Lawsuit seeking to void San Diego’s franchise agreement with SDG&E tossed out

A controversial agreement signed last year between the city of San Diego and San Diego Gas & Electric survived a legal challenge after a San Diego Superior Court judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit that sought to declare the deal null and void. The lawsuit also charged the San Diego City Council erred when it removed an item from the council’s second reading — and approval — of the franchise agreement in June 2021. The agreement runs for 10 years and has an automatic renewal for another 10 years — what Mayor Todd Gloria called a “10-plus-10" agreement. However, if for any reason the city is unhappy with SDG&E, it has a window to void the 10-year renewal, provided two-thirds of the City Council votes against extending the deal. Another legal challenge to the franchise agreement is on the docket, also in Superior Court.