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Who is your energy provider?

Is PG & E the only energy provider in bay area?

  • how do they get away being the ONLY provider? is this monopoly?

  • Answer:

    I don't think you have a good understanding of how the energy market works in California. PG&E is the transmission and distribution service company for San Francisco and adjacent communities. It is NOT an energy supply company. A transmission and distribution service company is the company that owns and operates the wires that deliver electrical energy to consumer. Transmission and distribution service is what economists call a 'natural monopoly' in the sense that it would not be in the public interest for there to be competing services, each erecting its own infrastructure. Natural monopolies are generally regulated by a governmental agency that monitors operating costs and profits,, and also service quality, and that determines the pricing that the natural monopoly is allowed to charge for its service. PG&E was required to divest itself of its power generating facilities. Today, power generators in California compete with each other to supply energy to the market through a bidding process that is managed by the California Independent System Operator located in Folsom, CA.

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It is a public utility not an energy supplier as the other poster explains very well. There is a plan to opt out of PG&E right now in my county only and I am in favor of it. What do you have against PG&E? It is the public utility for Northern half of Calif and Southern Cal Edison covers the lower half of the state.

Flower

The city of Santa Clara has it's own power plant and supplies power to it's residents, so no - PG&E isn't the "only" one, but they're damn close. We tried deregulating the power industry back in the 90's (I believe...when Gov. Pete Wilson was in office) to create competition, but we all know how that turned out (brown outs...energy "shortages", etc.)

Flusterated

Yes, they are a monopoly, and continues to spend millions of dollars to make sure they stay that way. Currently they're sponsoring a statewide initiative that would require two-thirds approval from local voters before cities or counties could choose an alternate energy provider.

tonalc2

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