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LAFCO directs staff to draft comprehensive RFP for Clean Power SF build-out plan
Summary
San Francisco's LAFCO voted without objection to direct staff to prepare an RFP to fill gaps in the Clean Power SF plan, focusing on local build-out, financing, job impacts and communications; staff will return with a draft outline in January and a proposed final RFP in February.
The Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) for the City and County of San Francisco voted without objection to direct staff to prepare a request for proposals (RFP) to develop a comprehensive implementation plan for Clean Power SF, the city's community choice aggregation (CCA) initiative.
Barbara Hale, assistant general manager at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), told commissioners the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is reviewing PG&E's proposed green tariff and is expected to issue a proposed decision in April to meet a statutory decision deadline in July. "PG&E's proposal would be to offer the 100% green power at 12.3' a kilowatt hour," Hale said, and she described PG&E's projected basic-service generation component increasing to about 9.4' per kWh in January. Hale cautioned those numbers are PG&E's proposal and that further CPUC action could change the outcome.
Commissioners and staff framed the RFP as a way to fill specific gaps in existing planning work. Jason Fried, LAFCO staff, outlined options the city could pursue if SFPUC rate-setting remains stalled: join an existing joint powers authority (JPA) such as Marin's program as a "special consideration" member, form a new JPA, or pursue a hybrid model in which San Francisco forms a separate JPA while leveraging Marin's back-office capabilities. Fried said the hybrid model would allow San Francisco to "separate out the two programs" and preserve Marin's autonomy while creating a San Francisco-run Clean Power SF program.
Commissioner Breed (transcript variants appear) urged a ten-year, "comprehensive RFP" that would map likely build-out locations, identify local and union job opportunities, analyze financing options including bonds, plan community communications to counter misinformation, and propose scenarios (join Marin, form a new JPA, or run some functions in-house). "We need a clear communication strategy," Breed said, adding that the RFP should show how projects would generate jobs and be implementable.
Advocates who spoke during public comment emphasized completing and expanding earlier work rather than starting from scratch. Al Weinreb of the Local Clean Energy Alliance urged site-selection work and project definitions to tie technical choices to financing and job estimates. Eric Brooks (San Francisco Green Party / Our City) recommended the RFP include multiple scenarios and urged early consultation with advocates so bidders address labor, training and project-labor agreements. Jed Holtzman (350 Bay Area) stressed that "the plan itself" is key to winning public and political support by showing concrete jobs and data.
Staff described a tentative schedule for the RFP process: prepare a draft scope and bring an outline to the commission in January for feedback, advertise the RFP for roughly 30 to 60 days, and expect the final consultant product to take several months depending on scope. Staff also noted there are funds available through CPUC-administered energy-efficiency programs that the city could apply for directly while the CCA is not yet serving customers.
On a motion by Commissioner Bridal, seconded by Commissioner Marr, the commission directed staff to prepare the RFP and return with at least an outline at the next meeting; the motion was adopted "without objection." The commission also moved without objection to excuse Chair Avalos from the meeting and adopted the 2014 LAFCO meeting schedule.
What happens next: staff will draft the RFP scope, solicit input from labor and advocates, and return with a January outline; commissioners signaled an intent to consider a final RFP for release in February. The RFP is expected to address financing, site identification, workforce development, and communication strategies to increase public and labor support.
Sources and attributions: direct quotes and policy details in this article come from remarks recorded in the LAFCO transcript by Barbara Hale (SFPUC), Jason Fried (LAFCO staff), Commissioner Breed, and public commenters Al Weinreb, Eric Brooks and Jed Holtzman at the December LAFCO meeting.
