Sonoma Clean Power coming to Petaluma
Petaluma residents and businesses are weighing their options as Sonoma Clean Power, the county’s homegrown public power agency, prepares to become the city’s default electricity provider on June 1.
Petaluma ratepayers - along with ratepayers in Rohnert Park and Cloverdale - will automatically transition to Sonoma Clean Power on the first day of their new billing cycle in June. The three cities mark the final wave of Sonoma County municipalities to join the agency, which began serving customers in May of last year. Customers have the option of opting out and staying with PG&E, the investor-owned utility.
Staff from Sonoma Clean Power are holding several meetings in Petaluma to spread the word of the upcoming transition, arguing the merits of a locally controlled service that currently offers both lower rates and a greener mix of power than PG&E.
“We’re getting really good, reliable results in terms of lowering greenhouse gas emissions while offering something everybody wants,” said Geof Syphers, CEO of Sonoma Clean Power.
Through a model known as community choice aggregation, Sonoma Clean Power purchases electricity on behalf of its customers and delivers it over the grid largely maintained by PG&E. It is the second such agency in California after MCE Clean Energy, which launched as Marin Clean Energy in 2010.
Petaluma’s decision
Petaluma was among the three cities that chose to sit out of the initial launch of Sonoma Clean Power, adopting a wait-and-see approach as the agency began serving ratepayers in Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Cotati, Windsor, Sebastopol and the unincorporated county in May of last year. Healdsburg operates its own utility, and is thus not eligible for the service.
Councilman Dave King, who represents Petaluma on the joint powers authority overseeing Sonoma Clean Power, applauded the city’s caution as a prudent step. As the agency marks one year of service, King said it has managed several accomplishments that bode well for Petalumans.
“First and foremost, the rates are lower than the competitor. You get the same product for a lower amount of money,” he said.
While lower rates are secondary to Sonoma Clean Power’s environmental goals, the agency currently averages between 6 percent and 9 percent cheaper than PG&E. Its board of directors recently voiced strong support in maintaining current rates when the subject is put up for a vote in June, along with a 3 percent boost to the renewable energy in its power mix.
Its baseline “CleanStart” program offers a 33 percent mix of renewable energy and a total of 70 percent from emission-free sources, compared to PG&E’s 27 percent renewables and 60 percent emission-free, according to information from the agencies. A premium “EverGreen” program offers 100 percent renewable power from geothermal sources in Sonoma and Lake Counties for a higher rate.
Public has questions
Questions were varied at a recent Sonoma Clean Power public workshop in Petaluma. Several in attendance brought the postcard they received from the agency in April, with some saying it was the first they had heard of the new agency. Others were well versed in Sonoma Clean Power’s history, asking targeted questions about the agency’s governance.
A representative from Sonoma Clean Power, Nathan Kinsey, addressed concerns. Special PG&E programs for low-income customers and those with medical requirements continue with Sonoma Clean Power, he explained. Those who wish to return to service from PG&E can do so at any time, but will pay a fee if opting out after the first 60 days of service - $5 for residential accounts, and $25 for commercial, he said.
“I like to do my homework beforehand,” said Pam Tarango, a Petaluma resident who plans to bring the information back to five of her neighbors. “Personally, I’m going to give it a month.”
As the largest individual power users in the city, Petaluma businesses have been watching Sonoma Clean Power’s rollout closely since the Sonoma County Water Agency first began investigating the feasibility of an agency in 2011, said Onita Pellegrini, CEO of the Petaluma Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Every business and every resident needs to weigh the pros and cons with their own needs,” she said.
Commercial accounts
Still, some of Petaluma’s largest power users said they are leaning strongly toward becoming a Sonoma Clean Power customer.
Lagunitas Brewing Company, which has embarked on several initiatives to reduce electricity, water and sewer use in recent years, is likely to go with Sonoma Clean Power after the June rollout, said Chief Financial Officer Leon Sharyon. The company uses an average of 425,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month, or as much as 760 homes.
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: