Utility's Voluntary Carbon Offset Program Opens Second Request for
Proposals Since Launch
SAN FRANCISCO, May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric
Company's ClimateSmart(TM) program today announced it has issued a Request
for Proposals (RFP) for up to one million tons of new greenhouse gas (GHG)
emission reductions on behalf of the nearly 30,000 customers enrolled in
the voluntary carbon offset program. This is ClimateSmart's second RFP
since the program launched in June of 2007.
"Coupled with programs in energy efficiency and solar rooftops,
voluntary carbon offsets are a key component of PG&E's broader strategy to
provide our customers with tools to address climate change," said Nancy
McFadden, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for PG&E. "We look
forward to receiving a wide range of competitive offers from prospective
greenhouse gas emission reduction projects that will enable the
ClimateSmart program to continue to diversify and grow our portfolio."
PG&E's ClimateSmart program is a voluntary program that allows
customers to balance out the emissions that are produced by the energy they
use, making their energy use "climate neutral." To date, nearly 30,000
customers -- including residents, businesses and cities -- have enrolled in
the program, which invests 100 percent of customer funds in the selected
projects.
"The City of San Jose is pleased to be a ClimateSmart customer because
we know that our investment is going toward high-quality greenhouse gas
emission reduction projects in California," said John Stufflebean, Director
of Environmental Services for the City of San Jose. "The next generation of
projects will only continue to encourage new and innovative ways for our
community to do its part in the fight against climate change."
Proposals for the ClimateSmart program's GHG emission reduction
projects may include forest conservation, conservation-based forest
management and reforestation projects in California; or installation of a
manure biogas control system for livestock operations, such as dairy cattle
and swine farms. The ClimateSmart program's current portfolio includes
214,000 metric tons from two northern California forest sequestration
projects, the Garcia River Forest and the Lompico Headwaters Forest. Final
inclusion of livestock projects in the ClimateSmart program is currently
pending approval by the California Public Utilities Commission.
"Biogas projects offer an important opportunity for dairies to
voluntarily reduce their carbon footprint," said Stan Andre, CEO of the
California Milk Advisory Board. "The ClimateSmart bid solicitation sends a
strong signal that PG&E is committed to working with dairies to develop
economically-viable projects."
PG&E has scheduled three bidders' conferences to be held in San
Francisco (May 28), Sacramento (May 29) and Tulare (June 2). Bids are due
on July 2 at 2 p.m. For more information about the RFP for GHG emission
reduction projects, please visit http://www.pge.com/climatesmart.
As more customers enroll in the ClimateSmart program over the next two
years, PG&E will continue to seek additional high-quality GHG emission
reduction projects. By the end of 2009, ClimateSmart will have contracted
for projects that yield at least 1.5 million tons of GHG emission
reductions.
PG&E enrolled as the first participant in the ClimateSmart program by
committing approximately $1.5 million of shareholder funding from 2007 to
2009 to make all of the energy use in the company's offices, service
centers, maintenance facilities and other company buildings climate
neutral. When a customer enrolls in ClimateSmart, PG&E calculates the
actual amount of GHG emissions produced by the customer's electricity and
gas usage each month and adds the amount needed to make the customer's
energy use climate neutral to the monthly bill. For the average residential
customer, the cost is less than $5 per month.
PG&E proudly provides its customers with among the cleanest energy in
the nation. On average, more than 50 percent of the energy delivered to its
electric customers is carbon free. Through its leading energy efficiency
and demand response programs, the company has helped prevent more than 135
million tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere, while saving
its customers nearly $22 billion.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation, is
one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the
United States. Based in San Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company
delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to 15 million people in
northern and central California. For more information, visit
http://www.pge.com.
SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company
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CONTACT:
PG&E News Department, +1-415-973-5930
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