Michael Gosney suggested that if we create a truly energy-efficient community (which we can do, technically), we may be able to get PG&E to help with financing, as a lifestyle showcase.

One benefit for PG&E is that they can get by using the power plants that they have, and avoid having to build more peaking power plants for times peak air conditioning use (the major peaking demand). Eventually enough renewable capacity will be online to start retiring fossil fuel plants, starting with the most polluting / least efficient. Financially, that means that PG&E can gradually stop putchasing fuel, and at the same time, many of its renewable energy facilities would have paid for themselves. The result: nearly free energy!

This concept of avoiding the cost of new power plants through use of renewables was part of the State Energy Commission's strategy for dealing with the manipulated energy crisis of a few years ago.

One key point: the Suisun wind that powers the wind turbines in the SF Bay Area peaks along with the Central Valley's hot spells, when air conditioning demand is greatest. It is largely driven by the low pressure created when hot air over the Central Valley rises.

Come to think of it, maybe the Energy Commission would find a way to help finance us, if we combine world-class energy conservation with breakthroughs in design and deployment of wind energy conversion equipment in the Bay Area. (The inventor behind most of the breakthroughs lives in San Jose.)

There is an engineer in Santa Clara County who specializes in heavy-duty conservation design in homes and businesses. He participated in the solar home tour a few years ago. We could recruit him in the quest described here.