Politics & Government

Solar Power Gets Support in Larkspur

Residents implore City Council to join the Marin Energy Authority.

As one man put it, residents want Larkspur to get "smart."

"(Marin Energy Authority) is part of a bigger solution," said Kip Howard of Larkspur. "It's important have MEA, solar panels and electric cars. All of that is part of a smart energy grid. I want Larkspur to join that smart grid."

The Larkspur City Council met recently to hear an offer to join the MEA, two years after voting against it. The MEA is offering non-member cities and towns a grace period in which to join without paying initial membership fees of $20,000-$40,000.

The City Council is expected to discuss the matter again on Oct. 5. The Town of Corte Madera is also expected to consider joining the MEA on Oct. 18.

The MEA, a joint powers authority, includes the County of Marin, Mill Valley, San Anselmo, San Rafael, Sausalito, Tiburon, Fairfax and Belvedere. The MEA's board of directors includes representatives from the member jurisdictions. The City of Novato voted 3-2 on Tuesday night to become the ninth of 11 municipalities to join the MEA.

Joining the MEA would give Larkspur and Corte Madera residents the choice to buy electricity from either Marin Clean Energy or PG&E. Consumers would have to opt out of Marin Clean Energy, though. Marin Clean Energy gets a larger percentage of its electricity from renewable sources compared to PG&E.

That means we could see more solar panels on buildings and parking structures around Larkspur as customers seek ways to reduce their energy bills and carbon footprints.

Even if residents do ally themselves with Marin Clean Energy, they would still get their bills from PG&E, which controls the energy transmission and distribution lines.

The Larkspur City Council received plenty of advice from residents of several cities — pro and con — regarding joining the MEA.

"The cost of solar is too expensive," said Jim Bitter of Mill Valley.

Novato's Jim Phelps warned the MEA's rates will jump dramatically in 2014.

Those arguments didn't seem to sway the residents of Larkspur.

"I would remind the Council that you are making this decision on behalf of the residents of Larkspur. You should consider the benefits and give great weight to the benefits of clean energy," said Nancy Weninger of Larkspur. "I want a choice. One risk that you can completely drop from consideration: The risk to the consumer. That is my decision, not your decision."


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