California needs a new model for how power is delivered

Mercury News

Gov. Gavin Newsom ripped Pacific Gas & Electric on Thursday, calling the power shutdown that affected hundreds of thousands of Californians unacceptable.

“This is not a climate change story as much as a story about greed and mismanagement over the course of decades,” he said. “Neglect, a desire to advance not public safety but profits.”

We agree.

The question is what, if anything, is the governor going to do about it.

The governor should provide incentives for the further development of community choice aggregators (CCAs), which allow local governments to form their own energy providers and act independently from utilities such as PG&E. A half-dozen CCAs are already operating or on the verge of offering energy alternatives in the Bay Area.

CCAs aren’t perfect. But they carry the capacity to install the microgrids that can serve as a power source for cities when utilities shut off power during adverse weather conditions.

Read more here: https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/10/13/editorial-california-needs-a-new-model-for-how-power-is-delivered/