North Bay Business Journal

One of the benefits of an electricity purchasing program which is non-profit and publicly-owned, is that revenues can be retained and available for reinvestment on behalf of the public. Sonoma Clean Power intends to offer a number of incentive programs to do just this. One investment vehicle will be the expansion of energy efficiency programs for homes and businesses.

Marin Clean Energy unveiled a new, free energy savings tool available to homeowners in the Marin County and Richmond. … Novato City Council voted unanimously for the city become a customer of Marin Clean Energy ….

Restoration Hardware Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: RH), based in Corte Madera, reported net revenues increased 25 percent for its 2012–2013 fiscal year. …

Town Center Corte Madera (shopttowncenter.com) recently completed a renovation of the center’s office building, whose lobby now has what’s possibly Marin County’s first indoor “living wall.” …

North Bay Leadership Council is gearing up for the third year of its Algebra Academy program this summer in San Rafael and Novato. …

AT&T expanded its high-speed 4G LTE cell phone network to include areas of the North Bay. …

Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), whose Cardio and Vascular division is based in Santa Rosa, announced Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance and the first U.S. clinical uses of its new Affinity Fusion oxygenation system. …

SONOMA COUNTY — Offering the clearest picture yet of expected pricing from a renewable energy-focused power agency under development in Sonoma County, a new report shows that a typical business customer in the launch phase of Sonoma Clean Power could expect to pay between 3.1 percent less per month and a half-percent more than conventional utility rates.

Charles Schwab, a provider of full-service brokerage services, announced the opening of a new independent branch in Novato. …

Marin Energy Authority, the first community choice aggregation program in California and electricity supplier of choice to Marin County and Richmond residents, will deploy the P-ECOSYS consumer-engagement platform by San Francisco-based PlanetEcosystems. …

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is set to be the speaker for 86th annual commencement for the class of 2013 at College of Marin. …

Marin Energy Authority, the first community choice aggregation program in California and electricity supplier of choice to Marin County and Richmond residents, will deploy the P-ECOSYS consumer-engagement platform by San Francisco-based PlanetEcosystems. …

County of Marin can now fully fund retiree health benefits just like it does employee pensions by ensuring that funds are set aside for unfunded liabilities as well as current costs. …

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) announced that all new Agilent electronic test instruments sold after will be covered by a “bumper-to-bumper” three-year repair warranty. …

Meadowcroft Wines’ Thomas Henry brand received a World-Class Design award from HOW magazine in its 2013 International Design Awards issue. …

Vineyard & Winery Management and The Press Democrat are launching the North Coast Wine Challenge. …

CK Mondavi, a brand owned and operated for 70 years by C. Mondavi & Family, launched a mobile-device-optimized website to enhance the user experience for wine consumers using smartphones and tablets. …

More than an environmentally friendly gesture, an increasing number of North Bay businesses are pursuing renewable energy development as a way to reduce costs and improve their bottom line.

SANTA ROSA — The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors today voted unanimously to create an initial governing authority for a proposed countywide renewable energy-focused power agency known as Sonoma Clean Power, a step needed before determining rates to charge potential customers when service is targeted to begin in early 2014.

MARIN COUNTY – The Marin Municipal Water District has chosen to enroll all of its electric accounts with the San Rafael-based Marin Clean Energy power agency, citing cost savings versus current provider, Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

Marin Clean Energy is poised to significantly expand its customer base in the coming months, with the city of Richmond likely to pass a final measure on Tuesday to join the renewable energy-focused power agency.

SANTA ROSA — A survey of Sonoma County residents found strong support for clean-energy options, including solar and wind power, and for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

SAN RAFAEL — Marin Clean Energy today said it signed a power purchase agreement with enXco for 31 megawatts of electricity from new photovoltaic solar generators in California, including a 1-megawatt solar carport facility to be built in Marin County.

MARIN – Marin Energy Authority, the agency providing a renewable energy alternative to PG&E’s current offerings through Marin Clean Energy, rolled out its 100 percent renewable offering, Deep Green, and celebrated its one-year anniversary in May.

MARIN — Marin Energy Authority, the agency providing a renewable energy alternative to PG&E’s current offerings through Marin Clean Energy, has created a program that it hopes will help stimulate local renewable energy assets.

MARIN — Eight cities in Marin County participating in Marin Clean Energy are going to receive free electric charging stations from Coulomb Technologies as a part of Coulomb’s $37 million ChargePoint America program. The announcement was made jointly today by Sustainable San Rafael, which initiated the request; San Rafael Community Development director Bob Brown; and Coulomb Technologies.

NORTH BAY – One in six energy customers — or about 16 percent — in the first phase of the changeover from PG&E to the Marin Energy Authority have opted out of the local program.

NORTH BAY — The PG&E-backed Proposition 16 “Right to Vote” initiative is generating widespread debate among public and business groups.

To view the presentations given by speakers at the Business Journal’s 2010 Impact Marin Conference on March 11, go to the Resources page. The first panel addressed “The economy, your business and government fiscal crises,” and the second panel presented both sides of the issue “Is Marin Clean Energy right for Marin County?”

SAN RAFAEL (Updated 10:30 a.m. today with PG&E comment) — The Marin Energy Authority filed a complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission today claiming that PG&E Corp. is violating state law by “pouring millions of dollars into a special interest lobbying group that is aggressively seeking to kill a local program designed to provide residents and businesses with twice the renewable energy as the giant utility for the same price.”

There’s been vigorous discussion in recent months over a plan to provide a significant portion of the energy demand for Marin County from renewable sources through a community choice aggregation program called Marin Clean Energy. The Business Journal invited both sides of the Marin Clean Energy debate to present their views here and in more detail at the Impact Marin 2010 conference on March 11.

Marin Clean Energy is a Community Choice Aggregation program that is designed to serve Marin’s priorities. It allows electric consumers to choose non-polluting renewable energy, lower Marin’s greenhouse gas emissions, reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, foster development of local green power generation and clean technologies and protect Marin homes and businesses from uncertain fuel prices.

The financial crisis is forcing Marin residents and businesses to spend less and work more. The regional unemployment rate has doubled in two years to 10 percent. Every day, another Marin family is losing their home to foreclosure.