A Fresno city councilmember is pressuring Pacific Gas and Electric to turn on the power for a new health clinic in a southeast neighborhood.

United Health Centers CEO Justin Preas said the new clinic at Cedar and Jensen avenues is ready to open, if not for PG&E. Construction started on the southeast Fresno clinic last summer.

“We’ve had delays. There’s been setbacks. There’s been challenges, and we really couldn’t wait any longer,” Councilmember Luis Chavez said during a Thursday morning news conference.

Preas said he is unsure why there are delays. UHC submitted its application 19 months ago.

“All I know is that we should be opening our doors this month,” Preas said.

Another UHC clinic — at First Street and Gettysburg Avenue — is scheduled to open next month. Preas said the building has power, and he doesn’t know why the southeast clinic doesn’t. difference.

PG&E Responds

PG&E responded to the news conference with an email statement to GV Wire a few hours later. In a nutshell, the utility has yet to complete a project that would power the clinic.

“We at PG&E understand how vital the United Health Centers clinic at 4340 E. Jensen Ave. is to the Calwa community,” the email stated. “We appreciate Councilman Chavez’s collaboration as we complete our construction work and have applied for a permit with the city of Fresno to complete the electric buildout. We will complete this project safely and as quickly as possible once we have our building permit. We are targeting completion by the end of this month. We look forward to continuing to work with the city of Fresno to complete this project and to keep the community informed of its progress,” the company said.

Asked about why energizing the clinic did not happen sooner, PG&E spokesperson Jeff Smith told GV Wire by email:

Pressure Campaign Working

Chavez said three components with PG&E need to be completed. Media pressure, Chavez said, led to the utility executing a gas contract with UHC.

“(PG&E senior executives) assured me, and they gave me their commitment that it will be an all hands on deck. But we’re going to make sure that we stay on this. This is an issue that is too important. It’s too critical for the community,” Chavez said.

Executives, Chavez said, told him that powering the clinic is a priority. They estimate another seven to 10 days.

“Whatever the excuses, I told them this morning I did not want to hear any excuses, whether it’s manpower, whether it’s capacity, whether it’s, you know, a number of other issues of bureaucracy. My expectation is that their commitment will be fulfilled and that that contract will be executed and that this clinic will be open,” Chavez said.

Chavez said the new clinic is purposely located in southeast Fresno, near Calwa, because of the number of farmworkers who live in the area.

Could Fresno Produce its Own Power?

In 2022, Fresno considered forming its own municipal utility to provide power. The city did not move forward.

This latest issue with PG&E may have Chavez reconsidering.

“All options need to be on the table, in order to make sure that we’re getting the the power that we need. It’s not a matter to me, a finances, right? We know that our friends over at PG&E are doing really well. And we want to make sure that the city of Fresno is able to respond to issues like this,” Chavez said.

Chavez speculated that PG&E does not having the staffing to meet the demand for service in the Central Valley. He said if that is the case, the company should hire more people.