Petaluma should embrace Sonoma Clean Power

With almost every purchasing decision in our lives, we have a choice. It’s one of the great things about capitalism.

When we need a new car, we go down to the dealership, kick the tires on a few models and choose the best one. At the grocery store, we can stand in the aisle and read the label on dozens of cereal boxes to find the right brand for us.

Now, for the first time since the invention of electricity, Petalumans have a choice of power providers, and like any other decision involving money, it’s important to do the research and become informed about the options.

Sonoma Clean Power, the new public electricity provider, will start serving Petaluma residences and businesses on June 1. This decision was made in December when the Petaluma City Council voted unanimously to participate in the program, joining seven other cities in the county and the unincorporated area.

Traditionally, PG&E, the investor-owned utility, has been the sole power provider in Petaluma. On June 1, all electric accounts will automatically be switched over to Sonoma Clean Power. The automatic enrollment is a feature embedded in the state legislation that created programs like Sonoma Clean Power in 2002 after the reckless actions of a few companies like Enron plunged California into an energy crisis.

These kinds of public power agencies, known as community choice programs, have been around for years in several other states, mostly to save ratepayers money. California’s programs are unique as they have the added goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Sonoma Clean Power was the second such program to launch in the state after Marin Clean Energy. A third program in the southern California city of Lancaster went live this month. Several others could come online soon.

Customers do have the option to opt out of Sonoma Clean Power and remain with PG&E. But if you are planning to opt out, we encourage you to stay awhile and give Sonoma Clean Power a try. You can opt out for free for up to 60 days, and after that it only costs $5 to go back to PG&E.

Sonoma Clean Power has been serving other parts of the county now for a year and they have built a track record of providing power that is about 6 to 9 percent cheaper than PG&E. Low income customers are enjoying an 11 percent savings. With a board governed by elected officials and a public rate setting process coming up, there are indications that rates will continue to be lower than those of PG&E, which must return a profit to its shareholders.

Cheaper rates is not the only reason to stay with Sonoma Clean Power. In one year, the agency has doubled the amount of solar energy used in Sonoma County. Sonoma Clean Power gets its power from sources that are 33 percent renewable - mostly geothermal and solar - compared with PG&E’s 27 percent renewables. For customers who want to go 100 percent green, Sonoma Clean Power offers that option as well, for a premium.

As Petaluma ratepayers switch over to Sonoma Clean Power, PG&E will be doing just fine. The company makes most of its profits on delivering power over the electric lines, which it will still do along with other things it is good at, like fixing downed power poles, billing customers and delivering natural gas.

Sonoma Clean Power customers will continue to get a bill from PG&E. On it will be a PG&E charge for power delivery and a Sonoma Clean Power charge for electric generation. For a true comparison, look at a bill from the same month in the previous year, since power usage varies widely month-to-month. The savings that you should see should be reason enough to stick with Sonoma Clean Power.

As an added bonus, your dollars will be causing more renewable energy to be generated and added to the overall electric grid.

The more people who stay with the program - currently 90 percent of eligible customers are in - the more successful Sonoma Clean Power will be. And since their long-term goals include offering cheaper rates, developing more local renewable power and ultimately creating a cleaner environment, we hope the agency is a success.