City to Revisit Joining Alternative Power Effort

Three years after the Novato City Council opted not to join the upstart “green” energy company being formed in Marin County, the council plans to discuss it again Tuesday night.

The Marin Energy Authority was set up as an alternative to Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and to provide power from renewable resources with a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The power, delivered by PG&E lines, comes in “light green” and “dark green” blends, with dark coming from 100 percent renewable resources.

Many environmentally conscious Novato residents expressed their displeasure when the council chose not to join the not-for-profit Marin Energy Authority in 2008. Council members cited uncertain fees and liabilities associated with joining the joint powers authority and said it was really bad timing to devote time to the issue when the council was forced to slice the city’s payroll and services.

On July 12 of this year, the council voted 3-2 to pay for a study to be done about the alternative energy company and whether it makes sense for Novato to join now that there is an amnesty period for new members to join free of charge until Nov. 7.

“MEA has put tremendous effort into creating a valuable clean energy alternative that the people demand,” Dick Collins, MEA board of directors member, said in a statement. “We’ve built it and now they can come.”

The town of Ross voted on Sept. 15 to join Marin Energy Authority, leaving only Novato, Corte Madera and Larkspur as the only municipalities not giving their residents the option of buying the “green” power. Any new member of the authority would give its residents the choice to opt out of the new provider and stick with PG&E.

If all the holdout municipalities were to join, Marin Energy Authority said there would be an increase of annual greenhouse gas reductions from 560,000 tons to 840,000 tons or more.

Fairfax Town Council member Lew Tremaine, another Marin Energy Authority board member, said the power company is renowned as a model throughout the state despite that it has only been providing power since May 2010.

“With more than a year of successful operating history, the fears of the unknown can be laid to rest,” he said in an MEA statement. “There is no reason for Marin cities and towns not to give their constituents the opportunity to choose a cleaner energy alternative.”

An independent analyst from MRW & Associates is to provide some information to the council on Tuesday. See the attachment for more details.