Marin Clean Energy's Deep Green Slush Fund

This is Part II of MCE’s Deep Green – the BIG Lie

“We checked it and re-checked it, and debated it and re-debated it, and re-checked it…  there’s enough renewable power available in today’s marketplace for us to buy… create a rate-revenue stream, and direct that rate-revenue stream into local investments and local power production with no cost premium.” 

Charles McGlashan (note 1).

Really? No premium? No. MCE will keep the profits it makes off its Deep Green customers and put that money into a development slush fund. The following questions must be addressed by MCE:         

Why is a not-for-profit government agency earning a profit? 

Last year MCE turned a $103,000 profit on its Deep Green customers. That money belongs to the ratepayers, not MCE. Nevertheless, MCE will raise its prices another 7 percent in July on top of prices that are already 14 percent higher than Light Green rates.  What happened to MCE prices that were supposed to be 20 percent lower than PG&E? (note 2)     

MCE’s “local” vision will cost $42 million - $70 million for a 2-1/2 percent dent.

MCE recently reported to the Marin Independent Journal that constructing one megawatt of solar costs between $3 million and $5 million. The San Rafael Airport cost $3 million (note 3). If MCE’s vision of constructing 14 megawatts of solar is completed it’ll make about a 2-1/2 percent dent in the annual energy consumption of all households in Marin and Richmond. The solar panels will require the space of about seven (7) Vintage Oaks parking lots.          

Is MCE technically competent?

Twice MCE staff miscalculated and misapplied performance factors for the Chinese solar panels at its now cancelled 15 megawatt Rio Solar farm. In both instances MCE would have been significantly short of its annual energy needs. “Resulting energy shortage” in the following table is stated in terms of equivalent San Rafael Airport solar projects:

                      MCE’s record at Rio Solar 15 MW solar farm

Source

Performance Factor

Annual Energy

Resulting energy

shortage

MCE verbal to Board

MCE wants to spend upwards $50 million for a 2-1/2 percent dent in its green content. Aside from questions about MCE’s due diligence and its technical competence in developing solar projects, the best and safest way for MCE to reduce its carbon footprint is to immediately stop selling renewable energy certificates (RECs) – they constitute essentially 100 percent of Deep Green’s portfolio. Deep Green is brown power disguised as green by using RECs. PG&E dropped its version of Deep Green last month. Isn’t it time for MCE to do the same? 

You can Opt Out of MCE, or Deep Green, at 1-(888) 632-3674.    

Note 1:

MEA Public Workshop – San Rafael.  November 23, 2009  Part One (Presentations) TRT: 1:35:00  Charles McGlashan [time 5:44]  http://cmcm.tv/MEASanRafael (inactive)

Note 2:

MEA Public Workshop – San Rafael.  November 23, 2009  Part One (Presentations) TRT : 1:35:00  Dawn Weisz [time 27:09]  http://cmcm.tv/MEASanRafael (inactive)

Note 3:

http://www.marinij.com/novato/ci_23168670/marin-energy-authority-moving-ahead-plan-build-its   (paragraph 11)

http://www.marinij.com/novato/ci_20649595/marins-largest-solar-project-planned-san-rafael-airport  (paragraph 13)