Belvedere City Manager’s Blog

Marin Clean Energy Logo - Click For Link

In September, the City Council held a special Study Session on the Marin Clean Energy proposal that has been floating around the County for the last two years+.  This wasn’t the first time the Belvedere Council heard the proposal and it wasn’t the first bit of information they had received on it.  Prior to this public meeting they had had one other public meeting and they had received a nearly 4 inch thick binder on the details including the business plan, a draft ordinance, a draft JPA agreement, and literally stacks of answered Q&A.  Plus - Marin Clean Energy has had a website up and going with ALL of the details:  www.marincleanenergy.info.  

So, at this special Study Session, the consensus of the Council after hearing a presentation by Marin Clean Energy and PG&E was to bring the item back for consideration as an Ordinance and JPA Agreement.  That’s the next step for the City to be involved.  In fact, that’s next step for all the agencies in Marin and the County.  It is anticipated that they all will be taking action one way or another by the end of December. 

Is there risk? Certainly.  But that risk would be limited to the JPA itself.  The JPA would be separate legal entity - not the respective individual jurisdictions.  Are local elected officials experts in the energy market?  No.  Not likely.  And neither are any of the Marin Manager’s in each jurisdiction.  That’s why the JPA, as a separate legal entity, would hire professional staff experienced in the energy market.  We all know there are plenty of consultants out there in the business.  As a separate legal entity, any financial risk involved would be limited to the JPA and each agency’s general fund would be isolated.  Streets and roads, public safety, local projects, and community would continue to be the focus of local agency budgets.   

On Monday night at Tiburon Town Hall, the City of Belvedere and Town of Tiburon are hosting another informational meeting on the issue (7 p.m. Tiburon Town Hall).  Your attendance is greatly encouraged.  It will involve plenty of opportunity for Q&A.  Whether or not to form a JPA and adopt ordinances is not something that will be coming before the voters.  It is a decision that rests with each jurisdiction.  The jurisdiction can choose not to participate.  However, in doing so, every residence and business within the jurisdiction must remain with PG&E.  They will not have the opportunity to choose between staying with PG&E or staying with Marin Clean Energy.  At the end of the day, from my perspective it comes down to the opportunity for choice.  If Belvedere decides not to join the JPA, residents and business owners in Belvedere do not have the choice of green energy over brown - at whatever the difference in price.  

Check out the Marin Clean Energy website (www.marincleanenergy.info).  Come to the Community Forum on Monday.  Voice your opinion.  It always counts and always helps.