Sebastopol council hears pitch for county power agency

<p>A plan to form a public agency to provide electric power in Sonoma County, which is touted as a boon for renewable energy and the environment, was pitched Tuesday night to the Sebastopol City Council.</p><p>The process, called Community Choice Aggregation, would create a power agency consisting of Sonoma County government, the county water agency and the nine cities. It is allowed under a 2002 state law that lets local governments buy energy on the wholesale market.</p><p>"We would no longer be dependent on PG&E, which is a monopoly," said Cordel Stillman, deputy chief engineer for the water agency, which is developing the program.</p><p>The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors endorsed the program April 10 and it is being presented now to city councils to gauge their interest.</p><p>The next step is a series of workshops for the cities later this year and negotiations to form a joint powers agreement, at which time cities can decide whether to join. The final steps would be a request for supply proposals from energy companies and service that could begin as early as next summer.</p><p>Under the program, the local agency would purchase power, but the utility company, in this case PG&E, would retain billing, metering and transmission operations.</p><p>Supporters contend the goal of 50 percent renewable energy sources would provide a boost for the environment and cut greenhouse gases, as well as create local jobs.</p><p>"We are talking about jobs that will come from the solar contractors and the contractors who will be doing retrofits to homes," said Jeff Mathias of Solar Synergy, a Sebastopol solar company.</p><p>Backers also contend that PG&E collects $160 million to $200 million a year from local ratepayers, which is money that could go back into the local economy.</p><p>However, the move could prove costly to ratepayers, Stillman said. A study last year predicted that over the first 20 years, a typical customer's monthly bill would be $4 to $10 more than what PG&E charges. After that, rates are expected to be lower than what PG&E charges.</p><p>The program also could cost $3 million to $8 million to start and would need oversight boards to run it.</p><p>"Is there going to be a place for people to hold the organization accountable?" asked Bryan Cooper of Sebastopol, who was one of a few people who warned about jumping on the bandwagon too soon.</p><p>The Sebastopol council didn't take a position, but a few members said they wanted it to proceed.</p><p>"It is an incredible project, it will create jobs and it will decrease greenhouse gases," Councilwoman Kathleen Shaffer said.</p><p>(You can reach Staff Writer Bob Norberg at 521-5206 or bob.norberg@pressdemocrat.com.)</p>