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San Fran is not a very bright place. The city leaders have created an energy plan, which if it worked, would raise the cost of energy by at least 24%.
"The idea is for the city to buy energy from solar, wind and other clean sources for homes and businesses, then distribute it over Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s transmission lines. The city would not actually take over the utility's equipment.
"Considering that PG&E's portfolio is less than 20 percent green - and that includes nuclear power - we should be able to have the right to provide a choice to customers," said Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi.
Maybe, but a 2007 city controller's report concluded that a typical residential utility bill under this type of plan could go up by 24 percent if only half the purchased energy is green. The cost would almost certainly go even higher if the city went totally green, the report said."
But, it is for a good cause--the leadership of San Fran all suffer from a serious disease--AGS (Al Gore Syndrome).
This is a sure money loser. "Severin Borenstein, co-director of the Energy Institute at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, said the chances of actually saving money are "pretty much nonexistent" for any local government that gets into the power business.
The idea, he said, "is fraught with dangers," given the complexities of the market."
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"The idea is for the city to buy energy from solar, wind and other clean sources for homes and businesses, then distribute it over Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s transmission lines. The city would not actually take over the utility's equipment.
"Considering that PG&E's portfolio is less than 20 percent green - and that includes nuclear power - we should be able to have the right to provide a choice to customers," said Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi.
Maybe, but a 2007 city controller's report concluded that a typical residential utility bill under this type of plan could go up by 24 percent if only half the purchased energy is green. The cost would almost certainly go even higher if the city went totally green, the report said."
But, it is for a good cause--the leadership of San Fran all suffer from a serious disease--AGS (Al Gore Syndrome).
This is a sure money loser. "Severin Borenstein, co-director of the Energy Institute at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, said the chances of actually saving money are "pretty much nonexistent" for any local government that gets into the power business.
The idea, he said, "is fraught with dangers," given the complexities of the market."
More...