Shawn Marshall, Peninsula Clean Energy‘s (PCE) new CEO, emphasizes a commitment to centering people and providing more affordable energy options in her role. Taking over in July from former CEO Jan Pepper, Marshall, who previously served as PCE’s chief operating officer, sees her appointment as a full-circle moment due to her extensive involvement with the agency since its inception in 2016.
PCE, a nonprofit community choice aggregation agency (CAA), acts as an electricity procurer for its customers with the goal of delivering cleaner, greener, and more affordable energy to the grid. Serving as the official electricity provider for San Mateo County and the city of Los Banos, PCE aims to enhance renewable energy accessibility.
Marshall’s childhood dream of becoming a singer or actress shifted towards environmental advocacy after she became increasingly aware of the climate crisis. Engaging in climate action organizations and witnessing climate change impacts during her travels through Asia, Africa, and the Middle East in the late ’90s, Marshall solidified her commitment to environmental causes.
As an elected official in the Mill Valley City Council, Marshall played a crucial role in founding Marin Clean Energy, the state’s first CAA, despite opposition from Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E). Subsequently, Marshall established the Local Energy Aggregation Network (LEAN) to assist other institutions in forming their CAAs.
In her role as PCE CEO, Marshall aims to promote the adoption of renewable energy by demonstrating its benefits for both communities and the planet. The agency aspires to provide 100% renewable energy at no extra cost by 2025. Marshall acknowledges the challenges posed by rising energy costs and the general cost of living in the region, stressing the importance of affordability.
To address these concerns, PCE announced a rate freeze in January, keeping rates at 2023 levels and resulting in a 10-15% discount on electric generation charges compared to PG&E. Marshall attributes PCE’s ability to maintain lower rates to its nonprofit status, allowing access to the wholesale power market and allocating 90% of the budget to energy procurement without shareholder dividends.
Marshall is conscious of the negative consumer response to PG&E’s rising costs and hopes PCE provides customers with an alternative. Looking ahead, PCE plans to expand community outreach and enhance access to local renewable power sources such as batteries and solar power under Marshall’s leadership.