[Sustain] Alert! Tell Utilities Commission: Don't Let Corporations Hijack CA Energy Efficiency Funds! (DEADLINE, 12 noon, Aug 1, 2012)

[Eric Brooks]

Hi all, Please spread this alert far and wide to every Californian you know.

Tell The California Public Utilities Commission:
Don't Let Fossil Fuel Energy Corporations Hijack Our Energy Efficiency 
Funds!

This Thursday August 2, 9am, the California Public Utilities Commission 
(CPUC) will vote on vital permissions to allow local communities to 
spend their own funds to greatly increase installation of energy 
efficiency, in order to lower electricity bills, fight the climate 
crisis, and provide badly needed local jobs.

For decades, the monopoly fossil fuel energy corporations which control 
our electricity grid, PG&E, SDG&E, and Southern California Edison, have 
been allowed to manage these funds, which are generated from a state 
approved surcharge on every electricity customer's bill. But because it 
is not in the interest of corporations selling fossil fuel energy to get 
customers to buy less of that energy, the efficiency programs created 
under this corporate control have been wasteful and minimal.

Marin County, the cities of Richmond and San Francisco, and other 
California cities, are now working hard to bring energy efficiency funds 
back to the communities and ratepayers that paid for them in the first 
place to engage much stronger local programs. If these communities 
succeed in asserting their clear right to these funds, it will set the 
stage for all other cities and counties in California to do the same.

But the fossil energy monopolies are now putting massive lobbying 
pressure on the CPUC to reject local community use of energy efficiency 
funds. If Californians don't speak up, these monopolies will be sure to 
get their way.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

EMAIL THE CPUC TODAY!
(AND IF YOU CAN, SPEAK AT THE THURSDAY AUG 2ND HEARING IN SAN FRANCISCO!)

Email the following sample, with a few of your own added words, to the 
CPUC at: public.advisor at cpuc.ca.gov

Subject: Please Vote Yes On Res E-4518 - Marin Energy Authority 
Efficiency Plan

"Dear CPUC Commissioners,

Please vote yes on Resolution E-4518 to approve the Marin Energy 
Authority 2012 Energy Efficiency Plan. The funds that customers pay for 
energy efficiency programs should be overseen by their own local 
communities, not the fossil fuel based electricity monopolies.

Sincerely,

[your name, California city, and Zip Code]"

SPEAK AT THE HEARING

The Commission hearing will be held on Thursday, August 2, 9am, at the 
CPUC Auditorium, 505 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco (cross-corner from 
San Francisco City Hall and 5 blocks from Civic Center BART). Show up a 
little early to sign a public comment form to address agenda item 24, or 
alternatively sign up online by noon on Wednesday August 1, at: 
https://ia.cpuc.ca.gov/requesttocomment 
<https://ia.cpuc.ca.gov/requesttocomment/>

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE COMMISSION MAY DECIDE TO HOLD THIS ITEM UNTIL THEIR 
NEXT MEETING - So before you come to San Francisco to speak, check 
online after 5pm on Wednesday August 1, at 
http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PUBLISHED/AGENDA/171103.htm to make sure there 
has been no 'hold' placed on the item.

Thanks for your public action on this crucial clean energy decision!

Eric Brooks
Campaign Coordinator, Our City
http://our-city.org

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