simplifies net energy metering compensation and authorizes staff to finalize a major credit facility to support citywide expansion.

Barbara Hale, assistant general manager for Power, told commissioners the program is serving about 80,500 customer sites, with a 3.2 percent opt-out rate and about 4.1 percent of customers enrolled in the voluntary “super green” 100 percent renewable option. Hale said Clean Power SF is closing its wait list and preparing for a small enrollment in April and a large, citywide enrollment in July.

“The delegated authority that's described in that ordinance would include annual expenditure limitations and conditions imposed by the commission on the general manager,” Hale said of an ordinance before the Board of Supervisors that would give the commission limited authority to enter supply contracts; she said the ordinance was at the board for its second reading.

The commission approved programmatic changes to net energy metering intended to reduce administrative complexity. Hale said the utility will move to a single compensation rate for customers who export surplus solar energy: “We’re proposing to use just one compensation rate…which would be the average super green rate for all of the annual…