Webpages

Monday, April 22, 2013

USA, California:

Power Brokers: Sonoma County Plan Imminent (Santa Rosa Press Democrat)

Five months from now, Sonoma County intends to launch its program to become the power supplier to 220,000 local homes and businesses, displacing Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) from its position of energy dominance.

At stake in the short term is up to $170 million in annual revenue.

County supervisors this week begin a series of rapid decisions to implement a program that assumes customers — who can opt out — prefer a program designed to rely more heavily on renewable energy and shrink the county's carbon footprint.

On its face, the public power immediately would be 65 percent greener than PG&E's. It would be drawn from a portfolio with a third of its sources in renewable power — wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and small hydroelectric projects — versus the roughly 20 percent renewable share that would come next year from PG&E.

Read More......