Sonoma County officials announced Wednesday an agreement with a Southern California renewable energy company to provide clean power for seven county buildings, part of a push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tap greener electricity sources for county operations.

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday authorized further study of the possible formation of a public power agency. Most speakers touted the reported benefits of a public power agency, including the boost it could give to investments in greener, renewable energy sources, faster greenhouse gas reductions and the possible creation of hundreds of local jobs through the construction and operation of local energy projects.

A move by Sonoma County government into the role of power supplier to homes and businesses would come with trade-offs, according to a new study. The average ratepayer would pay more for electricity — $4 to $10 a month — for power provided by the county, compared to PG&E. But greenhouse gas emissions would fall and the new agency would create jobs. The supes take up the report on Tuesday.

An alternative energy project off the Sonoma County coast that local officials just two years ago hailed as a way to increase renewable energy sources has come to a quiet end. Federal regulators have canceled permits issued to the Sonoma County Water Agency to explore generation of electricity from wave power at three coastal sites.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved power purchase and lease agreements for a proposed chicken manure-fueled electricity and gas plant near the county airport. Two supervisors, however, voiced strong concerns over projections that the electricity would cost more than power bought on the wholesale market.

Sonoma County supervisors are set Tuesday to approve a proposed energy plant powered by chicken waste near the county’s airport. Electricity from the fuel cell would be sold to the county Water Agency, supplying about a quarter of the agency’s power needs. The unused methane — about three-quarters of the total produced — would be sold to PG&E.

PG&E President Chris Johns said the utility would improve its cooperation with communities in the hopes of overhauling its public image following controversies over SmartMeters and a deadly pipeline explosion. He pledged that PG&E would not stand in the way of any move by Sonoma County to form a public power agency.

The county government has cut its greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent below 2000 levels, exceeding the goal it set four years ago. The gains came mostly from the $22.3 million the county poured recently into renewable power projects and building upgrades.

Proponents of a proposed energy plant powered by chicken waste are looking for a new home near Sonoma County’s airport after the previous site south of Sonoma was shot down by neighbors concerned about odor and traffic impacts. Business owners in an industrial park near the airport have similar concerns.

Sonoma County’s energy retrofit program, a pioneering effort that has financed $42.4 million in power and water-use upgrades in homes and businesses, is headed for a major expansion. Armed with a $3 million state grant, the county plans to further promote and develop the 2-year-old program among contractors. More financing for retrofits, discounted energy audits and utility rebates for residential customers also are planned.