(San Francisco, CA ) - PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG) today announced that it has become a Charter
Member of the California Climate Action Registry, a private, nonprofit
voluntary registry for greenhouse gas emissions. PG&E Corporation,
the parent company of the only investor-owned utility to join the
Registry, announced its charter membership today at a press conference
held by the Registry in Sacramento.
The Registry was created
by California State statute to help companies and organizations
with operations in California measure their greenhouse gas emissions
and establish baselines against which any future emissions reductions
requirements may be applied. Both of PG&E Corporation's businesses,
Pacific Gas and Electric Company and PG&E National Energy Group,
will report on greenhouse gas emissions associated with generation,
transmission and distribution of gas and electricity in the state
of California. Some of the Registry's 23 Charter Members include
Natural Resources Defense Council and the State of California Environmental
Protection Agency.
"PG&E Corporation's commitment
to clean energy is the right thing to do for the environment and
for our business," said Robert D. Glynn, Jr., chairman, CEO and
president of PG&E Corporation. "Finding cleaner or more efficient
ways to operate provides substantial economic, energy, and environmental
benefits. Working with the Registry to inventory our greenhouse
gas emissions helps support our overall efforts to achieve environmental
improvements."
PG&E Corporation's involvement
with the Registry is consistent with the company's long-standing
environmental policies and, specifically, its commitment to addressing
greenhouse gas emissions. An international leader in energy efficiency
programs, Pacific Gas and Electric Company has created energy savings
and environmental benefits for its customers through customer energy
efficiency programs begun in the 1970s. Over the past 25 years,
these programs have kept a cumulative total of approximately 50
million tons of carbon dioxide - the most common greenhouse -- out
of the atmosphere.
In its daily operations,
PG&E Corporation stands committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
For 2001, the Corporation achieved a one-year total reduction of
21.2 million tons (carbon dioxide equivalents) in greenhouse gas
emissions. Activities contributing to these emissions savings included
new wind powered generation and highly efficient natural gas fueled
plants, clean air vehicles, improvements in gas pipeline operations,
use of landfill gas as a fuel resource and carbon sequestration
projects.
For its dedication to environmental
stewardship and the results of its programs, Pacific Gas and Electric
Company has been recognized with several awards, including the U.S.
EPA's Energy Star "Excellence in Consumer Education Award" and the
California Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award
for Ecosystem Restoration. The Corporation's PG&E National Energy
Group unit has also earned numerous environmental awards, including
recognition from the National Hydropower Association for Outstanding
Stewardship of American Rivers, and the Vermont Governor's Award
for Environmental Excellence in Pollution Prevention.
PG&E Corporation has also
taken a leadership position within the energy industry regarding
clean air. The Corporation is a founding member of the Clean Energy
Group, a coalition of energy companies dedicated to greater use
of cleaner technologies.
PG&E Corporation's stewardship
programs and other efforts are highlighted each year in its annual
report on its environmental performance.