I do not support buying PG&E's assets. The transmission system used by PG& E was developed in the 19th century and is aging and obsolete. If we buy it, we will have to pay to remove it and replace it. As a building contractor, I propose slowly, over a twenty-year period, building an innovative 21st century underground distribution system that competes with PG&E to better serve San Francisco customers.
As a longtime San Francisco resident (25 years), I am annoyed that we still have overhead power lines in almost every neighborhood. Overhead power lines on wooden poles were developed in the late 19th century, the Victorian era. We are still building housing and commercial buildings with electrical connections from power poles. The utilities were supposed to be put underground years ago, but PG&E has little incentive to do this expensive work.
I propose a twenty-year plan to build clean new mini power plants in thirty-three locations around the City and building underground lines emanating from those locations.
As a building contractor, I see our streets dug up repeatedly to change one of the eight underground utilities and the street repaved only to be dug up a few years later to replace another single utility. There are actually obsolete rules that do not allow more than one utility to be put in the same hole. We need to have a twenty-year master plan to systematically open our streets and replace all the utilities: sewer, water, recycled water (new concept), gas, electric, cable, fiber, and telephone all at one time.
I understand that they make an incredibly durable paving material, made out of recycled tires. This material is much more expensive than asphalt, but lasts many times longer. Imagine if we paved all of our streets with this material, knowing that we would not dig them up for another hundred years.
We need to put together the most creative minds, who have experience with utility materials, then develop and patent a new pipe with connecting fittings, that has sewer, water, gas, electric, and cables, all in one big pipe. We need to develop this, test it, manufacture it, install it, and sell it to every other city in the world that wants to build infrastructure for the 21st century.
Imagine a future San Francisco without power poles or overhead lines blocking the view. Imagine a city without constant construction on the roads. Imagine a livable city with new sidewalks with lots of trees and new smoothly paved streets with free parking/charging meters for small zero emission electric cars. Imagine the day when our streets are free from oil and other fluids that leaked out of gasoline powered autos. Imagine fresh clean air. We can go there in 20 years, IF we plan ahead and start work in January 2002.
Jim Reid
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