Delivering for California: Industry Group SEPA Recognizes PG&E for Clean Energy Progress
April 14 2021 - 05:00PM
Business Wire
Company Named to 2021 Utility Transformation
Leaderboard
While fans of professional golf were riveted to the Masters
leaderboard last weekend, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
(PG&E) has earned a spot on a different kind of leaderboard –
one recognizing utilities for their progress toward a modern,
carbon-free electric system.
Today, the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) released its
comprehensive assessment of more than 100 U.S. utilities’ clean
power efforts. PG&E demonstrated significant progress, landing
it on the 2021 Utility Transformation Leaderboard.
SEPA launched the Utility Transformation Challenge this year in
recognition of the increased industry focus on carbon reduction.
SEPA analyzed surveys from 135 utilities, representing more than 83
million customer accounts, or approximately 63% of all U.S.
electric customer accounts.
“PG&E stands out due to its comprehensive efforts to
transition to a carbon-free energy future, and most importantly,
its results," said SEPA President and CEO Julia Hamm. "The
transformation to a clean and modern energy system involves much
more than clean energy generation; it will require changes to
almost every part of a utility’s business. We applaud PG&E for
its progress, and recognize that much work remains. The world does
not have the luxury of time on carbon reduction."
The Utility Transformation Challenge evaluated utilities using a
survey to assess their actions in four key areas: corporate
leadership; clean energy resources; modern grid enablement; and
aligned actions and engagement.
“Earning a top spot on SEPA’s leaderboard is a little like
earning the famed green jacket, but better, because it recognizes
our progress toward a green energy future that benefits all of us,”
said Patti Poppe, Chief Executive Officer of PG&E Corporation.
“We recognize that our role in helping California achieve its
climate and clean energy goals is possible only if we deliver on
our safety commitments for our hometowns. Our focus is on
transforming our business, culture and energy system to strengthen
our Triple Bottom Line of serving people, the planet and prosperity
for California.”
SEPA’s assessment found that utilities with strong commitments
to carbon reduction have made the most progress in creating a
modern, clean electric grid.
PG&E’s clean energy efforts include:
- Delivering more than 88% of its electricity to customers from
greenhouse gas-free resources including nuclear, large
hydroelectric and eligible-renewable energy in 2020.
- Exceeding California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard
requirement of 33% by 2020 by delivering over 35% of electricity to
customers last year from renewable energy, including solar, wind,
bioenergy, geothermal and small hydroelectric (30 megawatts or
smaller) power. In SEPA’s Annual Utility Market Survey, PG&E
ranked number one in 2019 and 2018 for annual solar megawatts. The
Utility Transformation Challenge expands the survey focus.
- Connecting more than 535,000 customers with private rooftop
solar to the electricity grid, and supporting those customers with
resources before, during and after they go solar. The rooftop solar
in PG&E’s service area represents about 20% of all rooftop
solar in the country.
- Investing in Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to enhance
overall grid reliability, integrate renewables and help customers
save energy and money. PG&E has contracts for BESS projects
totaling more than 1,400 megawatts, including one of the largest
utility-owned lithium-ion BESS in the world, which is on track to
become operational this summer.
- Expanding access to electric vehicles (EV) and charging
stations to reduce emissions and improve air quality. More than
327,000 EVs are registered in PG&E’s service area, accounting
for approximately one in every five EVs in the nation.
- Reducing its own carbon footprint with PG&E’s Million Ton
Challenge, a voluntary goal to avoid one million tons of greenhouse
gas emissions from its operations over five years. PG&E is
reducing methane emissions from its gas operations through a
combination of advanced leak detection and repair strategies,
pipeline replacements, operational improvements and research and
development.
SEPA’s Utility Transformation Challenge also offered
recommendations on how utilities can continue to move the needle on
carbon reduction. The Utility Transformation Profile report and
executive summary are available at
https://sepapower.org/utility-transformation-challenge/.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric
utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square
miles in Northern and Central California. For more information,
visit pge.com and pge.com/news.
About SEPA
The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) helps address the most
pressing issues encountered in the smart transition to a
carbon-free energy system. Utilities, industry, regulators and
other electric power stakeholders trust SEPA to provide education,
research, standards and collaboration around a clean and modern
energy future.
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