Take Action: Stop the City from Giving Away Our Most Valuable Asset

By Cody Petterson

We're still stunned, angry, and, frankly, disgusted that the franchise process is moving so quickly with no effort at, or opportunity for, public engagement.

A mere seven days elapsed from when the JVJ Pacific Consultings report and proposal was released to the public to when it was voted on by the Environment Committee, and another brisk three weeks from the Environment Committee to the full council. And this is all occurring in the midst of a global pandemic which already inhibits significant public participation.

A mere four weeks to debate how to give away our city's most valuable asset, an asset that provides San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) with a million dollars of profit per day, straight from the budgets of working families to the cash-choked pockets of SDG&E shareholders. It's insane.

Who is representing San Diegans? And if our representatives aren't representing San Diego's 1.4 million residents and ratepayers, who are they representing? Who's sitting at the table in the community's seat?

We now have a week to let the mayor, council, and those who have taken the community's seat at the table know we won't accept another "San Diego Special," i.e. four weeks of backroom deals and you're good to go.

Please call your councilmember today and ask them to send the franchise resolution back to Environment Committee for the public process it deserves. Ask them to take the proposed agreement back to the communities they represent. Ask them to give meaningful consideration to the formation of a city-owned public utility, which promises democratic oversight, greater control over our transition to 100 percent renewable energy, and significant savings for ratepayers.

And beyond asking, call your councilmember today and TELL them two specific things:

1. The current process is a breach of their fiduciary duty to their constituents – four weeks from public release of the franchise proposal to full council vote, with zero public engagement, in the middle of a pandemic, for a proposed franchise that would commit San Diego ratepayers to transferring ONE MILLION DOLLARS of profit PER DAY for 20 years to SDG&E's shareholders.
   
   
2. A full, transparent, and fiscally responsible process, guided by citizens and the city's own consultants' reports, would make the advantages of a city-owned public utility clear to residents and ratepayers.

District 1:  Barbara Bry
(619) 236-6611
barbarabry@sandiego.gov

District 2:  Jennifer Campbell
(619) 236-6622
jennifercampbell@sandiego.gov

District 3:  Chris Ward
(619) 236-6633
christopherward@sandiego.gov

District 4:  Monica Montgomery
(619) 236-6644
monicamontgomery@sandiego.gov

District 5:  Mark Kersey
(619) 236-6655
markkersey@sandiego.gov

District 6:  Chris Cate
(619) 236-6616
chriscate@sandiego.gov

District 7:  Scott Sherman
(619) 236-6677
scottsherman@sandiego.gov

District 8:  Vivian Moreno
(619) 236-6688
vivianmoreno@sandiego.gov

District 9:  Georgette Gómez
(619) 236-6699
georgettegomez@sandiego.gov

Click here to examine the city's current 50-year franchise agreement with San Diego Gas and Electric, dated Dec. 17, 1970.

Photo by Tommy Hough

Sempra Energy power lines cut across a neighborhood in Mira Mesa.