Better mailers, verbiage needed, former Finance Committee head tells Benicia City Council

If residents are to be well informed about the upcoming switch from Pacific Gas and Electric to Marin Clean Energy, notice envelopes need to catch their attention, the former head of the city Finance Committee told the City Council Tuesday night.

The first mailer has been sent, and, “If you got one, it begs to be recycled,” Dennis Lowry said. “Nothing compels me to open it.”

Lowry has spoken and written articles since last year in which he questioned the Council’s decision to seek Marin Clean Energy (MCE) membership and use that agency as the primary purchaser of the city’s electricity.

But Tuesday, he said, “It’s in everyone’s interest” that MCE’s notices are opened and read, not tossed.

The series of notices, which are MCE’s responsibility, are supposed to explain the change that take will take place in May, as well as customer options going forward.

Power customers in Benicia will be able to tell MCE to buy half their energy from renewable sources, 100 percent from renewable sources and later, all solar-generated electricity under its “Local Sol” program.

They also may decide to stay with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), which was described in City Manager Brad Kilger’s report as having 22 percent renewably sourced electricity.

Lowry disputed that figure, saying the number was significantly higher.

The California Public Utilities Commission’s Renewables Portfolio Standards report has put PG&E’s status for renewable purchases for retail sale at 23.8 percent.

That is slightly more than San Diego Gas and Electric, 23.6 percent renewable power procured for retail sales, and more than Southern California Edison, which bought 21.6 percent of its retail-sale power from renewable sources, with more renewable energy sources coming on line.

Lowry said some of the MCE notice’s verbiage needs to be clarified, saying that information about opting out of MCE shouldn’t say that “all can opt out. That’s not true.”

He explained that those who currently get PG&E bills can decide to stay with the investor-owned utility instead of being switched to the community choice aggregation agency. But those who live in housing developments and residential complexes in which utilities are included in the rent or lease payment won’t get to decide.

“They can’t opt out,” Lowry said, citing his own effort to have his mother excluded from the change. She lives in a mobile home development. “It can’t be done.”

He said electricity customers need to know that PG&E has a balanced payment plan, ideal for those who live on fixed incomes and want to avoid spikes in payment during heavy-use times of the year. “MCE,” however, “does not.”

Lowry also recommended revising MCE’s call center scripts, saying that those answering questions are confusing customers about billing cycle timing for opting out. “It’s not been a rewarding experience,” he said.

Mayor Elizabeth Patterson, who said she has enrolled in the 100-percent renewable-sourced energy purchase known as the “MCE Deep Green” option, said she based her choice on her inability to install solar panels. Her home has too much shade from trees for photovoltaic arrays to be effective, she explained.

“It’s doing the right thing, to reduce greenhouse gas,” she said.

However, she acknowledged Lowry’s points and asked Kilger to invite MCE officials to respond.

Councilmember Alan Schwartzman, who is a Benicia member of the MCE board, said he would air Lowry’s concerns about envelope design at the panel’s next meeting.

Lowry wasn’t the only person with questions about the agency rollout.

Councilmember Christina Strawbridge said she also wanted to know what would happen if many companies and residents chose to stay with PG&E, especially such large industries as Valero Benicia Refinery.

She said she has been hearing those concerns from residents.

Councilmember Tom Campbell said he has been told MCE is preparing to raise rates. “How will that affect the city?” he asked, though he said municipal operations would feel less impact since the city’s own multi-site solar arrays supply electricity to city-owned property.

Patterson reminded the Council that PG&E has said it would be increasing rates, too.

While Patterson said the city wanted the agency to make a good impression during the change, she said, “lots of communities had concerns” when they switched to MCE. “They’re finally comfortable.”