State Sen. Scott Wiener on Monday introduced a proposal aimed at making it easier for his city and others across the state to create public electricity utilities.
What happened: The San Francisco Democrat is amending his intent bill, SB 875, to include language that would strengthen public entities’ eminent domain power over utilities’ properties by eliminating a carve-out that creates a higher bar for governments to use eminent domain on utilities. It would also tighten the timeline that it takes for cities to obtain a valuation of their utility grid, a key step in taking a private utility public.
Why it matters: The proposal represents a significant escalation in San Francisco’s yearslong push to purchase its electricity grid from Pacific Gas & Electric, which has consistently opposed the idea.
“For decades, San Francisco has been trying to get out of this toxic relationship,” Wiener said during a Monday press conference.
