FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2024
 

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Adopts Annual Rates for Power Customers

Rates are set once a year through an open and transparent public process

SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) voted today to adopt annual power rates for its two power programs, Hetch Hetchy Power and CleanPowerSF. The new rates will go into effect for customers beginning July 1, 2024.   

“Last year alone, we saved our electricity customers more than $170 million in bill costs compared to PG&E. As San Francisco’s not-for-profit clean power provider, we remain committed to ensuring clean energy is affordable, reliable, and accessible for the more than 385,000 customers we serve,” said Dennis Herrera, General Manager of the SFPUC. “Our updated rates reflect the cost of supplying and delivering power to our customers, and we continue to reinvest our ratepayer dollars back into programs and services that benefit San Francisco, all without the need for paying shareholder profits.” 

The SFPUC Commission sets new rates for power customers on an annual basis every July. Rates are designed to minimize bill fluctuations to help customers plan their personal finances. Rates cover the full costs for providing power services, including procuring power from the open market, while ensuring the SFPUC’s not-for-profit programs can continue to operate for the long-term in a financially responsible way. Recent market-based increases in power supply costs in California have resulted in increased costs to utilities providing clean, reliable power for their customers.

Starting July 1, new rates will go into effect for more than 385,000 customers served through the SFPUC’s clean power programs: Hetch Hetchy Power and CleanPowerSF.  

Hetch Hetchy Power customers will experience a 12% rate increase. Residential customers will continue to see, on average, a 30% savings on their electricity bills compared to PG&E. Hetch Hetchy Power continues to offer the lowest electricity rates in San Francisco. 

CleanPowerSF customers will experience, on average, an 8.5% rate increase. The average residential customer will pay $4 more a month for generation service than they are currently. Customers will continue to pay equal or lower rates than PG&E for generation service, resulting in savings for most customers, in addition to receiving electricity that is more than 90% clean and renewable. PG&E currently offers energy that is about 45% clean and renewable.     

Affordability remains a key consideration for the SFPUC in its rate setting process. In 2023, SFPUC was able to deliver $120 million in savings to Hetch Hetchy Power customers and $50 million in savings for CleanPowerSF customers compared to PG&E. The SFPUC offers discounted rates and bill assistance to power customers through a range of programs. Eligible customers can get information about ways to lower their electricity bill at sfpuc.org/billrelief. 

SFPUC electricity rates are set through an open and transparent public process. Customers and members of the public are invited to actively participate in the process. The public engagement process for setting rates included four meetings of the SFPUC Rate Fairness Board, an SFPUC Commission hearing, informational webinars, a dedicated rates change web page, on-bill messaging, customer emails, and direct mail notifications to customers. Rate notifications have been made available in multiple languages including English, Chinese, Spanish, and Filipino. For more information about power rates, customers can visit: sfpuc.org/powerrates.  

About CleanPowerSF and Hetch Hetchy Power  

CleanPowerSF began serving customers in 2016 with a mission to provide San Francisco residents and businesses with clean, renewable electricity at competitive rates. Today, CleanPowerSF serves about 385,000 customer accounts in San Francisco and offers 60% and 100% renewable electricity service options. Over the past eight years, CleanPowerSF has helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electricity use by 93% from 1990 levels.  

Along with CleanPowerSF, the SFPUC operates Hetch Hetchy Power, which generates and delivers 100% greenhouse gas-free energy to more than 6,300 customer accounts, including municipal buildings and facilities, such as City Hall, San Francisco International Airport, schools, libraries and the Muni transit system. Hetch Hetchy Power also provides electricity to some commercial and residential developments, including affordable housing sites. Collectively, the two programs meet over 70 percent of the electricity demand in San Francisco.  

About the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission 

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is a department of the City and County of San Francisco. It delivers drinking water to 2.7 million people in the Bay Area, collects and treats wastewater for the City and County of San Francisco, and meets over 70 percent of the electricity demand in San Francisco. Our mission is to provide our customers with high-quality, efficient and reliable water, power, and sewer services in a manner that values environmental and community interests and sustains the resources entrusted to our care. Learn more at sfpuc.org.