How to resolve AdBlock issue? LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors and the city councils of Lakeport and Clearlake met Tuesday to discuss the option of joining Sonoma Clean Power, a community-owned energy provider that could offer Lake County residents cheaper and greener electricity.
Earlier this year, the county and its two cities formally asked Sonoma Clean Power, or SCP, to explore extending service into Lake County.
SCP is a community-owned organization that provides what’s known as community choice aggregation, or CCA, which allows local governments to buy power on behalf of their residents and businesses while Pacific Gas and Electric continues to handle transmission and billing.
Reportedly the SCP generates more renewable energy and charges lower rates.
Since its launch in 2014, SCP has replaced PG&E’s power sources for most customers in Mendocino and Sonoma counties. According to a Lakeport City Council staff report, it now serves 87% of electric customers in those two counties.
The three local governments are now considering whether it’s right for Lake County.
At Tuesday’s meeting, SCP representatives highlighted the benefits of local control, economic benefits, potential savings, and opportunities such as the Geothermal Opportunity Zone, or Geo Zone initiative if Lake County joins. If approved, Lake County would hold two seats on SCP’s governing board, representing about a 15% voting share.
SCP Chief Executive Officer Geof Syphers said this is the third time Lake County has explored joining SCP. In 2015, the agency was not ready to expand, and in 2019 it could not provide competitive rates.
This year, an updated feasibility study suggests potential bill savings of 4.2% to 12.9%.
“We found the conditions were much more favorable,” Syphers said, also noting that rates for Lake County are expected to be slightly lower than in Sonoma and Mendocino counties because of lower PG&E’s fee.
He also noted that joining the program is not just choosing cleaner power, but also gives the community a financial tool — SCP has already issued $775 million in municipal bonds, all used to prepay supply contracts, and locked in a deal that will save customers $47 million over the next eight years.
“All residents and businesses will automatically be enrolled in May of 2027 unless they proactively opt out of service,” said SCP Managing Director Erica Torgerson of the enrollment process if Lake County decides to join this year.
The workshop was informational and no decisions were made. The Board of Supervisors and Lakeport City Council are expected to vote on action on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at their respective meetings, and the Clearlake City Council on Thursday, Oct. 2.
Local concerns
Alongside the potential benefits, local officials raised concerns about governance and long-term commitments, among them the number of board seats offered.
Lake County would receive two seats on SCP’s 13-member board, representing its 68,000 residents. Supervisor Bruno Sabatier argued that was inequitable, pointing out that four Sonoma County cities with fewer residents collectively hold four seats.
“So I feel like the branch that's being offered is not a partnership. It's kind of a tag-along, and I would love to see a rework of what does that equity actually look like if Lake County does join,” he said.
Syphers admitted it may not feel equitable, but stressed that changing it would require approval from small cities on the board that may not want to lose their seats.
Local officials are also concerned about the potential option of withdrawal from the program.
Supervisor Helen Owen questioned the 20 years of commitment if Lake County wants to quit. “It’s still the elephant in the room for me,” she said.
Syphers clarified that any customer could opt out at any time, but complete withdrawal as a county would trigger the 20-year timeline.
“I want to distinguish opt out from forcing everyone else to leave,” he said. “So if you want to force everyone in the county to leave our program, that's when the timeline starts.”
The lack of tribal engagement was also a major concern.
“Those are their own jurisdiction, their own sovereign land. If we all say yes, are they automatically opted in, or are they completely separated out because they have their own jurisdictions and need to go through the same process?” Sabatier asked.
Syphers explained that it was because the state law forming the CCA program did not consider tribes and decisions were made based on votes of the counties and cities involved. “They didn’t mention tribes,” he said.
“That feels very disrespectful,” said Lakeport Councilmember Kim Costa.
At the end of the meeting, Syphers said he is committed to meeting with tribes throughout 2026 and “providing them with the respect for their governance by letting them know they can make the decision about whether to proactively opt out and leave or stay.”
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