SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today announced the launch of the new Clean Fuel Rebate program for customers driving vehicles using compressed natural gas as a clean transportation fuel. Eligible customers already have a compressed natural gas account and fill up at PG&E stations across Northern and Central California.

The new rebate is part of California’s statewide Low Carbon Fuel Standard initiative, which aims to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging the adoption of clean fuels like compressed natural gas. Transportation is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in California at 40 percent.

Today, compressed natural gas is one of the cleanest burning fuels available and produces less greenhouse gas emissions than other burning fuels. Each mile driven using compressed natural gas reduces vehicle greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent compared to gasoline cars and 25 percent compared to diesel trucks.

“Clean fuel vehicles are a critical part of creating cleaner air and meeting our ambitious climate goals in California. Providing this rebate for natural gas vehicles is part of our ongoing commitment to clean transportation. We continue to support our customers who are adopting clean fuels to reduce their environmental impact and move towards the state’s clean energy future,” said Aaron Johnson, PG&E Vice President of Customer Energy Solutions.

Compressed natural gas is mainly used by businesses or government agencies for their fleet vehicles as it can provide a cleaner and more affordable way to fuel. Additionally, compressed natural gas continues to get cleaner as both fuel and engine technologies advance and become more efficient.

Key facts about the Clean Fuel Rebate for compressed natural gas:

• What is the rebate? The Clean Fuel Rebate for compressed natural gas is a program for customers who have a compressed natural gas account and fuel their vehicles at PG&E stations across Northern and Central California. The first rebate will be issued in 2017 and is expected to be an annual rebate through 2020.
• Where does the money for the rebate come from? By participating in the statewide Low Carbon Fuel Standard program, PG&E generates credits when customers purchase compressed natural gas as a clean transportation fuel. After selling these credits to regulated parties, PG&E returns the revenue to its compressed natural gas customers through the Clean Fuel Rebate.
• How do customers know if they are eligible and apply for the rebate? Eligible customers have an active compressed natural gas account and are fueling their vehicles at PG&E’s compressed natural gas stations. There is no need to apply. Eligible customers will automatically receive the rebate as an annual credit on their bill through 2020.
• Will every eligible customer receive the same rebate amount? The rebate amount varies for each customer as it is based on the customer's consumption of compressed natural gas from one of PG&E's fueling stations during a certain time period. The 2017 rebate will be larger than future rebate amounts as it retroactively accounts for customer usage for a period of five years from January 1, 2011 through September 30, 2016. In subsequent years, the rebate will cover one year of usage.
• How will customers be paid the rebate? The rebate will appear as an on-bill credit for customers who will receive it.
• Where can customers learn more? For more information on the Clean Fuel Rebate for compressed natural gas, please visit pge.com/cleanfuelrebate-cng. To learn more about compressed natural gas for vehicles, visit pge.com/cng.

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 energy companies 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 pge.com/news.

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Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company