Last night, San Diego City Council President Georgette Gómez released a memo announcing that she will not docket the city’s Franchise Agreement and requested a one-year extension on this critical issue.
We applaud this decision and have been vocal critics of how this process has rolled out given everything that’s at stake: billions of dollars, public oversight, and our climate and equity goals. San Diego cannot afford to rush another bad, half-baked deal through City Hall.
Instead, the new Mayor and Council must start fresh and pursue the path that achieves full decarbonization of our energy system, both electricity and gas. Whether that means partnering with a private utility provider or pursuing public power, the goal remains the same: how do we get to zero emissions and transition off fossil fuels in a way that is equitable and provides for a just transition.
We look forward to working with the next Mayor and Council to build an energy system that meets our climate, community, and equity goals. Together, we can model for the world a Zero Carbon future and ensure San Diego is climate safe and climate ready.