August 2, 2010
Clean Energy Too Popular in Marin
Demand for renewable power outstripped new program's supply
Marin can't get enough clean energy—literally.
Marin Clean Energy — a brand-new program that gives people a greener alternative to PG&E — didn't buy enough power to keep up with Marinites who wanted to switch to 100 percent renewable energy in June.
"It just shows that as we projected that there's a high level of interest of consumers that want 100 percent green power," said Dawn Weisz, interim director of the Marin Energy Authority, which runs the program. "Clearly there is a high level of pent-up demand."
Since the launch of the cutting-edge program at the beginning of May, 9,674 Marin County customers have been enrolled automatically. Most are in what is called the "light green" program, in which 25 percent of the electricity comes from renewable sources. Customers must opt out if they want to stay with PG&E.
Extra-eager consumers can sign up for the "deep green" program, in which 100 percent of the power comes from renewable sources, such as hydroelectric, wind, biomass and gas coming off of landfills. The deep greeners pay a 1-cent premium and a $10 monthly service charge for the privilege.
A total of 459 customers, or 4.7 percent, have signed up for deep green. But the Marin Energy Authority hadn't bought enough clean energy and was forced to put 35 customers on a waiting list in June. Two weeks ago, the program was reopened — those on the waiting list are now getting enrolled — after the authority bought more clean energy.
"We bought enough energy to serve about 20 percent of our need in Marin, but we didn't anticipate such a high level of interest in deep green," said Weisz.
Weisz sees the oversubscription as a sign of the program's popularity.
But Jim Phelps, a Novato resident and vocal critic of the program, said it's a sign that customers are getting swept into the program without knowing any better.
"The deep green premium is peanuts," said Phelps. "If you believed in the green banner that they're waving wouldn't you sign up for that?"
"I would think that there would be 80 percent, not 4 percent," Phelps continued.
PG&E did its best to get customers to opt out, "accidentally" sending letters to 6,000 of its customers in May, encouraging them not to switch to the new program and incurring the wrath of state regulators. PG&E also failed in its bid to pass a state proposition to make it more difficult for cities and counties to buy their own power like Marin.
Weisz has said that around 16 to 18 percent of customers are opting out of the program.
Pam Hartwell-Herrero, executive director of Sustainable Fairfax, said she was one of the first to sign up for the 100 percent option. She said there's been little change to her electricity bill.
"Our bill has not increased that we noticed," she said.
The switch came with little to no drama, she said.
"It was like, 'Woo hoo, deep green,'" said Hartwell-Herrero. "And then it's like, 'Oh, that was easy.'"
The towns of Fairfax and Belvedere signed up early on for the deep green program. Most recently, the Northern Marin Water District signed up.
The Marin Energy Authority buys its power from Shell Energy North America. Last month, the county landed at number 13 on the EPA's top 20 local governments that use clean energy.
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