Green Grid In Marin County?

If the result of a recent poll of Marin County residents is a reliable indicator, Marin may be the first county in California to form a countywide power authority and plug homes and businesses into a green grid that is powered by wind, sun, and gas generated by waste products.  In the poll, 74% of the 1000 people questioned were in favor of forming a Marin Cooperative for energy, and 58% said they would be willing to pay more for green power.  Estimates project that the average household would see a $6 per month increase in their electric bills if Marin goes green.

Under the plan, Pacific Gas & Electric would continue to read meters, maintain equipment, bill customers, and deliver electrical power, but the Marin agency would arrange the source of electrical power that PG&E provides.  This plan is made possible by a 2002 law that allows counties and cities to establish their own power authorities, buy power in bulk, and sell it to local customers.  The use of all-green power would allow Marin County to meet the long-term goal of reduced energy-consumption and pollution levels in one year.

Despite the county’s commitment to conservation by providing incentives for building green homes in Marin County, encouraging businesses to “go green”, aggressive recycling programs, and support of a variety of environmentally friendly plans, this proposal comes with some controversy.  PG&E predicts that the plan will not be successful and that it is unlikely that the coalition would be able to deliver greener power that PG&E is already providing.  Some government officials question the viability of the plan, suggesting it hasn’t been thoroughly thought out suggesting that a new governmental agency will need to be created, and a feasible source of green power must be ascertained.

Mid-March is the deadline for county and city officials to decide whether they will join the Marin power authority.  I, for one, will be watching with interest to see what the next year will bring in this effort to step forward bring Marin County to a new level of sustainability.
 

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