April 28, 2006—Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced it has taken historic strides to ensure years of clean, reliable future electricity supplies for the more than 15 million northern and central Californians the utility serves. PG&E reached a key milestone by executing agreements to purchase 1,780 megawatts of new, highly efficient electric power generation for operation in 2009 and 2010.
PG&E has designed a broad energy strategy to meet its customers’ future power needs in as environmentally responsible a manner as possible, says the company. The strategy relies first on an aggressive expansion of customer energy efficiency and demand side management programs, then looks to secure additional renewable power resources, and seeks to fill the remainder of customers’ energy needs through traditional, but ever more efficient generation sources.
Over the next three years, PG&E expects to provide more than $1 billion of funding for various energy efficiency programs and customer demand reduction programs that will eliminate the need for construction of more than 1,000 megawatts of new generation facilities, says the utility. Also, the company continues to increase electricity purchased from renewable energy sources—such as wind, solar and small hydroelectric—at an expected rate of more than 300 megawatts each year to achieve its goal of providing 20 percent of customers’ power from state-eligible renewable sources by 2010. The company will also continue to rely on its extensive network of hydroelectric facilities to supply an additional 18 percent of customer electricity needs.
For more information, visit the PG&E Web site.
