PROP H WIND TURBINES INSTALLED ON PG&E HQ
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PG&E’s record-breaking $9.9 million opposition to Prop H said to be obstructing San Francisco’s chance for renewable and cheaper energy

SAN FRANCISCO — In front of PG&E’s downtown headquarters at 77 Beale St. at Market, three twelve-foot wind turbines were constructed by citizens eager to see Prop H pass and begin a green job and affordable green energy future. Citizens wearing green hard hats and worker overalls promptly descended on PG&E’s headquarters and constructed the wind turbine art installations. PG&E provides the City with only 2% wind energy, and 1% solar, for a total of 14% renewable energy, while Prop H would develop thousands of green jobs and move San Francisco’s energy provider to 51% renewable and clean energy in a decade, 75% by 2030 and will maximize all available and affordable renewable energy possible by 2040.

Prop H is the most robust renewable energy policy ever seriously considered in the country, and yet is more modest than Al Gore’s recent call to America to achieve 100% renewable energy in a decade.  Prop H authorizes the City to achieve the renewable energy targets in the most cost-effective and pragmatic means necessary – including Community Choice and public power – the latter of which generates wind and solar energy at rates that are 10% and 49% cheaper than private utilities’ rates – according to the California Energy Commission.

About the Cost, Opportunity for Green Job Development.
Energy policy consulting firm Navigant Consulting researched CCA and confirmed that the City could attain 51% of its electricity from renewables and efficiency at rates that meet or beat PG&E’s.   This report is posted on the SFPUC website.  In California, wind power is 10% cheaper, and solar PV is 49% cheaper when generated through public power compared to privately generated power such as PG&E, according to the California Energy Commission’s “Levalized Cost Report” released December 2007.  “Publicly owned plants are the least expensive because of lower financing costs,” confirms the CEC. The data demonstrates this consistency for renewables as well as conventional combine energy that is 8% cheaper that PG&E’s private rates.  

Over 4.2 million U.S. jobs could be created by 2038 if the U.S. electricity grid transitioned to 40% renewable energy, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ New Green Jobs Report released on 10/2/08.  Prop H is a major policy opportunity to start this national green job development, and explicitly directs the PUC to develop a comprehensive job development plan – which is seen a huge economic opportunity during this economic crisis.  Nationally-renown green job proponents – including Van Jones of Green for All- are strongly endorsing Prop H as a model policy for the country to follow.  Other green job endorsers include: Literacy for Environmental Justice, Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, and the Green Party, 

Thanks to Aliza Wasserman for the text!