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SFPUC, Local Power and LAFCO spar over Golden Gate tidal potential as new CCA director introduced
Summary
At a joint LAFCO/SFPUC discussion, Local Power and SFPUC/URS consultants clashed over the feasibility and safety of generating tidal power near the Golden Gate. SFPUC introduced Mike Campbell as new CCA director; commissioners demanded more data and peer review before relying on tidal power for the CCA portfolio.
San Francisco’s LAFCO heard an extended technical exchange over the draft Local Power CCA report and written comments from SFPUC consultant Dr. Ian Austin (URS), with the commission urging further study before relying on tidal power in the CCA portfolio.
Barbara Hale of the SFPUC presented URS’s comments and introduced Mike Campbell as the new CCA director; Campbell summarized his energy experience at the California Public Utilities Commission and PG&E and said the SFPUC aims to work closely with LAFCO and Local Power on rollout and outreach.
Local Power (represented by Paul Fenn) defended the draft report’s conclusion that tidal power could contribute to the CCA portfolio and said further measurements would firm up the estimates. URS/Dr. Austin and commissioners countered that existing analyses rely on decades-old data and that site selection for Golden Gate tidal turbines raises technical, cost and safety concerns.
At several points, a URS representative described the project’s site-selection tradeoffs as "nonlinear," arguing that achieving the scale (the report cites ~10 megawatts) necessary for price competitiveness likely requires accessing deep, hazardous channels that could dramatically raise costs and construction risks. One speaker stated bluntly that workers could be endangered during construction, an assertion that commissioners called sobering and that the commission said must be weighed against other renewable options.
Commissioners repeatedly asked that Local Power respond point‑by‑point to URS comments and produce a final report and supporting data. Staff and Local Power said they would deliver a revised final draft by the end of the month and return to the commission in January for a more thorough vetting. No final decision was made on including tidal generation in the CCA portfolio.
