SAN DIEGO — A campaign is underway to get rid of SDG&E as San Diego's energy provider. SDG&E has a franchise agreement with the City of San Diego until 2031, with the option to extend it another 10 years.
A group called Power San Diego is looking to change that, but they'll need 80,000 signatures to get started. "Power San Diego is a grassroots effort campaign that is trying to fire SDG&E," said Dorrie Bruggemann, Power San Diego's campaign manager.
The group just started collecting signatures to qualify for the 2024 ballot. They have until May 14th to get 80,000 but are aiming for 120,000 just in case.
"Our task is really just getting enough people out there on the streets so that everybody who wants to sign our petition is able to," said Bruggemann.
The current initiative only applies to San Diego residents.
Power San Diego wants to replace SDG&E with a nonprofit publicly owned utility that promises lower rates on electricity, starting at about 20% less than what SDG&E customers pay now.
Bruggemann says it's been done before, including in more than 40 cities across California alone. "LA has a not-for-profit public utility, Sacramento does and their rates are up to 65% lower than what we have here in San Diego," said Bruggemann.
How would it work?
Bruggemann explained if approved by voters, SDG&E would be required to sell its power grid, polls and other equipment to the new utility.
All of that would be financed through a low-interest municipal bond paid off by ratepayers. "So, we would have public ownership of the electrical grid, which means that within the City of San Diego, we no longer have to pay SDG&E for those delivery fees," said Bruggemann.
Bruggemann says that's the difference between this initiative and San Diego Community Power, a nonprofit that sources energy, yet still has to rely on SDG&E for delivery.
“And, what we have seen is that their rates are not quite as low as we would like because of that,” said Bruggemann.
In response, a spokesperson for SDG&E told CBS8: "Pushing a flawed ballot measure that presents serious financial risks to the city and taxpayers is a dangerous precedent. This move places the safety and reliability of the power grid in jeopardy. We are confident SDG&E remains the best option for San Diego customers, given our outstanding safety record, climate innovation and unmatched reliability."
You can only sign the petition in person.
For information on how you can do that, or if you'd like to volunteer to collect signatures, click here.
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