SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The California State Fair bills itself as the “17 Best Days of Summer,”
including its signature food. But it’s not just deep fried delicacies
that are getting props this year, it’s also farm fresh fare. Supporters
of California’s $53 billion agriculture industry – including Pacific Gas
and Electric Company (PG&E) – are being recognized too.
PG&E was inducted into the California Agricultural Heritage Club today
at the California State Fair in Sacramento. The Heritage Club is a
prestigious group of families and businesses dedicated to preserving
agriculture’s heritage, as well as moving the industry forward. PG&E is
one of 18 businesses, farms and ranches being inducted this year and is
the sole recipient recognized for more than 150 years of support.
“Since our beginnings in 1852 as the first gas utility in the west, PG&E
has shared the pioneering spirit of California’s farmers and ranchers.
We appreciate the value of agriculture to our daily lives, and to our
local, regional, state and national economies. We look forward to
continuing our work with our local agricultural customers for another
150 years, and helping this vital industry thrive,” said Deb Affonsa,
vice president of customer service for PG&E.
“Reliable, affordable energy supplies are vitally important to farmers
and ranchers and, because PG&E’s extensive infrastructure passes over
and under farms and ranches, PG&E operations are closely linked to
agriculture,” said Karen Norene Mills, associate counsel and director of
public utilities for the California Farm Bureau Federation. “Farm Bureau
looks forward to PG&E’s ongoing dedication to the state’s agricultural
resources as an important segment of its customer base, a vital link in
its ability to operate its system, and a key component of the state’s
economy and environment.”
Agriculture and food processing help drive the state’s economy, at the
same time they can be very energy-intensive. PG&E has a range of energy
efficiency programs and incentives to help agricultural customers reduce
their water and energy usage, and therefore reduce their costs. Over the
past five years, PG&E has helped its large agriculture and food
processing customers reduce energy usage by approximately 37 million
kilowatt hours and 17 million therms, and provided $17 million in
rebates to encourage energy efficiency changes.
The company introduced new programs and incentives to help farmers and
ranchers weather the ongoing drought, and created an Agriculture Task
Force and customer advisory groups to deal directly with customers on
issues that matter most to them.
PG&E is also sponsoring a scholarship through the Friends of the
California State Fair Scholarship Program, which supports high school
seniors and college students pursuing careers in areas including
agriculture, business and viticulture.
The California Agricultural Heritage Club Induction Ceremony was held at
the Clubhouse at the Cal Expo Grandstand during a breakfast this morning.
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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View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160713006195/en/
Source: PG&E Corporation