San Diego is close to entering the power business.
Back in October, Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced the city’s plans to form its own electric utility to provide green power.
The city believes it can provide cleaner and cheaper electricity than the region’s long-time energy monopoly, San Diego Gas & Electric. If the City Council approves the mayor’s proposal, San Diego would become a community choice aggregator, or CCA. In other words, the city will have its own government-run power agency.
And like most agencies, the city will have to figure out who will run it. That would include a board, likely made up of elected officials and then run by staff, who would lean on outside consultants.
On this week’s podcast, hosts Sara Libby and Scott Lewis are joined by Voice of San Diego reporter Ry Rivard, who explains how San Diego’s new government-run power agency will work.
Meanwhile, SDG&E, which would still provide the power lines to run the city’s electricity, is trying to find a way to reduce its role in the power business.
Also on the podcast, the crew discusses the push to make it easier to build housing, which includes Faulconer’s plan to axe parking requirements for new housing near transit.
Hero of the Week
Departing County Supervisor Ron Roberts got our hero of the week. While he has left a lot of work for his predecessors to do to make a dent in the mental health and homeless crises, he does have one legacy we’ll be able to see for a long time: the Waterfront Park downtown. As he ends his long career in public service, we decided to recognize that achievement.
Goat of the Week
The San Diego Police Department and officials at Montgomery High School get the goat this week after they conspired to run an active shooter drill as cover so police officers could arrest four students who allegedly committed serious crimes off campus.
Disclosure: Mitch Mitchell, SDG&E’s vice president for government affairs, sits on Voice of San Diego’s board of directors.
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