In a potential game changer for San Jose’s energy market, the City Council is set to decide whether to lay the early groundwork for creating its own utility company, a project sparked by mounting concerns over Pacific Gas & Electric’s reliability and the need to ramp up power supply in an increasingly electrified economy.
But there’s already strong opposition to the high-stakes plan. Unsurprisingly, PG&E is against it — along with the regional utility workers’ union. In addition to the potential cost savings for San Jose utility users, the city could possibly connect residents and manufacturers much faster to its own power grid, city officials say. There“We could forestall greater problems ,” said Nanci Klein, who oversees economic development at the city. “We could facilitate development if we can control our own destiny on a limited basis.