Frequently Asked Questions
General
CleanPowerSF is the City’s Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) Program, which allows cities and counties to pool their citizens' purchasing power to buy electricity. CleanPowerSF will enhance local control, create competition, foster increased consumer protections and provide a choice between competing energy supplies.
What are the benefits of CleanPowerSF?
CleanPowerSF provides San Franciscans with tangible environmental and consumer benefits. Foremost, the goal is that CleanPowerSF’s energy will be greener and significantly more renewable than the electricity that PG&E currently supplies businesses and residents with. In fact, a stated CleanPowerSF goal is 51% renewable energy in 10 years, far exceeding the state’s minimum renewable energy requirements – significantly cleaner, greener and more renewable than PG&E’s energy mixture. CleanPowerSF aims to inject an element of competition into San Francisco’s energy markets by giving consumers an alternative choice; residents and businesses can choose from two energy providers (CleanPowerSF or PG&E). Effectively, CleanPowerSF puts you in the driver’s seat of your energy needs. CleanPowerSF plans to provide stable rates over the long term as San Franciscans will be less dependent on limited resources such as fossil fuels. CleanPowerSF’s goal is to have rates competitive with PG&E, while significantly increasing the amount of green energy supplied to the San Francisco electrical grid. Finally, with a long-term goal to build renewable energy generating facilities, CleanPowerSF will create green jobs locally to jumpstart our San Francisco economy.
What are the goals of CleanPowerSF?
The goal of CleanPowerSF is to deliver greener energy to San Francisco residents and businesses. Additionally, CleanPowerSF will also provide consumers a chance to choose between energy suppliers and mixtures, creating a choice where none existed before; it’s that simple!
While the program’s terms are still being finalized, CleanPowerSF’s rates and pricing goals are to remain competitive with PG&E. Additionally, CleanPowerSF plans to offer long-term rate stability allowing families and businesses to budget and plan ahead.
Who will administer CleanPowerSF?
CleanPowerSF will be administered by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), the City’s water, sewer and municipal power utility. The SFPUC already generates approximately 20% of the City’s energy needs through renewable resources like solar power and hydropower that produce zero greenhouse gas emissions. The SFPUC also provides the pristine Hetch Hetchy water delivered by gravity to your tap and award-winning sewage treatment that protects our local waterways.
What if I don’t want to participate in CleanPowerSF?
State law mandates that all CCA entities operate as opt-out programs. This is ideal because it puts you, the consumer, in the driver’s seat. Participation in CleanPowerSF is completely voluntary; consumers will be given four separate opportunities over four months to freely select who they want as their energy provider. Ultimately, the choice is yours; consumers will only benefit by finally having a real and meaningful choice in their electric energy supply.
Can I exit the program at anytime?
Yes!
No, the look, appearance and set-up of your bill will not change. PG&E will continue to send consumers monthly bills; the only immediate change will be that the generation line-item component of your bill will now come from CleanPowerSF. It’s that simple!
Truth/Fact
Is this another Public Power initiative?
No! PG&E will continue to transmit, distribute and own the electrical grid in the City. The only difference is that CleanPowerSF will increase the amount of green energy supplied to the San Francisco electrical grid and delivered to your home or business.
Who is the Common Sense Coalition?
Residents and businesses in San Francisco have received mailers opposing CleanPowerSF from the Common Sense Coalition, a PG&E funded organization. It doesn’t change the fact that CleanPowerSF will provide consumers with greener energy, a choice between energy supplies, competitive pricing and long-term rate stability. Without CleanPowerSF, customers would not have access to any of these options.
CleanPowerSF will not cost City taxpayers anything; the program will be funded entirely by participating ratepayers.