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Chico council unanimously agrees to invite Oroville officials to present on municipal electric efforts
Summary
After a councilmember described Oroville’s experience forming a municipal utility and local generation projects, the council voted 7–0 to invite Oroville staff to present their approach and lessons learned; PG&E warned municipal takeovers carry long‑term cost and wildfire‑mitigation risks.
Councilmember Winslow introduced an informational request about municipal electricity and public power, citing Oroville’s recent moves to develop local generation and a city‑run electric utility to offer service and economic development incentives.
Brenda Narayan, PG&E’s government affairs representative, said municipal utility takeovers are complex, costly and can shift billions in liabilities to remaining customers; she noted recent legislative proposals referenced in the meeting (SB 875) were not moving forward and stressed the need to consider wildfire mitigation and low‑income assistance funding in any evaluation. Winslow asked staff to invite Oroville representatives to brief Chico staff and council on their process and results.
Council voted unanimously to invite Oroville staff and suggested the presentation would be staff‑led and focus on lessons learned and feasibility issues rather than immediate policy commitments.
