What do we want?

 We, Public Power San Diego, advocate for the creation of an independently-run publicly-owned, affordable gas and electric utility for our City of San Diego.
SDG&E, the fossil-fuel profit-based corporation currently running our city’s power franchise, charges among the highest rates for power in the nation. Let’s end this!

Our power utility should work for the people and the planet – not for profit!

When do we want it?

Now! At least 30 days before the SDG&E contract with the city expires in January 2021.


Why should San Diego go public?
  • An independent public utility offers lower, more affordable electric bills for the consumer (ex: SDG&E charges $100/month more than Sacramento’s municipal utility and $75/month more than Los Angeles)
  • No rolling blackouts (public utility consumers in California have avoided the rolling blackouts imposed recently on ratepayers with investor-owned utilities)
  • More money invested in your city: local community programs, support for crisis-hit areas, and municipal worker benefits (vs. $1 million/day in SDG&E and Sempra Energy, the parent company, coffers)
  • Ensures San Diego reaches its goal of becoming renewable energy-dependent by 2035 – through money made by the public utility, by greater control over our city’s energy production, and via reduced dependency on fossil fuel profits –  as per our city’s Climate Action Plan.
  • Your vote and your voice would make an actual difference over how your utilities are run. Your electricity and gas utilities would work for you – not a corporation. 
  • Greater transparency, accessibility, and control over San Diego utilities for every San Diegan.

Brief Definitions

Utility: an organization supplying the community with electricity, gas, water, or sewerage.
Franchise: the territory and infrastructure involved in a license granted to an individual or group to market and profit off of a company’s goods or services; the license itself.

 

News

   News: The items to bid on this year's 20-year power franchise agreement have not been placed on the docket. || Neither City Council President Gomez nor Mayor Faulconer has placed a one-year extension to the agreement on the docket. || SDG&E will be forced to continue to run San Diego's power utilities until our next City Council settles on a new power franchise agreement with, we hope, an off-ramp. The last San Diego City Council meeting was on November 17th, 2020. The next meeting is on December 10th, 2020. || Democratic City Councilmembers, Monica Montgomery and Jennifer Campbell, are running to replace Georgette Gomez as San Diego City Council President. ||

 

 

 Let’s Improve Our Utilities Together! 

Join us in the fight for a just, sustainable, and affordable public utility in San Diego. You can keep up to date with related news, campaign progress, volunteer opportunities, and upcoming events!

Our Latest Press Conference from October 23rd in front of San Diego City Hall


Help us stop the new franchise agreement that Mayor Faulconer is NOW trying to push through our City Council – without adequate public, independent, or Council review! 
Remember to contact your local City Council representative and tell them to VOTE NO!
(www.sandiego.gov/contact)

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Link to the Flyer’s PDF version

 

Our Opening August Press Conference on 101 Ash Street

101 Ash Street

Sempra, the parent company of SDG&E, vacated their headquarters at this downtown high rise on 101 Ash Street and moved to a new luxury high rise overlooking Petco Park. Their new landlord (Cisterra Development) brokered the deal to unload the old building –left completely furnished by Sempra, and full of asbestos and other problems– in a highly controversial lease deal to the City.  

 

 “This high-rise debacle is costing us $18,000 a day,” says Craig Rose, a member of PPSD and the Citizens Franchise Alliance. SDG&E currently takes $1 million/day in net profits from the City, money which would otherwise go to benefit the people of San Diego, but instead only benefits the heads of Sempra Energy. “We’re dealing with a climate crisis, rolling blackouts, and a pandemic, with communities of color and lower-income folks slammed hardest. We can’t afford to ship this wealth out of our city any longer. We need Public Power.”

 

“If the mayor goes through with his plan for a new utility franchise – and the pathetically low bids proposed – the people of this city will lose billions and the rates will stay high,” says John Mattes, another PPSD member. Public Power is the way to lower utility rates and give us the control we need to deal with the climate crisis and the resources we need to help address environmental, economic, and social injustices.

 

Do we really want our power system controlled by a multinational corporation that pulls profits out of San Diego to build massive natural gas – fracking – export facilities instead of helping us develop the solar energy potential we have right here in our own City and County? We say, “Power to the people is Public Power!”

Who is Public Power San Diego?

 

Members include the Sunrise Movement – San Diego, the Democratic Socialists of America – San Diego, NAACP – San Diego, Protest our Community Foundation, the Racial Justice Coalition, Activist San Diego, the San Diego Democrats for Environmental Action, the Sierra Club – San Diego, La Jolla Democratic Club, and the Citizens Franchise Alliance, as well as unaffiliated residents who want a public utility for our city.