ClimateSmart™
Become part of the ClimateSmart™ Program
Use the tabs below to learn about how your home or business can help the environment with PG&E's ClimateSmart™ program. Join today to make a difference!
Not a Residential customer? Go to the ClimateSmart™ for business page.
What is the ClimateSmart™ Program?
The ClimateSmart program, a first-of-its-kind, helps you to balance out your home's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through environmental conservation, restoration and protection projects. By adding a voluntary, tax–deductible donation to your monthly PG&E bill–around $5 a month for the typical home–you can join the fight against climate change and reduce your carbon footprint.
How it Works
When you join the ClimateSmart program, your monthly energy bill shows the cost of reducing or absorbing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with your home's actual energy use. Through 2009, the monthly cost for ClimateSmart participation is $0.00254 per kilowatt–hour (for electricity) and $0.06528 per therm (for natural gas), or about $5 a month for the typical Northern California home.
The ClimateSmart program is being funded by PG&E customers in accordance with the California Public Utilities Commission. To make participating customers carbon neutral, PG&E may enter into greenhouse gas emission reduction contracts where the reductions occur over time into the future.
PG&E Participation
All PG&E–owned office and maintenance buildings are enrolled in the program, committing more than $1.5 million in shareholder funding to ClimateSmart projects. Since PG&E became the first participant, tens of thousands of organizations and residential customers have joined us in taking action against global climate change with the ClimateSmart program.
Resources
Benefits of the ClimateSmart™ Program
The ClimateSmart program allows you to take personal action to balance out the environmental impact of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from your home energy use. 100% of ClimateSmart contributions support projects that capture and absorb GHG emissions–projects that thrive today because of the support of ClimateSmart participants.
Why the ClimateSmart program matters
The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane, are increasing our planet's greenhouse effect, trapping more heat at the surface. Across California and the rest of the world, this warming can create dramatic changes in the environment, including more frequent and intense heat waves, increased droughts and wildfires, reduced snow packs, and rising sea levels that affect coastal, bay and delta areas.
While PG&E provides its customers with some of the cleanest energy in the nation, everyday activities like watching TV, turning on the lights or heating your home causes the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Working together, we can make a real difference in preserving the beauty and health of the planet for ourselves and future generations.
Current Projects
All contributions to the ClimateSmart™ program are invested in high–quality greenhouse gas emission reduction and capture projects that are independently verified and registered with the nonprofit Climate Action Reserve. By supporting these projects, which include forest conservation and the capture of methane gas from dairy farms and landfills, you are helping absorb or reduce an amount of greenhouse gas equal to your home's energy use, balancing out your carbon footprint over time. To date, the ClimateSmart program has contracted for projects which will balance out more than 980,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions–equal to removing 163,000 cars off the road for a year. See current projects.
ClimateSmart™ in the News
Arcata Forest signs on to new carbon program
October 25, 2009 Source: The Times-Standard
PG&E Takes a Step with the City of Arcata to Protect the Climate
October 22, 2009 Source: News Channel 3 (KIEM)
PG&E Project Aims to Curb Greenhouse Gas Emissions
October 22, 2009 Source: The Daily Californian
Rodney Strong Vineyards Goes Carbon Neutral
October 16, 2009 Source: Environmental Leader
Breaking Green Ground (PDF, 160 KB)
September 7, 2008 Source: The San Francisco Chronicle
Salinas Joins PG&E Plan to Limit Emissions (PDF, 124 KB)
July 30, 2008 Source: The Montery County Herald
Los Gatos Going Green
Source: www.kliv.co
45 Local Ways to Make a Difference–and Save Your Money
March 31, 2009 Source: 7x7
The Thin Green Line – Time to Move Beyond Planting Trees
June 4, 2009 Source: www.sfgate.com
Green Business: Businesses join PG&E's 'climate-neutral' program
February 2, 2009 Source: North Bay Business Journal
Demonstrate your organization's leadership in the fight against climate change. Enroll in ClimateSmart today and join the growing list of participating ClimateSmart organizations and businesses.
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 utilities in the United States.
