At the beginning of 2019, the SFPUC officially started on the path toward public power in San Francisco. At the request of Mayor London Breed, the agency put together a plan to examine the possibility of purchasing PG&E equipment in the City. The result was a $2.5 billion offer to the company—a proposal that was fair to San Francisco residents and businesses, and to PG&E.

Unsurprisingly, the SFPUC’s offer was rejected by PG&E, but the agency does not view that as the end of the process—instead it sees it as the beginning. The SFPUC will continue to move forward with plans for public power in San Francisco—a proposal supported by Mayor Breed, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, the Board of Supervisors, the SFPUC Commission and backed by nearly 70 percent of City residents.

The SFPUC is doing this because it believes it is the right choice for San Francisco. By embracing public power, the SFPUC can provide safe, reliable and efficient service that is transparent and meets San Francisco values, such as equity and environmental stewardship. The SFPUC will pursue this initiative in a manner that is mindful of the impacts to communities outside San Francisco and is supportive of the employees who make up the PG&E workforce in the City.

For years, PG&E has put up roadblocks and barriers to essential projects in San Francisco, such as affordable housing projects, schools and health centers. It is time to move past those disputes, and to do so, San Francisco must be in control of its energy destiny.