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Power

Malaysian Delegation Visits SFPUC, Sparking Collaboration and Optimism

The Malaysian Delegation and SFPUC staff at 525 Golden Gate Avenue.
  • Elizabeth Grubb

On May 25, 2023, twelve delegates from Malaysia met with several San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) Power Enterprise staff to discuss clean energy integration and tour one of the City’s largest solar arrays, Sunset Reservoir. The delegation was comprised of regulators, policymakers, and private-sector energy companies. The United States Energy Association coordinated the trip as part of an ongoing effort to foster sustainable energy partnerships internationally.

Malaysian delegation presenting SFPUC staff Jamie Seidel, Catherine Spaulding, and Mike Hyams with a plaque from Malaysia’s Energy Commission.

Malaysia must invest upwards of $375 billion to become carbon neutral by 2050. With this ambitious goal, delegates were eager to learn from a municipal organization leading the renewable energy transition. They began their visit at 525 Golden Gate Avenue, where Deputy Assistant General Manager of Power Mike Hyams spoke about CleanPowerSF’s 2022 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). The 2022 IRP maps out how CleanPowerSF plans to deliver 100% renewable energy over the next 20 years while meeting customer energy needs. The delegation was particularly interested in the insights on planning, investment strategies, and grid reliability.

Afterward, the delegation and staff toured Sunset Reservoir, where they connected over the unique challenges shared by San Francisco and Malaysia. Because of space and land constraints, utility-scale solar farms are not feasible in either Malaysia or San Francisco, so the two groups discussed storage, residential solar panels, and net metering.

SFPUC staff reported that the meeting was engaging and optimistic. The visit serves as a reminder of how far San Francisco has come as a city and that achieving a clean energy transition is a collaborative, global effort. By working together, sharing information, and getting creative, San Francico and Malaysia can reach their collective renewable energy goals. At the conclusion of the visit, the Malaysian delegates presented SFPUC staff with a plaque from Malaysia’s Energy Commission as a gift.