SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Nearly 70 percent of the electricity Pacific Gas and Electric Company
(PG&E) delivered to its customers in 2016 came from greenhouse gas free
resources, the company announced this week.
One of the nation’s cleanest energy companies, PG&E delivered an average
of 32.8 percent of its electricity in 2016 from renewable resources
including solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and hydroelectric sources.
That’s more than a three-percent increase in just one year, and the
highest percentage yet for the state’s largest combined natural gas and
electric company. A total of 69.3 percent of PG&E’s electric power mix
is from nuclear, large hydro and renewable sources of energy.
“Delivering this amount of renewable electricity strongly confirms
PG&E’s continued commitment to a cleaner energy future for our customers
and all of California. We embrace our role as a leader in renewable
energy, and we are full speed ahead in reaching our next targets,” said
Geisha Williams, CEO and President, PG&E Corporation
This record level of renewable deliveries also propels PG&E toward
California’s goal of 50 percent renewables by 2030.
The renewable energy milestone comes as the energy company has continued
to deliver strong electric reliability over the last decade. By
investing in its electric infrastructure and integrating innovative
technology to make its power grid smarter and more resilient, PG&E has
reduced the number and duration of power outages impacting its customers.
California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard is one of the most
progressive clean energy mandates in the country. Established in 2002,
it required energy providers to increase renewable energy deliveries to
20 percent by 2017, and in 2008 expanded the goal to 33 percent by the
end of 2020. Nearly achieving 33 percent renewable energy delivery and
continuing the company’s advanced pace of renewable energy integration
reflects PG&E’s larger commitment in the fight against climate change,
said Williams.
PG&E has been a leader in clean energy and energy efficiency for nearly
50 years, beginning with energy conservation programs in the 1970s and
continuing in the early 2000s with the first clean energy power purchase
contracts.
PG&E’s diverse renewable power mix includes solar, wind, geothermal,
bio-power and small, eligible-renewable hydroelectric energy. In 2016,
PG&E expanded purchases of biomass electricity to help address the
state’s historic tree mortality crisis. In addition, PG&E has connected
285,000 customers with private rooftop solar to the energy grid –
representing about 25 percent of the nation’s rooftop solar and more
than 2,409 MWs of clean energy. The company owns one of the nation’s
largest hydro-electric systems, as well as Diablo Canyon Power Plant,
both of which emit no greenhouse gases. The entire diverse portfolio
allows PG&E to deliver more than 69.3 percent of its power from sources
which emit no greenhouse gases.
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 22,000 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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Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company