Date:April 23, 2014

Action Alert: Sonoma Clean Power Under Attack!

Legislation is scheduled for hearings this month in the CA State Senate that threatens the viability of Sonoma Clean Power and all community choice energy programs in the state of California. The Climate Protection Campaign is working with a statewide coalition of over 140 local governments, businesses, and organizations, Californians for Energy Choice, to defeat it.

The bill, AB 2145, would change the rules in such a way that it would be impossible for new Community Choice energy programs to launch viable and effective programs. The reason why CCA was established with an opt-out structure is that no one ever “opted in” to be a customer of the for-profit utilities, and it is known that opt-in programs do not achieve participation rates that would make a new program viable. The three large California electric utilities have enjoyed near-monopoly status for over 100 years and the opt-out structure was wisely chosen to level the playing field against the enormous marketing power and deep pockets of the status quo.

We need you to voice your opposition to this dangerous legislation!

You can help us defeat AB 2145: 

Click here to sign a petition or send a letter  opposing the bill

Organizations opposing the bill so far include:

The Climate Protection Campaign, Sonoma Clean Power Authority, MCE Clean Energy, California State Association of Counties, League of California Cities, Sierra Club CA, World Wildlife Fund US, Greenlining Institute, California Solar Energy Industries Association, Local Clean Energy Alliance, Green Cities CA, CPUC Division of Ratepayers Advocate, and many others. Visit www.no2145.org for a full and updated list.

Update: Your Action is Still Needed!
Despite all the oppositions and petitions from thousands of concerned Californians, the bill passed the Assembly on Wednesday May 28 with 51-15 vote. It will now move to the Senate where it will be heard by the Energy & Utilities Committee on Monday, June 23rd. Over 150 Organizations & Local Governments in California have come forward to oppose AB 2145. Your continued support is needed to show Senators that this is an unpopular bill that will not serve, local communities, California or the environment. Here is how you can help:

1. Forward this message and the link for the letter to your state senator to your friends: http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/50901/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=10973

2. Call, email or tweet CA Senate Utilities Committee members to oppose 2145, especially if you are the constituents of these Senators:


 

Alex Padilla @SenAlexPadilla
[email protected]
SD 20 - San Fernando Valley
Jean Fuller @JeanFuller
[email protected]
916-651-4018
SD 18 - Kern Tulare San Bernardino
Marty Block @MartyBlock39
[email protected]
916-651-4039
SD 39 - San Diego
Anthony Cannella @AnthonyCannella
[email protected]
916-651-4012
SD 12 - Monterey, San Benito,
Central Valley
Ellen Corbett @EllenCorbettCA
[email protected]
916-651-4010
SD 10 - South East Bay
Kevin De Leon @kdleon
[email protected]
916-651-4022
SD 22 - East LA
Mark DeSaulnier @SenDeSaulnier
[email protected]
916-651-4007
SD 7 - Tri-Valley, Contra Costa
Jerry Hill [email protected]
916-651-4013
SD13 - San Mateo
Steve Knight @stephentknight
[email protected]
916-651-4021
SD 21 - Lancaster, Palmdale
Fran Pavley @SenatorPavley
[email protected]
916-651-4027
SD 27 - Thousand Oaks
Lois Wolk [email protected]
916-651-4003
SD 3 - Napa, Sonoma, Davis

3. Send a letter to the editor of your local or regional newspaper

4. Attend the public hearing in Sacramento. Car pool will be organized from Bay Area.

Energy, Utilities And Communications Committee Hearings
Monday, June 23rd, 2014 @ 3:30 p.m.
State Capitol, Room 112
Sacramento, CA 95814

 

More Details:

AB 2145 will effectively destroy Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), the single most powerful tool available to local governments to significantly and rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by increasing renewable energy. In 2008, CPC identified CCA as the single most powerful measure under local control to achieve the greatest GHG reductions in the shortest period of time at the lowest cost. CCA builds local economic strength and resilience due to its ability to catalyze private sector activity developing energy efficiency and renewable energy.

From its experience with deregulation, California learned that even if a superior service is available, an opt-in choice structure results in only miniscule participation rates, well below ten percent. Such low participation is not adequate for a program to be viable or to achieve the scale required to realize intended environmental benefits.

Here in Sonoma County, the Climate Protection Campaign spearheaded the development of California’s second operational CCA, Sonoma Clean Power which is on track to launch on May 1 this year. The opt-out vs. opt-in choice structure was vigorously debated in the formation process over a two and a half year period. Ultimately most people came to understand and accept that in the case of CCA, an opt-out choice structure is the only choice structure that makes sense.

Passage of AB 2145 will effectively kill CCA and therefore deny local communities a choice, market competition, local jobs, and acceleration toward achievement of California’s renewable energy and GHG reduction goals.

The Assembly Utility and Commerce Committee (U&C Committee), Chaired by Assemblyman Bradford, is scheduled to vote next Monday, April 28. If you can, please join us in Sacramento to voice your opposition. The hearing is set for April 28 at 3 pm, State Capitol, Room 437, in Sacramento. If the bill passes out of the Assembly U&C Committee, it will proceed to Assembly Appropriations andthen to the Assembly Floor.

Key Talking Points: We oppose AB 2145 because… 

  • It is a CCA killer bill that severely limits Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) in the State of California
  • It is being brought forward by a union labor lobbyist on behalf of the large utilities, not the rank & file worker
  • It is pro-monopoly and protects the status quo by returning market power to shareholder-controlled utilities
  • It thwarts the achievement of local environmental goals and greenhouse gas reduction targets
  • It is an assault on local decision-making and a community’s statutory right to provide consumer energy choice under AB 117
  • It ignores the fact that every other CCA state in the country uses an opt-out process for electricity aggregation
  • It is anti-consumer; AB 2145 creates a problem where none exists and fails to acknowledge that without CCA, energy consumers have no choice in their electricity provider.