Never trust PG&E

THE PUBLIC POWER movement is plagued by people who still want to argue – after years of evidence to the contrary – that San Francisco can somehow "work with" Pacific Gas and Electric Co. They argue against a complete takeover of the company's system, suggesting that city officials and PG&E executives can reach a collaborative agreement: Maybe the city can lease PG&E's lines and sell power. Maybe there can be some sort of partnership. Maybe PG&E can still have some role in San Francisco's energy future.

But PG&E proves again and again that its interests are fundamentally opposed to those of the San Francisco public – and that nobody at city hall should ever trust the company with anything. The latest example: As Matthew Hirsch reports on page 13, PG&E is now trying to steal some of the city's customers at the Ferry Building.

San Francisco has always provided Hetch Hetchy power to this landmark building. But now that it's been renovated, and new tenants (mostly private businesses) are moving in, PG&E is arguing that the city should turn over those customers to the private utility.

This is nonsense – but it's just the latest in a long line of PG&E scams and double crosses. The company promised to shut down the Hunters Point power plant – and now appears to be going back on the deal (see "Is PG&E Lying about Hunters Point Plant?," 5/28/03). PG&E has seized control of $16.3 million that the city should have had to improve energy efficiency. Company lobbyists and lawyers fight the city on taxes, on the franchise fee (which is insanely low and granted to the utility in perpetuity), on contracts, and in bankruptcy court. PG&E never voluntarily does anything that favors the city.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the city attorney should aggressively fight this customer grab. And the move should stand as yet another reminder to every city official and anyone who tries to argue for a more limited approach to public power: PG&E lies, cheats, and steals. The only way to do business with the company is to kick it out of town.