The company leads the nation with 175,000 solar customer milestone,
including 10,000 solar customers connected to
PG&E’s electric grid in three of California’s largest cities
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today celebrated connecting
10,000 solar customers each in three of California’s largest cities –
Bakersfield, Fresno and San Jose – as part of PG&E’s milestone of
connecting the 175,000th solar customer to its electric grid.
These achievements, along with a new survey finding that 25 percent of
Californians are considering solar panels for their home, underscore how
quickly California residents are blazing a trail for solar adoption
supporting a clean energy future.1
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“PG&E proudly supports customer choice when it comes to renewable
energy. We connect thousands of new customer-owned solar installations
to our grid every month with some of the fastest connection speeds in
the nation. This rooftop solar power supplies clean energy to our
customers and communities, and is a key part of California’s energy
future," said PG&E's Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer,
Laurie Giammona.
The growth is especially apparent in Bakersfield, Fresno and San Jose as
each city celebrates 10,000 local solar customers connected to PG&E’s
electric grid, highlighting the innovative spirit of these communities
as they invest in a sustainable tomorrow. Each city has a powerful solar
story to tell:
-
San Jose is committed
to receiving 100 percent of its electrical power from clean, renewable
sources by 2022.
-
In the Bakersfield area, Kern High School District has plans
to install solar-power systems at 27 school sites through the end
of 2016.
-
In Fresno, students work with nonprofit renewable energy company and
longtime PG&E partner GRID
Alternatives on a program called Alternative
Spring Breakers to install solar panels on the homes of low-income
families, as a part of a state
energy grant program.
Solar resources for customers
A recent survey found Californians considered the following three
roadblocks to going solar:
-
Not knowing whether to lease or buy
-
Finding the right solar panel vendor
-
Not understanding how solar energy works2
PG&E provides resources and tools to help customers navigate the solar
landscape. Before going solar, customers are encouraged to start with
getting a Home
Energy Checkup to ensure their home is energy efficient in order to
get the most benefit out of their potential solar system. Through this
simple web-based assessment, customers can learn about their household’s
energy use and receive a customized list of tips to boost energy
efficiency and associated cost savings.
PG&E also recommends three key steps for customers considering rooftop solar:
-
Explore – Start with PG&E’s quick
guide to all things solar. To make an informed decision, customers
should also explore the financing
options they have for going solar.
-
Choose – The right contractor is key to getting the
system that best fits the needs for each customer’s home and
lifestyle. To ensure they ask the right questions and gather all
relevant information, PG&E provides helpful tips
for finding a contractor and a solar
contractor checklist. PG&E recommends customers get bids from at
least 3 vendors.
-
Save – Solar panels can save customers thousands over a
lifetime (all while helping the environment) but it’s hard to know
what size system is right for each customer’s home. Use PG&E’s solar
calculator to estimate costs of installing solar and the bill
savings a solar system would generate.
Visit CleanEnergyCA
to learn more about how Californians are leading the way by investing in
clean energy.
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.
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1 Methodology: Conducted by Google Consumer Surveys May 22,
2015-May 27, 2015 and based on 1000 online responses. Sample: General
Population filtered to California.
2 Methodology: Conducted by Google Consumer Surveys May 22,
2015-May 27, 2015 and based on 1000 online responses. Sample: General
Population filtered to California.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150721006496/en/
Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company