LAFCO hears Clean Power SF update as SFPUC readies outreach and opt-out mailers

The Local Agency Formation Commission on the record received an update on Clean Power SF and community-choice aggregation efforts, including the submission of an implementation plan to the California Public Utilities Commission.

Mike Campbell, Community Choice Aggregation director for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Power Enterprise, said the implementation plan was submitted to the CPUC on March 3 and that the CPUC has statutory review time to oversee the filing. "We're still hoping for certification by May 3," Campbell said, adding that the CPUC has up to 90 days to complete its review and that PG&E had submitted comments the city is reviewing. He said the city is negotiating with a prospective supplier, Power Choice, and working on a service agreement with PG&E to handle customer data and billing. Campbell said the city is seeking a self-funded program that "doesn't require or have the risk of there being any funds having to come from the general fund."

Charles Sheehan, communications manager for SFPUC Power Enterprise, described outreach steps already under way: neighborhood briefings, meetings with ethnic and interest groups, and finalizing opt-out mailers so customers receive an informed choice. "We are in the process of finalizing our opt-out mailers," Sheehan said, adding that staff and contractors are preparing notices to meet statutory requirements for opt-out information.

Commissioners pressed staff on rate-setting and how recent PG&E proposals could affect comparisons. Commissioner Borenstein asked how PG&E’s move from five residential tiers to three would be taken into account; Campbell said it is premature to finalize term-sheet rate structures but emphasized the need for an "apples-to-apples" comparison across customer classes so residents can readily compare CCA and PG&E bills. "To the extent that PG&E raises the rates of San Franciscans and makes those rates higher, it makes our program all the more cost effective," he said.

Public comment reinforced outreach timing concerns. Eric Brooks of Our City and the San Francisco Green Party urged the SFPUC and LAFCO to finalize contracting for the mailing vendor immediately so opt-out mailers could be printed and mailed in early April.

Interim Executive Officer Nancy Miller told the commission staff will continue working with the CPUC on marketing, notices and outreach and will bring a documented outreach plan back to the commission for review.

Next steps: staff said term-sheet negotiations are ongoing, outreach will continue before opt-out notices are mailed, and the commission will receive formal documentation of the outreach plan in a future meeting.