It is time to maximize the potential of clean, renewable energy. Technologies are proven, and market acceptance has begun. Now we can go big.
Solar power has been growing, but is nowhere near its capacity. At least 20 percent of our roofs should have solar panels. Wind power is a good option for some carefully selected locations. Sonoma County is blessed with the Geysers, which could produce a majority of our power. We could also be getting power from 
our waste stream. And we can do much more to modernize our buildings to use less power. Plus, the $225 million we pay every year for electricity currently is a drain on the local economy – it should be employing people and paying for energy projects right here in Sonoma County.
Sonoma Clean Power Can Get Us There
Sonoma Clean Power is a proposal for a public-private partnership that would offer electricity from cleaner sources at rates that are competitive with those of PG&E. It could get cleaner power for a similar price for three reasons:
- A power provider that cares about local economic development would favor local projects and help overcome the challenges of permitting and financing local renewable energy facilities.
- PG&E’s business model is large, centralized power plants, and a lot of electricity is lost over their long distance power lines. A local electricity provider would focus on small scale plants closer to consumers.
- Renewable energy would create long-term rate stability. A local provider would value this more than a company that is not closely connected to the community.
Sonoma Clean Power is the most powerful local solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Done right, it could provide 67% of our power needs from local renewables, a dramatic increase over PG&E’s projections – reducing emissions from the electricity sector by 50%-70%. According to the County’s feasibility study, it could also create up to 1500 new jobs in the community.
Check out our flier on Sonoma Clean Power
Sonoma County is endowed with a wide variety of renewable energy sources. In addition to the well-known solar and wind power possibilities, Sonoma County is home to the Geysers in the northeast corner of the county, the largest developed geothermal resource in the world. Our analysis concludes that significant excess capacity exists at the Geysers, up to about 125 megawatts, that can be tapped to provide power to Sonoma County. As an agricultural county, we produce large quantities of material – ag-waste – that can be harnessed as an energy source in anaerobic digester systems that produce methane, which can then be burned to produce electrical power.
Sonoma Clean Power was featured recently in the North Bay Report on KRCB: “Using the money we pay for electricity to fund the creation of renewable power sources is the concept behind Sonoma Clean Power. From chicken manure to geothermal steam, Sonoma County is rife with renewable energy potential. A new public-private partnership, currently being studied, could accelerate the development of those “green” power sources. The link to the interview with Woody Hastings can be found here: NBR_07.12.11_SonomaCleanEnergy
CCA Resources
CCA Statewide Team
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| CCA Statewide Team |
| Visit this group |
Other Community Choice Aggregation Programs
Marin Energy Authority - First Community Choice Aggregation in California to “Go Live” in May of 2010
Cape Light Compact - In Massachusetts, has been in operation since 1997
NOPEC - In Ohio, has been in operation since the late 1990s
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Recent News and Events:
From “Top 10 Stories of 2010,” (Scroll to #8) North Bay Business Journal, January 3, 2011, by Jenna V. Loceff
Link to slides presented by Marin Supervisor Charles McGlashan [12.1mb], February 2011.
Link to similar presentation from San Francisco Public Utilities Commission on Clean Power SF.
Link to PD March 23, 2011 article Sonoma County may launch public power agency.
Link to videos of Feb. 2, 2011 McGlashan presentation.
Link to Profile of Lori Grace, pioneer philanthropist, and Marin Clean Energy supporter and investor.
Clean Energy and Climate Change
How we as a society generate and use energy is directly linked to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.
Currently, most of our power comes from carbon dioxide-emitting fossil energy, and dangerous nuclear energy. The more rapidly we can transition to cleaner, safer, local renewable energy sources, the more rapidly we will make progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Our work in the renewable energy sector is aimed at facilitating this transition at the speed and scale required to make the desired outcome a reality. It is comprised of two programs, the Renewable Energy Secure Communities (RESCO) program, and the Sonoma Clean Power (SCP) program.
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RESCO (Renewable Energy Secure Communities)
The RESCO program takes a very close look at energy use and renewable energy sources available in Sonoma County and analyzes them to determine how to optimize renewable energy deployment. Its purpose is to develop and demonstrate a model for locally owned, cost-effective renewable energy that helps us meet our greenhouse gas reduction goals. It is a multi-year (2009-2013), multi-partner program funded by the California Energy Commission. For more information visit Sonoma RESCO.
Can it be done? We know that the answer is yes because examples exist. Here is just one example – a town in Germany that produces more clean power than it needs and sells the surplus to the grid!
