Fighting Climate Change
PG&E believes climate change is real and the time for action is now. We are committed to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and to providing our customers with the tools to shrink their "carbon footprint."
In February, Peter Darbee was invited to the United Nations in New York to speak at the 2008 Investor Summit on Climate Risk, a gathering on global warming with 200 of the world's top investment strategists.
(video footage) | (remarks)
ClimateSmart™
On June 28, 2007, PG&E launched ClimateSmart™, a first-of-its-kind voluntary program which allows our customers to take action on climate change by balancing out the greenhouse gas emissions from their energy use. ClimateSmart lets customers pay a separate amount on their monthly utility bill to fund new environmental projects aimed at removing an equal amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Initially, PG&E will invest customer funds in conserving and restoring California’s forests and capturing methane gas from dairy farms.
Understanding and Reporting Our Impact
As a charter member of the California Climate Action Registry, PG&E was the first investor-owned utility in California to complete a third-party-certified inventory of our carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2002. Our 2005 certified CO2 emissions rate is more than 60 percent below the national average among utilities.
In addition, PG&E has participated in the Carbon Disclosure Project for the past three years. PG&E's annual submission provides additional detail on our actions related to climate change and our greenhouse gas emissions profile.
Reducing Our Emissions
PG&E is an active member of the Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) Emission Reduction Partnership, which focuses on reducing emissions of SF6 (22,200 times as potent as CO2) from transmission and distribution operations. We also support Natural Gas STAR, a program promoting the reduction of methane (at least 21 times as potent as CO2) from natural gas pipeline operations. Since 1998, we have reduced our SF6 leak rate by 84 percent and our absolute emissions by 76 percent, and have avoided the release of thousands of tons of methane.
PG&E is using laser technology to search for potential leaks of sulfur hexafluoride, a greenhouse gas.
Advancing Responsible Solutions
At the national level, Peter A. Darbee, Chairman, CEO and President of PG&E Corporation, participated in the U.S. Senate's Committee on Environment and Public Works hearings on climate change in February and June of 2007.
Peter Darbee speaking at a USCAP press conference in Washington, D.C., on January 22, 2007.
PG&E is a member of the United States Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), a group calling for strong national legislation to require reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, we were an original member of the Clean Energy Group, a coalition of environmentally progressive utilities advocating for a national, mandatory, market-based approach to curbing greenhouse gas emissions in the power sector.
On November 9, 2007, Peter Darbee spoke at a news conference to announce the launch of Combat Climate Change (3C).
In advance of the climate change negotiations in Bali, Indonesia, PG&E joined with major global corporate leaders to launch Combat Climate Change (3C). This international business initiative brings together 46 leading international companies to call on governments to work together to develop a global policy framework to combat climate change.
While we prefer a national approach to addressing climate change, we also recognize how states can act as a catalyst for federal legislation and bringing forth innovative solutions. That is why PG&E worked constructively with the California legislature and Administration to enact AB 32 (The Global Warming Solutions Act) and SB 1368, which requires all power sold to utilities in the state under long-term contracts meet a greenhouse-gas emissions performance standard equivalent to an efficient, combined-cycle natural gas plant.
News Releases
2008
Additional Info
