The Planning Commission hearing today on the Draft Environmental Impact Report for municipalizing PG&E was remarkable for what it didn’t include: Any opposition.
The commissioners don’t always agree on everything, and members of the public who show up to comment often disagree with the panel and with each other.
In the past, PG&E has always been able to drum up some level of support, with from its union, the IBEW, or from some sort of astroturf coalition.
Not today.
Every single person who spoke about the DEIR said the city should move forward as quickly as possible to kick out the private utility and bring the distribution system under public control.
Byron Kaufman, an energy consultant and the founder of GridScience.AI, discussed the need for an abundant clean-energy future, and said “this will only happen if you take full control.” Commissioner Kathrin Moore said “I am in full support of finding an alternative” to PG&E. Sean McGarry, who is an appointee of former Mayor London Breed is often a more conservative voice on the panel, said that “our ability to get free of PG&E is a glorious thought.”
The message: PG&E doesn’t have a lot of allies at City Hall any more. Now it’s just a matter of time.
