This is exactly what Marin County did in 2010. Many residents of Marin—a dry, half-empty, hyperwealthy, lefty stronghold in the sun-beaten hills north of San Francisco Bay—wanted the right to produce more of their power locally from renewable resources, or in their terms, to “locally curate” their energy while also managing their prices, rate structures, and customer relations for themselves. In essence, what they wanted was to get out from under the thumb of PG&E—the colossus of Northern California, which has never been known for having a light touch when it comes to community relations.
