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SFPUC presents updated electricity resource plan; Potrero plant scheduled to close
Summary
SFPUC presented an updated electricity resource plan that reaffirms goals to reduce greenhouse‑gas emissions, outlines three strategies to reach a zero‑GHG electric system and notes the scheduled closure of the Potrero Power Plant; advocates said the plan should treat community choice aggregation (CCA) more robustly.
James Hendry of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission briefed LAFCO on Feb. 28 on the SFPUC’s update to the city’s 2002 electricity resource plan (ERP). Hendry said the updated plan incorporates city ordinances and policies, draws on the Rocky Mountain Institute for technical support, and lays out three broad strategies and 14 recommendations intended to move San Francisco toward a zero‑greenhouse‑gas electricity system.
Hendry recalled the 2002 plan’s goals, including the closure of Hunters Point and Potrero power plants, and noted that Potrero was scheduled to cease operation on the day of the meeting. The updated ERP recommends: 1) empowering residents and businesses to reduce emissions through efficiency and distributed generation; 2) increasing zero‑GHG wholesale electricity applied to city customers (from local and regional sources); and 3) ensuring SFPUC’s financial capacity and reliability to carry out long‑term financing for renewable projects.
The presentation cited constraints: roughly 80% of the city’s electricity is supplied by PG&E or direct access providers and much of the transmission and distribution infrastructure is not city‑owned, limiting direct municipal influence. The plan recognizes the catalytic role CCA could play in reaching city goals and includes references to Clean Power SF and a “green pricing option.”
Public commenters and some commissioners urged stronger CCA treatment. Advocates said the Green Tech advisory committee lacked CCA expertise, that the ERP’s CCA section remained short, and recommended LAFCO use independent consultants to vet the ERP’s CCA assumptions before Board of Supervisors consideration.
Next steps: SFPUC plans to take the updated ERP to the SFPUC meeting on March 8 for endorsement; LAFCO asked SFPUC and staff to coordinate on CCA treatment and for LAFCO to review and report back as needed.
