LAFCo: Clean Power SF on track for May 1 launch; commission approves extension of Marin Clean Energy agreement

John Avalos, chair of the Local Agency Formation Commission, presided as Barbara Hale of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission reported that Clean Power SF remains on schedule to begin serving customers on May 1.

“We remain on schedule for beginning to serve our Clean Power SF customers … May 1,” Hale told commissioners, and provided enrollment figures: 404 pre‑enrolled customers and “just a little over 7,300” auto‑enrolled accounts, with only eight customers so far opting out. Hale said staff had received 201 requests to opt up to the program’s higher‑tier “Super Green” product and that work remains under way on feed‑in tariffs and net‑metering rules ahead of a California Public Utilities Commission workshop scheduled for March 9.

Commissioner Cruz pressed staff on outreach and customer protections, asking whether pre‑enrolled customers had received clear opt‑up notices and whether the program could offer payment plans for customers who fall behind. Hale said staff emailed pre‑enrollees about options to opt up and that SFPUC is developing internal collection procedures, but that a payment‑plan approach is not yet available because Clean Power SF bills are shared across PG&E electric and gas accounts and a mechanism to administer payment plans has not been established with PG&E.

Jason Fried, executive officer to LAFCo, said staff also sought approval to extend an existing interagency agreement with Marin Clean Energy to allow Marin to continue work on limited projects for San Francisco. Fried told the commission the agreement had expired and that the proposed extension would not request additional money beyond the original amount; an amendment in the packet updated Marin’s address.

Public commenters—including Eric Brooks, speaking for several local clean‑energy advocacy groups—praised staff for launching the program, urged rapid release of feed‑in tariff and net‑metering numbers to support marketing, recommended including other community choice aggregators in MOU discussions, and called for accelerated local build‑out and financing options to move installations forward sooner than staff projections suggested.

After discussion and public comment, the commission moved to approve the extension of the interagency agreement with Marin Clean Energy retroactive to Aug. 1, 2015 (motion moved by Commissioner Crews and seconded by Commissioner Campos) and took the motion “without objection.”

The commission’s actions leave Clean Power SF scheduled to begin service May 1 for the first wave of customers, with a second rollout phase planned for November; staff told commissioners customers wishing to be included in the November phase must sign up before August 1. SFPUC and LAFCo staff said they will continue regulatory engagement at the CPUC and report back with tariff and net‑metering details that advocates said are needed to market the program and encourage local participation.

The commission did not adopt additional policy directives on payment‑plan mechanisms during the meeting; staff said work on billing and collections implementation is ongoing and will depend in part on coordination with PG&E.