The San Diego City Council unanimously voted Monday against placing an initiative on the November ballot that would let voters decide if a nonprofit municipal electric utility should replace San Diego Gas & Electric within city limits.
The council was required to take action after Power San Diego, a campaign made up of customers, union supporters, environmental and community groups, collected enough registered voter signatures to make a determination on the utility alternative.
“I believe strongly that public services like electricity should be provided by public entities, which is why I worked with my colleagues to fund a public power feasibility study,” Council President Sean Elo-Rivera said. “However, I continue to have significant concerns with this proposal. There are far too many questions left unaddressed.”
SDG&E’s rates are consistently highest in the state and often the most expensive in the U.S., according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“This was a lost opportunity for the city council to support the needs of San Diegans over those of the corporate giant,” Power San Diego Campaign Chair Bill Powers said.
