PG&E joined an exclusive club when Information Week magazine unveiled its list of companies that are leading technology innovators.
At an event in Southern California on Tuesday (Sept. 11), PG&E was listed on the Information Week 500. Less than 20 energy companies and utilities were among the 500 companies.
PG&E through Karen Austin, its new chief information officer, is working to use technology to make the company safer and more efficient. This encompasses a wide range of actions from new tools in the field that help employees do their jobs better to online information that gives customers more control over their energy usage.
It was the launch of the Green Button that put PG&E on the Information Week list. PG&E launched the Green Button in late 2011, responding to a challenge from the White House to enable customers with smart meters to download their hourly energy usage data in a standard format. The Green Button aims to promote personal energy awareness and the development of customer-focused apps for smartphones and personal computers. About 220,000 PG&E customers have used the new service.
“We’re excited about this Information Week honor and the attention it brings to energy management apps because of the significant cost-savings potential for customers,” said Austin, who also is a PG&E senior vice president. “Apps that help our customers reduce energy use in turn reduce the need for more power plants, helping the environment.”
The diverse Information Week 500 list included hospitals, wineries, automakers, hotels, insurance companies, online game-makers and more.
The top 5 companies were Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Deere & Co., Zynga, Vail Resorts and E & J Gallo Winery.
