(*& Hope, It’s Action Time! Marin Energy Now

MMOB + Transition + Alliance up for a little Marin Energy push against PG&E?

Hello hello -

So last year (can it be that long ago?), together with the Sustainables, Sierra Club, and the rest of the groups in our hearty Marin Clean Energy alliance—PLUS the West Marin Localization Network now Transition West Marin—we MMOBsters and Alliance and Transition folks were all sweetly successful in helping get Marin Clean Energy through the hurdles to form the Marin Energy Authority.

Now it’s crunch time again. That little post-inaugural “Hope Hiatus” is long past and local action’s really the only daily answer, so….

Marin can KICK ASS on climate, with Marin Energy, but PG&E’s pulling out all stops to quash it here, then close the door on all future efforts toward local power in the state with a ballot initiative, because that’s what monopolies do. Marin’s out in front right now, will be the only jurisdiction in California under contract as a CCA, if this next push goes right. PG&E’s efforts including that stinky initiative on the June 3rd ballot, a lawsuit against the Marin Energy Authority, $30 million dollars (I hear) spent against it so far, and lies–plenty of lies. (One piece of great news is that San Rafael is no longer wobbly, with the recent election of the EXCELLENT Mark Levine to that City Council, joining stalwart Marin Energy supporters Greg Brockbank & Damon Connelly. Also, there has been a somewhat successful complaint filed by Barbara George against PG&E with the CPUC––to prevent them using OUR Public Goods efficiency monies in quid pro quo offer$ to the Novato City Council against joining Marin Energy.)

So the City Councils are being leaned on hard by PG&E to back out in the next 6 weeks, with a calendar of their meetings below. The Marin Energy Authority votes on February 4th to go with the (hold your nose) Shell contract or not.

“Hang tough, Councilmembers!” There is a call out for letter-writing and/or bodies at the City Council meetings. It might also be useful to consider MMOB et al postcards to the members of the CA Public Utilities Commission in SF to rein in PG&Es spending & interference in our local democratic decision-making.

Here is the schedule so far, fyi:

MARIN ENERGY CALENDAR (I pulled details off of www.marinenergyauthority.org)

• ROSS CITY COUNCIL December 10, 7-8pm
  31 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
• BELVEDERE CITY COUNCIL Monday, December 14, 7-8pm
  City Hall, 450 San Rafael Avenue
• MARIN ENERGY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING Wednesday, December 16, 10-11am
  Marin Civic Center, Room 324a
• NOVATO MARIN ENERGY FORUM Wednesday, December 16th, 7-9pm
  Novato Forum on Marin Energy Authority; Novato City Council members attending (www.sustainablenovato.org for more)
  Location: Novato School District Office at 1015 7th Street, Novato
• MILL VALLEY CITY COUNCIL, MARIN ENERGY Monday,January 4th, 7:30-8:30pm
• MARIN ENERGY MONTHLY BOARD MEETING, Thursday, January 7th, 7-9pm
  1 McInnis Parkway, San Rafael
• BELVEDERE CITY COUNCIL MARIN ENERGY, Monday, January 11th, 7:30-8:30pm
  City Hall, 450 San Rafael Ave
• SAUSALITO CITY COUNCIL MARIN ENERGY, Tuesday, January 12th, 7-8pm
  420 Litho Street
• MARIN ENERGY MONTHLY BOARD MEETING: VOTE ON CONTRACT! Thursday, February 4th, 7-9pm
  1 McInnis Parkway, San Rafael

ADDRESSES

CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
505 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
415.703.2782
800.848.5580 (Toll Free)

CPUC Commissioners
Michael R. Peevey, President
Dian M. Grueneich
John A. Bohn
Rachelle Chon
Timothy Alan Simon

USEFUL DOCUMENTS FROM MARIN ENERGY AUTHORITY
This powerpoint shows a new-to-me VERY useful slide on the COSTS to the cities to comply with state law AB32 emissions reductions WITH and WITHOUT Marin Energy. Big savings with Marin Energy. Another one shows how Marin Energy blows PG&E out on cost savings over time, and of course, on emissions reduction.

This doc is Marin Energy’s very effective response to the glop put out in Monday’s Grand Jury report on Marin Energy: