PG&E Leads the Nation with Most Solar Added in 2014
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has been recognized by the Solar
Electric Power Association (SEPA) as a national leader in solar
power for the seventh year in a row. SEPA's eighth annual Utility Solar
Rankings report measures newly installed solar power units connected
over the course of 2014. PG&E earned the first place ranking in the
Solar Megawatts category with more than 1,500 megawatts installed within
its service area, equivalent to powering over 320,000 homes.
PG&E delivers some of the cleanest energy in the nation to nearly 16
million people in Northern and Central California. More than 55 percent
of the energy PG&E delivers comes from sources which emit no greenhouse
gases. By the year 2020, PG&E expects that number will grow to
approximately 65 percent.
“We are 100 percent committed to solar energy and its role in
California’s energy future,” said PG&E’s Senior Vice President and Chief
Customer Officer, Laurie Giammona. “Together with our customers and
partners, we have worked to shorten connection times and help solar grow
in our state. SEPA’s recognition shows this collaboration is paying off.”
In March, PG&E announced
a significant milestone of connecting the 150,000th solar
customer to its electric grid. During 2014, the utility connected more
rooftop solar customers to its grid than any other year in its history –
45,000 new solar customers. With more solar than any other utility in
the country, PG&E connects a new solar customer to its electric grid
approximately every 11 minutes.
PG&E is also making it easier than ever before for customers to reduce
their carbon footprint by going solar in 2015. The company has reduced
the average application processing time for new solar connections from
an industry average of four weeks down to five days. In addition, PG&E
offers a solar
calculator, which helps customers estimate the appropriate size for
their solar system, the likely cost and how much energy it will help
them save.
In addition, earlier this week, Habitat for Humanity and PG&E celebrated
their 10 year solar partnership. PG&E’s Solar Habitat Program has
provided $9.6 million to help respond to the housing needs of families
in Northern and Central California. As the exclusive solar partner of
Habitat for Humanity in the Bay Area, PG&E’s Solar Habitat Program has
funded the installation of solar on every new-construction Habitat for
Humanity home for both the Greater San Francisco and the East Bay and
Silicon Valley affiliates. More than 600 Habitat for Humanity families
have benefitted from this program.
“Our Top 10 survey results confirm the unstoppable momentum now
propelling solar market expansion in the United States and the active
role many utilities are playing in it,” said Julia Hamm, SEPA’s
President and CEO. “Consumers across the country want solar, and their
utilities are responding, with streamlined interconnection procedures as
well as new and innovative projects and business models. And we’re
seeing this growth not only in well-established markets, such as in
California or Hawaii, but in unexpected pockets of solar activity,
including Tennessee, Utah and Montana.”
Visit CleanEnergyCA
to learn more about how Californians are leading the way by investing in
clean energy.
About SEPA
SEPA is an educational non-profit organization based in Washington D.C.
dedicated to helping utilities integrate solar power into their energy
portfolios. The SEPA Top 10 "Utility Solar Rankings" report is one of
many market intelligence, utility interaction and educational services
SEPA provides to its utility and solar industry members. For more
information about SEPA, visit our website at www.solarelectricpower.org.
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. Based in San Francisco,
with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the
nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and
Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/
and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.
http://www.pgecurrents.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pacificgasandelectric
https://twitter.com/pge4me
http://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-gas-and-electric-company
http://www.youtube.com/user/pgevideo
Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company