FRANCHISE AGREEMENT

9th & Harrison, 1929” by Seattle Municipal Archives is licensed under CC BY 2.0

a contract between a city and a utility company that outlines certain requirements for the utility to use the city’s public rights of way.

Pros

Can give communities a point of power over a utility

Cons

Hard to change a very common, decades old agreement with large fixed-in-place assets such as poles and wire.

Real Talk

Communities can assure access to RE sources and potentially create new opportunities for willing parties such as hydrogen distribution systems, DC distribution systems, EV charging and community energy.