Lake County’s decade-long consideration of an alternative choice to Pacific Fuel & Electrical because the provider of energy to residents and enterprise has been pushed again once more.
Each the Board of Supervisors and Lakeport Metropolis Council on Tuesday declined to maneuver ahead with becoming a member of Sonoma Clear Energy.
The supervisors didn’t safe assist to vote on approving the partnership throughout their morning assembly. And Lakeport’s council members, seeking to the county’s transfer, additionally opted for extra examine. That adopted the Clearlake Metropolis Council’s divided vote Oct. 2 in opposition to becoming a member of.
The provide required all three to affix collectively. Due to the lead time required by the California Public Utilities Fee for implementing a neighborhood alternative aggregation energy supplier in an space, Sonoma Clear Energy had been hoping to assessment Lake County selections at its November board assembly, permitting service to begin in Could 2027.
The proposal would have supplied Lake County residents with an alternative choice to PG&E’s energy era sources whereas delivered on the utility’s transmission and distribution infrastructure. Supporters emphasised the potential for decrease charges and native illustration on Sonoma Clear Energy’s board.
“We can not proceed being held hostage by PG&E’s de facto monopoly and it being our solely choice for energy era,” mentioned Arnaud Hubert, a Kelseyville resident who sits on the county’s Large Valley Advisory Council. “We generate energy proper right here on this county. So let’s shut the loop.”
The Geysers, the world’s largest geothermal discipline, spans Sonoma and Lake counties. Dozens of energy plans there produce 725 megawatts of electrical energy. Sonoma Clear Energy is backing a geothermal alternative zone, or GeoZone, so as to add as much as 600 megawatts through new applied sciences that don’t require huge portions of handled wastewater now pumped to the vegetation from Santa Rosa and cities round Clear Lake. Six-hundred megawatts ins sufficient power to energy roughly 450,000 houses.
Supervisor Jessica Pyska mentioned it was time to take motion on the ability company’s proposal.
“That is the deal that we’ve been engaged on for a very very long time. I believe we simply must make this determination and transfer ahead,” Pyska mentioned.
Nonetheless, the supervisors in the end directed workers to discover different choices for neighborhood alternative aggregation, a sort of different supplier allowed below state legislation, and conduct extra detailed cost-benefit analyses reasonably than committing to Sonoma Clear Energy.
“I wish to develop the dialog and see what else is obtainable, as a result of what I see offers me pause and hesitation…,” mentioned Supervisor Bruno Sabatier.
By night, the Lakeport Metropolis Council confronted a modified political panorama.
“Given the … Board of Supervisors’ motion in the present day to not transfer ahead, there actually is not any provide at present from Sonoma Clear Energy,” Metropolis Supervisor Kevin Ingram advised the council.
Geof Syphers, Sonoma Clear Energy’s CEO, expressed frustration in the course of the council assembly. “After 10 years of requests from Lake County, beginning in 2015, and three rounds of Lake County requests to us for service, I get a little bit confused about Lake County’s real curiosity,” Syphers mentioned. “So I’ll be candid tonight. We spent — between the 2 feasibility research we’ve completed — nearly $90,000 on the expense of ratepayers in Sonoma and Mendocino counties.”
Syphers additionally addressed tribal outreach considerations that had been raised by some supervisors and council members in Clearlake and Lakeport.
“Again in April this yr, our tribal liaison jogged my memory that we had requested the county and the chair of the supervisors to introduce us to native tribes to tell the county’s vote, and we ended up getting no response to that request,” Syphers mentioned.
Some Lakeport council members expressed disappointment on the missed alternative.
“I used to be actually excited to present our residents another choice moreover PG&E. We hear on a regular basis about the way it’s killing small companies…. I want we have been a bigger metropolis the place we may simply go at it ourself and never want the county assist,” mentioned Mayor Professional Tem Brandon Disney.
Sonoma Clear Energy board Chairman Brian Barnacle advised the Journal on Wednesday the company had been wanting ahead to “serving to Lake County residents, companies, and tribes get monetary savings and form their power future. However after greater than 10 years of exploration, the Lake County supervisors weren’t able to commit. Tuesday’s final result is disappointing, however the decision is welcomed.”
Jeff Quackenbush joined North Bay Enterprise Journal in Could 1999. He covers primarily wine, building and actual property. Attain him at jeff@nbbj.information or 707-521-4256.
