Company Earns NRDC Honors for Environmental Performance
and Leadership...
View Video
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Speaking today at the National
Press Club, Peter A. Darbee, Chairman, CEO and President
of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG) urged federal policy
makers to take a series of actions aimed at accelerating
the nation’s efforts to advance clean energy
solutions and address global warming.
“Within the span of a generation, we need to
significantly transform the ways we provide for our
energy needs,” said Darbee. “If we rise
to the challenge, we can head off the dangers of global
warming. We can help secure America’s long-term
economic prosperity. We can reduce our dependence on
unstable parts of the world. And we can even instill
in our nation a new sense of global leadership.”
In particular, Darbee called on Washington to respond
to this challenge by setting clear and achievable long-term
national requirements for lowering global warming emissions
across all sectors of the economy. Mandatory federal
emissions targets would, he said, create the certainty
and consistency that U.S. companies need to move forward
with the strategic planning and investments that will
be essential for progress on clean energy and climate
change. Darbee advocated strongly in favor of establishing
a broad-based, national cap and trade system to achieve
the long-term requirements.
He also asked federal policy makers to take a number
of concrete, pragmatic steps on energy efficiency,
renewable energy, clean conventional power generation,
transparency and greenhouse gas emissions reporting,
and alternative transportation technologies.
Specific recommendations for federal action included:
Energy Efficiency:
- Provide incentives for utilities to advocate
for energy efficiency programs by encouraging decoupling
of utility revenues from the amount of energy sold.
- Adopt national energy efficiency standards for
buildings and appliances.
- Increase R&D spending on new energy saving
technologies.
Renewable Energy:
- Set a federal renewables target goal and
timeline.
- Extend production and investment incentives for
renewables to reduce the cost of technology development
and encourage fuller deployment.
- Increase R&D spending on large-scale renewable
development and demonstration projects.
Clean Conventional Generation:
- Drive new efficiencies in natural gas fired
generation.
- Facilitate development of new supplies and infrastructure
to get supplies to the market.
- Fund large-scale clean coal development and demonstration
projects.
- Establish rules for carbon dioxide capture, transport
and storage.
- Evaluate the future role of nuclear power in the
U.S. energy supply.
Greenhouse Gas Reporting:
- Establish reporting processes, protocols
and standards to ensure that businesses in all sectors
report and certify their greenhouse gas emissions.
- Provide credit for early adopters and investors
in emissions reductions programs.
Advanced Transportation Technologies:
- Provide financial incentives for individuals
and fleet owners to invest in alternative fuel
powered vehicles.
- Encourage utilities and other energy providers
to invest in infrastructure to support emerging transportation
technologies.
Darbee delivered his remarks during a ceremony at
which Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) honored
PG&E for the company’s long and ongoing track
record of environmental leadership -- only the third
such presentation that the NRDC has made in the group’s
history. The honors were presented to Darbee by Ralph
Cavanagh, senior NRDC attorney, and Devra Wang, Director
of NRDC’s California Energy Program.
“PG&E sets the bar on environmental leadership
for all utilities,” said Cavanagh. “The
company’s industry-leading energy efficiency
programs and its bold leadership on climate change
at the state and federal level provide an example of
how the actions of one company can make a significant
contribution to protecting the environment.”
The NRDC recognition is the latest award received
by PG&E for its environmental leadership. With
more than 140 environmental honors in total, other
recent awards include two Governor’s Environmental
and Economic Leadership Awards, the state’s most
prestigious environmental honor, the Keystone Center
Leadership in Industry Award, the U.S. EPA’s
ENERGY STAR® and WasteWise Awards, and the Solar
Electric Power Association’s Public Awareness
and Industry Leadership Award.
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national,
nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental
specialists dedicated to protecting public health and
the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has 1.2 million
members and online activists nationwide, served from
offices in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San
Francisco.
For more information about PG&E Corporation and
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, please visit our
web sites at www.pgecorp.com and www.pge.com