ClimateSmart™—How It Works
| "ClimateSmart's focus on transparency, accountability, and environmental protection provides a great example for all carbon offset programs." -- Diane Wittenberg, Executive Director, The Climate Registry |
The ClimateSmart™ program provides a voluntary option for Pacific Gas and Electric Company customers to reduce their personal impact on climate change. When you enroll in the program, PG&E will calculate the amount needed to make the greenhouse gas emissions associated with your home energy use “neutral” and will add this amount to your monthly energy bill. The typical PG&E residential customer will pay less than $5 per month for the ClimateSmart program. Use our estimator to see how much it will cost.
100% of your payment for the ClimateSmart program will go to directly funding new greenhouse gas emission reduction projects in California. PG&E will invest these funds in a range of innovative projects, such as projects that capture methane gas from dairy farms and landfills and conserving and restoring California's forests. The first projects PG&E has invested in include the Garcia River forest in Mendocino County and the Lompico Headwaters in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Learn more about our projects.
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| 1. The energy you use emits greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), into the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels. 2. By signing up for the ClimateSmart program, you can pay a separate amount on your monthly energy bill to make your home energy use "climate neutral." 3. Through the ClimateSmart program, PG&E will invest 100% of your payment in independently verified greenhouse gas emission reduction projects in California, like conserving and restoring forests and capturing methane gas from dairy farms and landfills. 4. The ClimateSmart projects absorb or reduce over time an equal amount of CO2 from the atmosphere, balancing out the climate impact of your energy use. |
Frequently Asked Questions
About Climate Change
External Advisory Group
The ClimateSmart program is being funded by PG&E customers in accordance with a decision of the California Public Utilities Commission. To make participating customers climate neutral, PG&E may enter into greenhouse gas emission reduction contracts where the reductions occur over time into the future.
