DesertBlog

Aguirre Threatens to Sue SDG&E

In a story first reported exclusively on DesertBlog in May, San Diego City Attorney Michael Aguirre has vowed to sue San Diego Gas & Electric over its half-hearted efforts to meet the state’s renewable energy mandate. Yesterday, the City Attorney’s office released a report titled “California’s Renewable Energy Mandate in Peril,” which called on SDG&E to do more to reach the state’s goal of 20% renewable energy by 2010.

The report stated, “An investigation by the City Attorney’s Office concludes that SDG&E has failed to fully avail itself of options to obtain or develop renewable energy projects, despite repeated orders from the California Public Utilities Commission to do so.” This is a clear criticism of SDG&E’s “eggs in one basket” approach, which relies exclusively on distant, and sometimes unproven, renewable sources to meet its renewable energy obligation. The company’s reliance on distant renewable energy alternatives is one of its key arguments for the proposed Sunrise Powerlink transmission line.

At the same time, the utility has consistently underestimated the feasibility of locally produced rooftop solar power (for both residential and commercial customers), has wildly overestimated its cost, and has held to a rate structure that punishes solar customers who want to put excess energy back onto the grid, further frustrating the growth of locally renewables in San Diego.

You can read the City Attorney’s report here. In San Diego Union-Tribune coverage of the  story, Aguirre said his office is working on litigation to require SDG&E to comply with the state mandate.