PG&E Launches Portable Battery Program for Income Qualifying Customers
September 23 2020 - 3:17PM
Business Wire
Program Gives 10,500 Income Qualified Customers
Enrolled in Medical Baseline Access to Portable Batteries for Use
During PSPS Events
As fire season is upon us and the uncertainty of the pandemic
continues to unfold, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is
launching a program to further enhance safety when the power goes
out for customers that depend on life saving medical equipment.
The program is available before, during, and after Public Safety
Power Shutoff (PSPS) events when PG&E needs to turn off power
during severe weather for public safety to prevent wildfires.
PG&E’s Portable Battery Program (PBP) provides no-cost
backup portable batteries for eligible income-qualified1 customers
who live in high fire-threat districts2 (HFTD) and are enrolled in
the Medical Baseline program. Additional eligibility requirements
include a reliance on medical equipment that operates on
electricity to sustain life. Working in coordination with Community
Based Organizations (CBOs), PG&E has identified approximately
10,500 customers who could qualify for this program.
The CBOs are conducting initial outreach to all 10,500 customers
to assess their needs with a survey and based on these results, the
CBOs determine which customers are eligible to receive batteries.
The CBOs then deliver the batteries to the homes of these qualified
customers, set up the batteries, and educate customers on how to
safely operate and maintain the equipment. The CBOs comply with all
safety and health guidelines, including current COVID-19 federal,
state, and local regulations, by wearing proper personal protective
equipment (PPE) such as face coverings and gloves when entering a
home, not delivering equipment if they are feeling sick, and
sanitizing batteries prior to deliveries.
The PBP is administered by the following five Low-Income Home
Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) providers: Butte Community
Action Agency, Central Coast Energy Services, Community Resource
Project, North Coast Energy Services, and Redwood Community Action
Agency. Richard Heath & Associates (RHA), a third-party energy
program implementer focused on underserved communities, is also
administering the program.
The PBP was initially scoped to provide approximately 4,000
batteries for income-qualified Medical Baseline customers in 2020
but has recently expanded to 8,000 batteries. PG&E provided $19
million to fund the 2020 effort.
“The safety of customers is our most important responsibility.
We understand power shutoffs impact all customers especially those
with medical needs. We are working with local organizations to
provide portable batteries to customers who rely on medical
equipment to live. We hope these batteries will help reduce fear
and keep our customers safe before, during, and after a shutoff,”
said Laurie Giammona, PG&E Senior Vice President and Chief
Customer Officer.
PG&E offers additional programs for customers not qualified
for PG&E’s new Medical Baseline PBP.
- The Disability Disaster Access and Resources Program, a joint
effort with the California Foundation for Independent Living
Centers (CFILC) to support people with disabilities and older
adults before, during, and after a PSPS event. The program enables
qualified customers who use electrical medical devices to access
backup portable batteries through a grant, lease-to-own or the
FreedomTech low-interest financial loan program. Transportation
resources, lodging and food options are also provided through an
online application process to qualified customers. CFILC
administers all aspects of the program.
- PG&E is a Program Administrator of the statewide
Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP), which is providing
financial incentives for Medical Baseline customers installing new,
qualifying equipment for storing energy for their homes. The SGIP
Equity Resiliency incentive is designed to allow customers to
install a home battery storage system at no cost to them. In July,
PG&E was approved for the SGIP Marketing Education and Outreach
Plan and Financial Assistance pilot, both of which are specifically
focused on supporting Medical Baseline customers in HFTD. The
Financial Assistance pilot alleviates the need for customers to pay
upfront costs and enables additional customers to participate in
the program.
PG&E understands how disruptive it is for our communities to
be without power. This year, PG&E is working to make PSPS
events easier on customers by providing better information and
resources. We will provide more help to customers with
disabilities, hardships, language barriers and other needs. For
more information log onto pge.com/psps.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San
Francisco, with more than 23,000 employees, the company delivers
some of the nation's cleanest energy to 16 million people in
Northern and Central California. For more information, visit
pge.com and pge.com/news.
1 Income-qualification requires that customers are enrolled in
California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) or Family Electric
Rate Assistance (FERA).
2 Eligible customers must live in Tiers 2 or 3 High Fire Threat
Districts defined by the CPUC fire map
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