Tuesday, September 26, 2023
  • sf-05
Text Size

EXTRA! EXTRA! Clean Power SF gets a go!

Cheaper, Cleaner Electric Rates on the way through CleanPowerSF, SF's clean energy program.

“Launching CleanPowerSF is the single most important thing San Francisco can do to combat climate change, and it has been one of my highest priorities as Supervisor,” said Board President London Breed.

“If San Francisco is going to do a clean energy program, let’s do a real one,” said Mayor Lee. “San Francisco’s clean energy program should not contract with an oil company with a dubious record of protecting the environment and human rights: we can do better. I call on the SFPUC to develop a program that is affordable for customers, greener for our planet, takes advantage of renewable technology being developed right here in our City and has a real plan for creating jobs for our residents. I look forward to working with Board President Breed, Supervisor Avalos, other members of the Board and the SFPUC to develop a program that will benefit all San Franciscans.”

http://SFCleanEnergy.org Advocates have been at the front lines on behalf of the community and ratepayers in San Francisco to bring you these benefits over the course of a decade.

Read more: EXTRA! EXTRA! Clean Power SF gets a go!

How Local Clean Energy Works

Gases from the burning of fossil fuels for power and transportation create a greenhouse effect. This is already causing global warming, changing our climate and raising our sea level.  Air pollution from these sources is also a serious public health problem.

On the other hand, producing electricity from renewable sources like sunlight and wind creates no greenhouse gas emissions or air pollution.  Sunlight and wind are unlimited and are free!  Power can even be generated on buildings or on vacant land, close to where it is used.  This strategy is called local clean energy or distributed generation.

Advantages of local clean energy:

  • No emissions of greenhouse gases or toxic air pollutants.
  • You and your community have control of your energy choices.
  • Construction and maintenance of local clean energy resources creates local jobs for members of your community.  This drives a more prosperous economy and local services.  Employed workers pay local taxes and buy goods and services in the community.
  • Distributed generation creates a more resilient and dependable system.  Failures in the statewide transmission grid have less effect.
  • Little or no energy is lost during transmission.  (The farther it has to travel to you, the more power is lost!) 


Examples of local resources for energy production:

  • Solar panels on your roof, your local grocery store, or a school or government building.
  • Solar panels on a vacant lot, over a parking lot, or over a reservoir.
  • A wind farm on land very near to the city.
  • Co-generation at an industrial site: steam which would otherwise be wasted turns a turbine to produce electricity.

Read more: How Local Clean Energy Works