San Francisco PUC Helps To Cut Emissions, Promote Equitable Access To Clean Energy

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
April 13, 2022

San Francisco Mayor London Breed on April 7 announced a series of new programs that her office said will reduce carbon emissions and promote equitable access to clean energy in San Francisco, two priorities highlighted in San Francisco’s recently updated climate action plan.

The initiatives, which are being managed by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), include discounts for 100% renewable energy for low-income customers, rebates to replace fossil fuel powered appliances, and incentives for installing electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

Together, the programs will help the city make further progress in reaching Breed’s climate action goals, including achieving net-zero emissions by 2040.

Last year, the mayor and the SFPUC announced that CleanPowerSF will provide all customers with 100% renewable electricity by 2025, five years ahead of the city’s goal of 2030 and twenty years ahead of the State’s goal of 2045. The SFPUC launched CleanPowerSF in 2016 with a mission to provide San Francisco residents and businesses with clean, renewable electricity at competitive rates.

Breed’s office noted that the SFPUC has launched a slate of new programs that support a faster transition to renewable energy and more equitable access for communities most impacted by climate change:

• Two new programs offer 100% clean electricity for low-income San Franciscans. The SuperGreen Saver program will offer 100% renewable electricity and a 20% discount on eligible CleanPowerSF customer bills. A newly revamped customer assistance program for Hetch Hetchy Power customers living in affordable and public housing will provide 100% clean electricity at a 30% discount;
• Eligible low-income residents with rooftop solar provided through the GoSolarSF program may receive up to $3,000 for the inspection, repair, and replacement of their solar system inverter, a crucial component that may only function for about half the expected lifespan of the entire solar system;
• CleanPowerSF customers and approved contractors can take advantage of new incentives when installing a heat pump water heater, an all-electric heating technology that can replace natural gas water heaters. CleanPowerSF residential customers who work with an approved contractor can stack new and existing rebates to receive up to $5,600 in incentives toward the installation of a new heat pump water heater; 
• Building upon the mayor’s goals to expand EV adoption, a new program provides up to $120,000 in financial incentives for installing EV charging infrastructure in eligible new construction projects.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission currently operates two retail electricity services: Hetch Hetchy Power and CleanPowerSF. Together, these programs serve nearly 390,000 customer accounts in San Francisco and meet over 70 percent of the electrical demand in the City.

Hetch Hetchy Power is San Francisco’s publicly owned-utility, which provides 100 percent greenhouse gas-free energy to public facilities such as City Hall, schools and libraries, some private commercial developments, and affordable housing.