Monday, May 10, 2010, 10:10am PDT | Modified: May 10, 2010, 10:10 AM

PG&E’s tactics on community choice under fire (San Francisco)

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While PG&E fights to stop communities from purchasing their own power, regulators, energy experts and even other utilities are questioning the company’s motivation and tactics.

Marin County and San Francisco are both attempting to take advantage of a 2002 state law that allows communities to buy power from sources other than PG&E, and to automatically enroll residents in these community choice aggregation (CCA) programs unless they state otherwise. Some communities are interested in CCA because they want to buy a greater percentage of renewable power than the 14 percent Pacific Gas and Electric Co. can offer today.

Marin’s CCA, called Marin Clean Energy, starts service May 7. PG&E has sought to persuade customers to opt out, leading regulators to say PG&E is attempting to “thwart” Marin’s efforts.

The California Public Utilities Commission on May 3 sent a letter to PG&E, telling it to cease encouraging customers to stay with PG&E. The CPUC said it had the power to fine the utility or take other measures if it continued. Paul Clanon, executive director of the commission, cited mailers, phone calls and home visits to customers that it believes are in violation of the CCA statute.

“The statute requires utilities to cooperate fully. What PG&E is clearly doing is not cooperating fully,” Clanon said. “They’re doing everything they can by mailers and other things to combat what happens in Marin.”

Read the full story in the San Francisco Business Times.