Poll: Residents nearly split on clean power

The results were nearly split in an online Argus-Courier poll that asked residents if they would stay with PG&E or go with Sonoma Clean Power once the new public energy provider begins servicing Petaluma in June. Fourty-seven percent of those responding to the poll plan to stay with PG&E while 34 percent plan to move to Sonoma Clean Power.

Eighteen percent of the respondents are not sure what they will do.

Here are some of the comments:

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“Cheaper, cleaner, local.”

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“The letter I got in the mail saying that I was becoming a customer of SCP just ticked me off. I checked on whether it was a scam or not, then opted out. Not that PG&E doesn’t have a lot of improvement to do on itself.”

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“Depends on pricing and service.”

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“Staying with PG&E. I don’t think the cost savings is enough of an incentive to switch and do not like the fact that you are automatically enrolled in SCP and have to spend time to opt out to go back to PG&E. Also, I don’t think local government should be involved in being a utility. Let PG&E do it and regulate it as they already have the infrastructure to do so.”

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“Why on earth would anyone stay with PG&E?”

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“You have got to be pulling my chain, clean power will increase my bill 30 percent.”

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“Sonoma Clean Power is a ruse. They are following the model in Marin that was put together with your tax dollars. As it all goes through PG&E lines, trying to tell the public this amount came from wind is … windy.”

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“Do I have a choice? I understood that everyone would automatically be enrolled in Sonoma Clean Power.”

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“For a small user the addition of a franchise fee makes Sonoma Power about the same price as PG&E. Plus, government should not be in the energy business but do their real job and regulate the providers. We don’t need more government employees with exorbitant benefit and pension funds.”

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“We are so happy to have the option of opting out of fossil fuels for our energy use. It is a very small price to pay for the peace of mind of using clean energy.”

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“I’ll stay with PG&E. It’s a farse, to go with the other guys, I feel they tried to trick the public by automatically trying to connect us with them without asking first! It’s a no-brainer, here.”

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“I don’t know anything about Sonoma Clean power. Cost? I haven’t received any correspondence from Sonoma Clean Power. Who are they? Where are they? Somebody send info on the above.”

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“I have already opted out of Sonoma Greed Power and was very happy to do so. I am no big fan of PG&E, but this is no viable long-term alternative. Most people don’t know that PG&E is forbidden by law from presenting their case against entities such as SCP. That is why it is opt-out rather than the more realistic opt-in. PG&E’s hydroelectric power was not included in their renewal energy numbers. Now why is that? And if SCP’s monstrous overhead doesn’t scare you, then you’re not paying attention.”

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“PG&E offers the balanced payment plan for electricity while SCP doesn’t.”

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“Sonoma Clean Power? Buy and sell power, get a great pension at tax payer’s expense?”

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