Here is the executive summary of the brief:

PG&E deeply regrets the loss of life, injuries, and the effect on the San Bruno community caused by the September 9, 2010 pipeline rupture and explosion. PG&E recognizes how terrible the San Bruno tragedy was and has made extraordinary efforts to prevent another tragedy from occurring. The steps PG&E has taken since the accident will make its gas system safer than any state or federal regulation has ever required. PG&E is committed to implementing every NTSB recommendation and Commission directive, and to remedy deficiencies it has independently identified. PG&E shareholders have spent $900 million¹ and expect to spend an additional $1.3 billion more on these safety improvement efforts.

In the wake of the accident, PG&E has made real and lasting changes to enhance the safety of its gas system. PG&E changed the management and structure of the company, hired more than 300 new employees, expects to complete 9 of the 12 NTSB recommendations by the end of the year, validated the maximum allowable operating pressure for all 6,750 miles of transmission pipelines, and hydro tested an unprecedented number of transmission pipeline miles in the last two years.

PG&E has fully accepted moral and legal responsibility for this tragic accident and acknowledges that there should be penalties. However, the proposed penalty of $2.25 billion ignores the fundamental truth of this tragedy: this accident was not the result of willful or knowing violations of state law, federal standards, or Commission orders, policies or directives. The evidence does not show that PG&E could have known or should have detected that defective pipe had been erroneously installed in 1956. The evidence does not show that any integrity management program, even one that was perfectly implemented based on federal and state regulations, would have discovered the defective pipe or prevented the accident. The parties offer no legitimate rationale for the disproportionate and excessive size of the recommended penalties based on evidence of culpability, Commission precedent or comparison with any prior penalty imposed in the history of the U.S. Assessing a maximum penalty amount ignores these and other factors that the Commission is required to consider.

Setting a penalty entirely on the basis of a consultant’s analysis of PG&E’s “ability to pay” is wrong as a matter of law, Commission policy and in terms of public safety. Longstanding Commission policy holds that penalties against a utility should be constructed as a deterrent against activities and behavior that could result in future accidents. Given the fact that PG&E has already completely restructured its gas operations, replaced senior management and invested more in safety than any utility in the history of the gas industry, no additional penalty of any amount could have a greater deterrent effect.

It is a dangerous policy for the Commission to assess penalties against a utility that are designed to test the upper limit of how much shareholders can absorb before the penalty compromises public safety. A penalty that, by design, would place at risk a company’s ability to raise capital for investments in safety on behalf of customers runs counter to the Commission’s obligation to ensure public safety. No penalty should be based on the deeply flawed analysis of one consultant.

The Commission should apply the unrecovered amounts that shareholders have spent and plan to spend on gas system safety to any penalty. Customers will not pay for these investments even though these safety-related costs would typically be recoverable. PG&E’s swift actions since the accident should be acknowledged not punished. Failure to recognize these investments would send the message that this safety work is not important when exactly the opposite is true. These investments are critical to making PG&E’s gas system the safest in the nation.

As the CPUC’s Safety and Enforcement Division has concluded, the public interest is best served by improvements to the system funded by shareholders, not a punitive fine that threatens PG&E’s ability to finance safety improvements. Those who argue that the

Commission should impose the most extreme penalty possible, or add additional fines on top of shareholder penalties, should be required to demonstrate how this approach will not harm the very customers the Commission is sworn to protect.

Click here to read the brief.

¹ The $900 million represents actual shareholder expenditures through the end of 2012 on gas safety-related activities. This is a portion of the previously publicly-reported $1.4 billion in shareholder dollars attributable to matters related to the San Bruno accident through the end of 2012.

BAKERSFIELD – It was the perfect ending to a senior awards night celebration: The distribution of $1,000 checks to students – every one of them — who completed the PG&E-sponsored New Energy Academy at Independence High School.

New Energy Academy graduates from Bakersfield’s Independence High School show off their $1,000 checks from PG&E. (Photos by Tracy Correa.)

In all, PG&E gave away a total of $46,000 to 46 graduates this week. The scholarship awards fulfill a promise made by PG&E President Chris Johns three years ago when he visited the school.

“I thought this was amazing,” said Michael Pimental, who clutched tightly to the white envelope with his check inside. He said he remembered the promise by Johns, but it didn’t really hit him until he received the $1,000 check with his name on it.

The 17-year-old said he has never had a check for such a large gift, a sentiment echoed by many of his classmates during the awards night Wednesday (May 22) at Hodel’s restaurant. “This is actually really rare,” said Michael. He said sticking with the program was well worth it; he is headed to California State University, Northridge and credited the New Energy Academy with helping him decide to major in electrical engineering.

PG&E invests in three-year program

The students received the scholarships for completing all three years of the New Energy Academy, a school-within-a-school program that focuses on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (or STEM) education.

PG&E’s Kristen Doud presents a $1,000 check to Zhaina Moya, one of 46 students who completed the New Energy Academy program at Independence High School in Bakersfield. School counselor Nicole Adame stands by to drape a special academy graduation cord around Zhaina’s neck.

The program at Independence High School in Bakersfield is one of five such schools in Northern and Central California funded by PG&E. In addition to the $100,000 PG&E invested to launch the program at Independence High three years ago, the utility will spend $1 million at the five schools – including ones in Stockton, Fresno, Berkeley and Sacramento — this year in scholarships, classroom enhancements and equipment.

The New Energy Academy program helps students prepare for the workforce with hands-on projects and learning designed to provide them skills needed for careers in the energy industry. The energy sector faces an impending wave of retirements in the next few years – jobs that will need to be filled with qualified workers.

At the graduation banquet attended by about 150 people, Independence High students showed parents, teachers and community mentors what they had learned as they presented their senior projects. The projects included group video presentations on energy sources, including solar, natural gas, wind and hydropower. Earlier this year, the students presented business plans they created to local business representatives.

Proud moment for students, teachers and parents

“I am so proud,” said Deisy Sandoval, mother of New Energy Academy graduate Lorena De La Pena.

New Energy Academy graduate Michael Pimental said this is the first time he’s ever had a $1,000 check made to him. He is headed to college where he will major in electrical engineering.

Lorena is headed to University of California, Davis where she will major in chemistry. She said the New Energy Academy helped her to embrace and understand science. “Last year, I thought, finally, ‘I get it,’ ” she said. The $1,000 from PG&E will help her pay for books and other necessities not covered by financial aid.

Kim Woolf, New Energy Academy instructor at Independence High, said one of the great things about the program is how successful it has been in attracting females. More than half the students in her program are young women, particularly important because the science and technology fields have traditionally been dominated by men.

“I am very proud of them and very thankful for the business relationships that have developed, especially the one with PG&E,” said Woolf.

PG&E already handed out $1,000 scholarships to New Energy Academy graduates at Foothill High in Sacramento and will soon distribute them to students completing the program at Venture Academy in Stockton, Edison High in Fresno and  Berkeley High.

E-mail Tracy Correa at Tracy.Correa@pge.com.

Williams, who leads electric operations at PG&E, took part in the Bay Area Council’s 2013 Outlook Conference. The event, held at the new San Francisco Jazz Center, featured a wide variety of speakers from Gov. Jerry Brown to entertainer MC Hammer. Leaders from Safeway, Wells-Fargo, Dignity Health and other companies were joined by the CEOs of the San Francisco Giants and the 49ers.

On the panel speaking on California’s future were state Sen. Alex Padilla, PG&E's Geisha Wlliams, Ron Sege of Echelon and Paul Nahi of Enphase. (Toerge Photography courtesy of Bay Area Council.)

David Chiu, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, also spoke.

Williams was on a panel that focused on “Powering California’s Economic Future.” She was joined by Ron Sege, the chairman, CEO and president of Echelon, and Paul Nahi, CEO and president of Enphase Energy. Sen. Alex Padilla, chairman of the state Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, was the moderator.

Williams said that PG&E puts much of its focus on the energy of the future – looking not just toward 2020 but toward 2030 and 2040, too. And besides supplying safe, reliable and affordable power, the utility sees its role as helping to drive economic growth and competitiveness in the state. That includes making huge investments in California’s infrastructure, she said.

Padilla asked the panelists about the big challenges that the energy sector in California faces today.

“As we work to upgrade and modernize the electric system, we need to make sure that the infrastructure that we are placing into the field will be compatible with the technologies of the future, and that’s a huge challenge,” she said.   The question and an earlier panel discussion on social media reminded Williams of something she had recently read. Imagine, she said, trying to use a rotary phone to look up a video on You Tube. It’s not possible.

Infrastructure upgrades need to be compatible with the technology of the future, said PG&E's Geisha Williams.

In reference to a question about what’s next, Williams said that “storage is the next big thing.” She referenced the ribbon cutting that took place earlier in the day in San Jose of the single largest battery energy storage system in the state. PG&E hopes to learn a lot from this pilot project, she said.

Nahi of Enphase Energy agreed. “Once you have a battery, you need to be able to manage it. You need to be able to turn it off and on, and that still needs to be determined,” he said.

Panelists agreed that California remains a leader in clean tech and clean energy spheres.

“California is a leader.” Williams said. “Just look at our success on renewables, energy efficiency and demand response. Now we have to make sure that we stay at the forefront and produce results because if we are not successful, we become another cautionary tale of why other states should not follow.”

SAN JOSE — PG&E and the California Energy Commission today (May 23) unveiled the single largest battery energy storage system in the state. The pilot project will improve customers’ electric reliability and better balance the needs of California’s power grid during hot summer months when the demand for energy is greatest.

PG&E project manager Dave Fribush points out one of the four 1 megawatt batteries as part of the new Yerba Buena Battery Energy Storage System pilot, which will improve electric reliability for customers. (Photos by David Kligman.)

The 4 megawatt (MW) Yerba Buena Battery Energy Storage System, located on the property of Silicon Valley storage technology company HGST in the San Jose foothills, actually went online earlier this month but was symbolically launched with the flip of a giant light switch.

“It’s appropriate that this pilot project is occurring in a region known throughout the world for innovation and technology,” said Greg Kiraly, senior vice president of distribution operations for PG&E. “PG&E continues to look at the needs of our customers to ensure that we’re providing them safe, reliable and affordable electric service. These pilots are one of many ways in which PG&E is preparing for the future needs of our customers.”

The project is similar to PG&E’s 2MW sodium-sulfur battery pilot at its Vaca Dixon substation (Click to watch a Currents video on the projects). While the smaller project is primarily intended to test applications of energy storage on the grid and renewables like wind power, the San Jose battery storage system is at the end of a distribution line so it will improve reliability for customers by stabilizing voltage frequency in the summer when voltage can dip.

When asked what the system will mean for customers, Robert Schainker of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) quickly listed all the benefits: “Power quality, meaning no voltage sags, very firm power, no lights flickering.”

Enough power for seven hours

In the event of a power outage, the battery system can support HGST and neighbors of the company for up to seven hours.

The system charges the four 1MW batteries when demand is low and then sends reserved power to the grid when demand grows. The batteries are kept heated at 300 degrees C and have a life span of 15 years.

Though the project went online earlier this month, a flip of a giant symbolic switch launched the 4 megawatt project.

PG&E helped install and will evaluate the system, thanks to a $3.3 million grant from the Energy Commission. The utility working closely with EPRI to study how sodium-sulfur battery energy storage can improve power quality and reliability while supporting greater integration of intermittent renewable power.

The unveiling was the result of a partnership between many groups. In addition to PG&E, the Energy Commission and EPRI, S&C Electric Company was contracted to supply and install the equipment. Japan-based NGK Insulators, the same company that manufactures spark plugs for cars, produced the sodium sulfur battery system.

Representatives from all the groups attended the celebration, as well as  San Jose council member Rose Herrera and other public officials. And about 50 members of the Electric Storage Association, in town for its national conference in Santa Clara this week, put on fire-protective jumpsuits, hardhats and safety goggles for an up-close tour of the battery system.

Important for Silicon Valley innovation

PG&E project manager Dave Fribush pointed out all the components that comprise the system, including transformers, switch gear, a backup generator, the storage management control room and an alarm system that sounds in the event of a problem.

Members of the Electric Storage Association donned fire-resistant jumpsuits and hard hats to tour the project as part of their national conference in nearby Santa Clara.

Maintaining electric reliability in the region is so important, said Carl Guardino, president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. He said it’s noteworthy that the project is located in the epicenter of technology.

“Thirty-six years ago, when David Packard, the co-founder of Hewlett-Packard, created the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, the defining event that led to our creation was the rolling blackouts of 1977,” Guardino said. “Service disruption, even for an instant, wreaks havoc on the innovation economy. That’s why the work of PG&E and this partnership is so vital.”

PG&E senior inspector Lenny Wilde said he believes this type of energy storage is only the beginning of what’s possible.

“This is the wave of the future,” he said. “You’re going to see 10 to 20 years from now, this is going to be generating power to small towns. I wish I was 20 years younger being on the first wave of this. This is really exciting.”

Email David Kligman at David.Kligman@pge.com.

A new national report on emissions from the top 100 U.S. power producers ranks PG&E as one of the cleanest generation sources in the country based on 2011 data.

The report, prepared by M. J. Bradley & Associates, a Massachusetts-based environmental consulting firm, puts PG&E in the top quartile of power producers, but the lowest quartile of greenhouse gases and other air emissions.

PG&E uses water and other sources to produce clean energy. (Currents Archive Photo.)

In fact, the rate of carbon dioxide emissions from the power generation that PG&E owns —126 pounds of CO2 per megawatt-hour (MWh) of electric generation—was less than one-tenth the national average of 1,317 pounds per MWh.

The utility’s emissions rate for nitrogen oxides, which contribute to ozone, was less than one percent of the national average. And its emissions of sulfur dioxide, which can create harmful particulates and acid rain, were less than 0.05 percent, or one two-thousandth, of the national average.

PG&E relies heavily on clean energy sources for its generation. In 2011, eligible renewable, large hydro, and nuclear generation accounted for nearly 60 percent of its electric sales. It also owns highly efficient, low-emitting natural gas generators, whose flexible output helps integrate variable wind and solar energy onto the power grid.

The report did not cover the emissions profile of all electricity sales. However, even counting electricity that PG&E purchases from other sources for its customers, PG&E ranks as one of the cleanest utilities in the country, according to The Climate Registry.

The report highlights the fact that the electric power industry as a whole cut emissions in 2011, thanks to increased use of renewable energy and natural gas, a fossil fuel that burns cleaner than coal.

Since Congress passed major amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1990, power plant emissions for nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide have fallen 70 and 72 percent respectively, the report notes. Unregulated CO2 emissions have increased 20 percent over that entire period, but have dipped 7 percent from their peak in 2008.

“The electric power industry is moving to cleaner sources of energy, demonstrating that cleaner power generation is achievable. Stronger regulations will reinforce those trends and stimulate further investment in low-carbon, low-risk resources like renewable power and energy efficiency,” said Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres, a national sustainability advocate, which co-sponsored the report with the Natural Resources Defense Council, Entergy Corporation, Exelon, PG&E, PSEG, Tenaska and Bank of America.

BAKERSFIELD – A first-time partnership between the City of Bakersfield and PG&E is helping to solve two problems: Litter on busy city roadways and much-needed jobs for homeless residents.

A PG&E check was presented Wednesday to the Bakersfield Foundation to help fund the city’s Adopt A Highway litter removal program. From left: John Enriquez with Keep Bakersfield Beautiful; Sal Moretti, Bakersfield’s solid waste superintendent; Carolann Wooton, Bakersfield Homeless Center; and PG&E’s Kristen Doud, Thomas Allen, William Hicks and Matthew Park. (Photo by Tracy Correa.)

This week, residents of the Bakersfield Homeless Center began cleaning up a section of Rosedale Highway just east of El Toro Viejo Road. It’s a section of roadway that is highly visible and often cluttered with trash.

The partnership was celebrated today (May 22) as a crew from the Bakersfield Homeless Center worked in the background.

PG&E is providing financial support to the city’s Bakersfield Foundation — $6,700 a year for two years — and the city is contracting with the Bakersfield Homeless Center for the manpower.

More sponsors needed

Sal Moretti, Bakersfield’s solid waste superintendent, accepted an oversized check for $13,400 from PG&E representatives today. He said the program is a win-win for everyone involved and credited PG&E for being the first corporate sponsor to step forward.

“We have a good program,” said Moretti. “This is all about good partners and a program that is solid. And, I see us building on this,” he said, adding that he hopes more businesses will commit funding.

A huge part of the program is how it is helping homeless residents by providing them with recent work history and pay, said Debra Lawson-Tyner, job developer for the Bakersfield Homeless Center. “People stereotype what homelessness is, but these are just people who need an opportunity,” she said.

Anthony Ocampo, an Army veteran who just moved out of the Bakersfield Homeless Center, has found work picking up litter and sorting green waste for the City of Bakersfield. PG&E is the first corporate sponsor of the litter removal project.

Anthony Ocampo, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq, was hired to work on the litter removal project under the city’s contract with the Bakersfield Homeless Center. “It’s given me a new sense of well-being,” said the father of six, as he took a break from the cleanup work.

After struggling to find consistent work in recent years, Ocampo has now been steadily employed for eight months; he sorts green waste for the city and is also part of the litter removal crew. “It’s allowed us to move out of the shelter,” he said. It also provides experience that he hopes gives him a better shot at a job he is applying for with the city’s solid waste division.

Area around Kern Power Plant benefits

PG&E is benefitting, too, because the section of roadway the company adopted is near the Kern Power Plant – which is being demolished — on Rosedale Highway.  PG&E’s sponsorship covers litter removal from Brimhall Road to Rosedale Highway and beneath the Coffee Road overpass, as well as Rosedale Highway between Henry Lane and Enger Street.

“We are very happy to help beautify the community that so many of us call home, especially as we work with our Bakersfield customers to remove the Kern Power Plant.  We’re also proud to help provide employment to those most in need,” said Thomas Allen, PG&E’s director of new generation construction who is overseeing the power plant’s demolition.

The Bakersfield Homeless Center has partnered with the city the past four years to hire shelter residents. The center – acting as like a temporary employment agency — drug screens and provides basic job skills to prepare its qualified residents for jobs with the city’s green waste and now, litter removal programs. The city is also working closely with Keep Bakersfield Beautiful on the litter removal program.

Carolann Wooten, spokeswoman for the Bakersfield Homeless Center, said the partnership is about much more than jobs and litter removal. She said it is breaking down homeless stereotypes and opening up new doors.

“They [homeless] aren’t sitting on a street corner asking for a handout,” she said. “Because of your generosity, you are giving them an opportunity.”

E-mail Tracy Correa at Tracy.Correa@pge.com

PG&E is joined by the California Department of Boating and Waterways (DBW) and California State Parks to remind water enthusiasts to take serious precautions against cold temperatures and swift currents when in or near water this spring. Despite this year’s below-normal snowfall, the spring snowmelt can still result in swift and cold river flows that can create treacherous conditions for all recreationists – waders, swimmers, paddlers, boaters, anglers, and even hikers cooling off at the water’s edge.

PG&E hydrographers are among those who measure the Sierra snowpack. (Currents Archive Photo.)

The utility and state departments cautioned that even though the water content of California’s mountain snowpack is below normal, there is still a significant amount of water in the snowpack and it is rapidly melting as mid-spring temperatures continue to warm. As warmer weather and longer days accelerate melting snow in mountainous regions, water temperatures will continue to drop and flows will continue to rise in waterways and reservoirs, with some reservoirs spilling and resulting in higher flows downstream.

“Those planning outings near mountain streams, rivers and reservoirs need to be vigilant and take appropriate safety measures,” said Randy Livingston, PG&E’s vice president of power generation. “Water flows will fluctuate with the warming and cooling of the day so outdoor recreationists should always be prepared for a change in conditions.”

“Even experienced swimmers can get caught in swift river flows, debris or suffer from hypothermia,” said DBW’s Acting Director Sylvia Ortega Hunter. “Stay safe by checking local water conditions, avoiding alcohol and most importantly wearing life jackets. These tips can make a difference between life and death situations.”

“Spring is a wonderful time to visit our beautiful lakes and fast-moving rivers,” said California State Parks Director Major General Anthony L. Jackson, USMC (Ret.). “But please read the safety tips in this water safety warning because making a mistake could threaten the life of a loved one.”

Here are some water safety tips:

 Know the water

• Sudden immersion in cold water can stimulate the “gasp reflex,” causing an involuntary inhalation of air or water. It can even trigger cardiac arrest, temporary paralysis, hypothermia and drowning. When faced with swift water, even the strongest swimmers might be easily overwhelmed.
• Cold water entering the ear canal can cause vertigo and disorientation. This might confuse swimmers, causing them to venture deeper into the water.

 Know your limits

• Swimming in open water is more difficult than in a swimming pool – people tire more quickly and can get into trouble.
• Cold water causes impairment leading to fatalities. It reduces body heat 25 to 30 times faster than air does at the same temperature.
• Many unseen obstacles can be lurking below the water’s surface. Swift water can make these obstacles even more treacherous. Guided trips for inexperienced paddlers are recommended.

 Wear a life jacket

• Conditions change quickly in open water and even the best swimmers can misjudge the water and their skills when boating or swimming. Wearing a life jacket can increase survival time.
• A life jacket can provide some thermal protection against the onset of hypothermia and keep you afloat until someone else can rescue you.

Parental supervision

• Actively supervise children in and around open bodies of water, giving them your undivided attention. Appoint a designated “water watcher,” taking turns with other adults.
• Teach children that swimming in open water is not the same as swimming in a pool: they need to be aware of uneven surfaces, river currents, ocean undertow and changing weather.

Boaters need to know the law and follow safety tips. (Currents Archive Photo.)

Know the law

• Every child under 13 must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket when on a moving vessel that is 26 feet or less in length.
• A Coast Guard-approved life jacket must be carried for each person on board a boat. This includes rigid or inflatable paddlecraft.
• Every person on board a personal watercraft (popularly known as “jet skis”) and any person being towed behind a vessel must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
• It is against the law to operate a boat or water ski with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or more. You can be arrested even when your BAC is less than 0.08 percent if conditions are deemed to be unsafe.

Joining the panel discussion were Carlos Pascual, U.S. Department of State; PG&E's Helen Burt; John Mandyck, United Technologies; Jeff Drees, Schneider Electric; and Kateri Callahan, Alliance to Save Energy. (Photo by Katie Key.)

Helen Burt, PG&E’s chief customer officer and senior vice president, joined a panel discussion that opened the two-day gathering of the world’s most influential energy efficiency professionals.

The panel laid out a blueprint for the next generation of energy efficiency and the tools – investment, modernization and education – needed to drive a goal envisioned in a recent ASE Commission report of doubling energy productivity by 2030.  This goal was also echoed by President Obama in his annual State of the Union address.

Efficiency keeps California energy demand flat

In her presentation, Burt explained the “California Model” of energy efficiency, which has resulted in relatively flat per capita energy use over the last 35 years, compared to increases of up to 50 percent in the rest of the country. This model boasts investment of more than $1 billion annually statewide, modernization efforts across all customer segments, and education and engagement with customers through a variety of channels.

Although the topic of energy efficiency gains increasing momentum across all sectors, Burt said, “The role of the utility remains critical for unlocking the potential of energy efficiency.”

Helen Burt, PG&E's chief customer officer, said California's emphasis on energy efficiency has kept energy use relatively flat in the Golden State.

On Tuesday (May 21), Burt also participated in a panel discussion on how to best to provide the energy efficiency and usage tools customers most desire while protecting privacy.

In her remarks, Burt emphasized that “big data” is about more than just a collection of bits of information. It’s about empowering customers to consider how their consumption affects their bill and the environment.

“By helping customers identify the things that drive up consumption through technologies such as SmartMeter, Home Energy Reports and Green Button, you can provide personalized energy efficiency recommendations,” Burt said. “You can help them evaluate their rate options. You can improve customer engagement and satisfaction.”

Protecting customer privacy

But, as Burt noted, such great power comes with great responsibility. Any customer-identifiable data must only be released with consent of the customer, or must be properly aggregated or made anonymous for use by a third party to ensure it cannot be accessed or used for other purposes.

For this reason, PG&E, along with California’s other investor-owned utilities, the California Public Utilities Commission and privacy advocates, created first-in-the-nation customer privacy and information security rules using Fair Information Practices Principles. These address issues such as individual rights, security, transparency, and accountability and auditing.

In its work to provide customers with information that helps them use energy more wisely, PG&E doesn’t release individual customer data without consent, though the customer can choose to release their own data through Green Button and social energy applications.

“These tools allow customers to better analyze their energy usage and compare their energy use with similar homes in the area,” said Burt.

EE Global Forum concluded with intensive learning sessions on ways to begin pursuing the goal of doubling energy productivity in all sectors – and policy frameworks for energy-efficient power systems.

By David Kligman

OAKLAND — Students at an East Oakland charter school cheered today (May 21) during a surprise announcement that one of their teachers is PG&E’s Bright Ideas Inspirational Teacher of the Year.

Aaron Vanderwerff, known to his students as “Mr. V,” is the fifth teacher to win the honor. He was selected from teachers at 64 schools that received a Bright Ideas grant from the utility this past year. PG&E’s Wendy Fukamaki revealed the big news during Vanderwerff’s robotics class for 11^th and 12^th graders at Lighthouse Community Charter School.

Two students created a tutu with lights that blink in response to noises. (Photos by James Green.)

Eleventh graders Flavio Martinez and Bricia Calderon designed a “party shirt” and “magical tutu” with lights that blink based on noises and motion. Senior Katia Castaneda created a walking cane for the blind that senses objects and calls out warnings. Her invention was so impressive that she received several offers at the Maker Faire to help her develop the product.

“I was pretty amazed because many people were really impressed with my project,” Castenada said. “I got five business cards from people who want to manufacture my product, so I was really proud of what I did.”

Their projects also include a solar-powered scooter and an old Ford truck that students are converting from a gas-powered engine to one that’s battery powered.

The school’s development manager credited Vanderwerff with inspiring his students. She said he couldn’t be more deserving of the PG&E award.

“We’re not at all surprised that Mr. V won the award,” Kim said. “We’re really proud of him and it’s a long time coming. He has dedicated so many years to making at Lighthouse. That kind of showcasing of our work in a public way really shows that there’s value to making and there’s value to science, technology, engineering, arts and math.”

Katia Castenada invented a cane that gives a verbal warning of obstacles.

Perhaps the biggest prize will happen June 22 when Vanderwerff will be honored at a San Francisco Giants game. About 40 students will attend and get a behind-the-scenes tour of AT&T Park.

The robotics and chemistry teacher said PG&E’s $10,000 grant helped spur his students’ creativity. He’s thrilled for the recognition but added that his students are the real winners.

“I hope that my students gain some independence,” Vanderwerff said. “I hope that they see that their own interests and passions are important. The big thing is really giving them confidence to do what they want to do.”

The Bright Ideas program began in 2005 to help public schools better understand the energy industry.

The thinking is that the award will inspire other teachers throughout PG&E’s territory.

Email David Kligman at David.Kligman@pge.com.

Compared to the latest in high-tech LED lighting, water heaters don’t get a lot of respect in most discussions of energy efficiency. But if you enjoy long showers — or have teenagers — you know that having lots of hot water on tap can really drive up your monthly utility bills.

So it should come as welcome news to homeowners and energy savers that PG&E is now offering $200 rebates — up from $30 previously — to encourage consumers to buy efficient Energy Star-rated gas or electric water heaters.

Paying customers to save has been a PG&E tradition since the mid-1970s, when California reacted to high oil prices by getting serious about energy efficiency. Since then, thanks to tough appliance standards and to utility program’s that incent efficiency, per capita energy use in California has stayed almost flat while the national average has climbed significantly.

PG&E is transforming the market for energy-efficient appliances by partnering with major retailers to increase product availability and consumer awareness. Rebates help consumers overcome sticker shock that may discourage them from choosing appliances that will save them money over several years. But not even rebates help when retailers don’t carry the most efficient models in their showrooms.

To overcome that hurdle, PG&E recently teamed up with Home Depot to carry Energy Star-rated water heaters in 24 of its Bay Area stores. These efficient units save four to five times as much energy as previous models that qualified for the utility’s rebates.

“The Home Depot is excited to partner with PG&E to promote Energy Star water heaters,” said Mike Cook, senior manager for utility programs at the retailer. “Energy Star water heaters save customers energy and money, but have not been readily available due to the higher cost.  PG&E’s rebate allows Home Depot to invest in the stocking of these products because now it is a great value to our customers.  We are eager to see the results of this partnership and believe our customers will respond positively.”

Kevin Michel, a PG&E field representative, stands by a rebate display at the San Mateo Home Depot store. Michel works with the retailers to make sure they understand PG&E’s rebate programs and product marketing campaigns.

According to the Energy Star website, the most efficient water heaters can “save the typical family more than $100 per year on gas bills compared to a standard storage model.”

Choosing the right model can help save the environment, too. “If everyone in the U.S. purchasing a standard gas water heater this year chose an qualified gas storage model instead, we would prevent 1 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere, the equivalent of creating 132,000 acres of forest,” the program states.

Besides your local retailer, there are several good resources for more information.  PG&E’s buyer’s guide to energy-saving appliances explains the revealing EnergyGuide label on water heaters and the importance of the unit’s Energy Factor rating.

Of course, don’t forget to check out PG&E’s rebate program, which explains how water heaters qualify, and how to get your application.

Email Jonathan Marshall at jonathan.marshall@pge.com.

FRESNO – PG&E was honored as the Corporation of the Year by the Fresno Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on Friday night (May 17) in front of a packed room of about 400 business and community leaders.

The award was presented to Greg Pruett, PG&E’s senior vice president of corporate affairs, at the chamber’s annual Developing Hispanic Leaders Gala Night held at the Bankers Ballroom in downtown Fresno. The formal gala – featuring a keynote speech by former U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis – is the chamber’s largest annual event.

PG&E’s Greg Pruett accepts Corporation of the Year award from Dora Westerlund, president and CEO of the Fresno Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The award was presented at the chamber’s annual Developing Hispanic Leaders Gala Night event. (Photos by Tracy Correa.)

The award recognized PG&E’s ongoing commitment and support of the Hispanic chamber in recent years as it teetered on the financial brink.

PG&E helps in challenging times

“This really could be the Corporation of the Last Three Years award,” said Dora Westerlund, president and CEO of the Fresno Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as she prepared to present the award on stage.

“When we were faced with very challenging times, they stood by us. When others were stepping back, they stepped forward,” she said.  Then, Westerlund announced the Corporation of the Year award to PG&E for “their outstanding support and commitment.”

Pruett accepted the award on behalf of PG&E. He said, “It’s truly our privilege to support Dora and the chamber and the work that they do… We could think of no better partner than the chamber.” He added, “We look at it as investment that is paying dividends far beyond anything that we could have imagined.”

In 2013, PG&E will provide the chamber with a $75,000 grant that will help support the Developing Hispanic Leaders Night Gala, business workshops, monthly membership breakfast events called Negociantes Unidos and the continued expansion of the Downtown Business Hub building and programs.

Last year, the utility contributed $75,000 to the Hispanic chamber and in 2011, PG&E gave $80,000 to help launch its business incubator. The funding went to the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Chamber of Commerce, to help support economic development programs, workshops and classes for startup and existing businesses covering a range of business, financial and legal topics. The business incubator – named the Downtown Business Hub — offers advice, training, office space, workshops, financial assistance, and other services to grow job-creating startup companies.

Corporate support helps chamber grow

Westerlund said support from companies such as PG&E has allowed the chamber to continue to foster the growth of new Hispanic-owned businesses. Last year, the chamber assisted 700 businesses and helped create more than 400 jobs. And, Westerlund said the Downtown Business Hub will be expanding with 10 additional second-floor offices that will allow the chamber to help even more businesses.

Hilda Solis, former U.S. Secretary of Labor, was the keynote speaker at the Hispanic Chamber’s annual Developing Hispanic Leaders Gala Night.

The event program included the keynote address from Solis on “The State of Latinos in the Economy and Workforce.” And Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin spoke about the state of the city.

Among the hundreds of community and business leaders in attendance were Fresno Assembly members Henry T. Perea and Jim Patterson and Fresno City Council members Blong Xiong and Paul Caprioglio.

In addition to PG&E, the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award and former Mexican Consul Martha Elvia Rosas was presented with the Start-Up Business of the Year award as CEO of the new America Hispanic Consulting Group.

E-mail Tracy Correa at Tracy.Correa@pge.com

PG&E and other California utilities are taking part in a public service campaign to help prevent dog bites.

May 19-25 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week, a public service campaign that emphasizes the need for increased pet owner responsibility in the prevention of dog bites. PG&E, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric remind customers to keep dogs secure when a utility worker is scheduled to visit a home or business.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dogs bite about 4.5 million people in the United States each year, with one in five dog bites resulting in injuries that require medical attention. Although children are the most common victims, dozens of utility employees in California are moderately to severely injured by dogs each year. Here are some tips to help prevent dog bites and provide a safe environment for both your pets and utility employees:

• Securely confine or relocate your dog during scheduled customer service visits and when it’s time for utility workers to read your meter.

• Contact your local utilities or check your monthly bills for the dates when utility workers are scheduled to conduct meter readings. On those days, leave gates unlocked and keep your dogs or other pets securely confined in another section of the property.

• Dogs may become more protective in the presence of their owners. Dog owners or guardians should make sure their dog is securely confined where it cannot come into contact with the utility worker or they should restrain their dog when utility workers are in their presence.

• If the utility worker is outside, keep your dog securely confined inside. If the worker is inside, keep your dog securely confined outside.

• Post a Beware of Dog sign on your fence or house to avoid any surprises.

• Leave a note on your meter explaining that you have a dog and how and where it is confined.

• Be sure all vaccinations and inoculations for rabies and parasites are up to date.

• Train your dog to obey simple commands like “sit,” “stay,” “no” and “come.” Obedience training can teach dogs proper behavior and help owners control their dogs in any situation.

• Collar your dog, so you have the means to quickly restrain your dog in any emergency.

• If you get a new dog, contact your local utilities to let them know.

PG&E's General Rate Case will help pay for electric upgrade projects. (A PG&E project in Sonoma County in 2012 is shown.) Archive Photo.)

At issue are the resources the utility needs to safely and reliably operate, maintain and modernize its gas and electric distribution and electric generation systems across its 70,000-square-mile service area, and to provide customer service for the 15 million Californians it supplies with energy.

“PG&E’s proposal will enable critical infrastructure investments and programs to support our aim of providing the safest and most reliable gas and electric service in the country,” said Tom Bottorff, PG&E senior vice president for regulatory affairs.

“It will help ensure that our customers can light and heat their homes 24/7, without a second thought about safety. Equally important, it will help ensure that PG&E’s business customers continue uninterrupted service and remain competitive in the national and world economies.”

PG&E believes it can achieve these important benefits at a reasonable cost to customers. The proposal calls for a total increase of less than $12 a month, about the cost of one movie ticket, in typical residential gas and electric bills.

In 2014, with full implementation of the utility’s proposal, PG&E’s electric rates will have risen more slowly than inflation over the previous five years. PG&E’s average monthly gas and electric bills will still total about $15 less than the national average was back in 2011.

Here are some of the program areas targeted by PG&E’s General Rate Case:

Electric improvements:  

• Upgrading electric distribution infrastructure to improve safety, reduce outages, and restore service to customers more quickly. New technology investments include infrared sensors to identify “hot spots” on electric lines before equipment fails and “intelligent switches” to isolate power outages.

Gas-system upgrades:

• Increasing by a factor of six the miles of gas pipe that have traditionally been replaced annually in order to improve system safety.
• Deploying ultra-sensitive, state-of-the-art new technology to detect gas leaks more quickly.
• Building and operating a new, modern gas distribution control facility to monitor and manage the entire gas distribution system.

Public safety:

• Reducing risk of wildfires through additional patrols and focus on high-risk areas.

• Implementing new safety regulations for both hydroelectric and nuclear power generating facilities.
• Installing new Swiveloc manhole covers that vent smoke and pressure and lock in place in case of an underground vault fire.

Better customer service:

• Providing improvements in customer service including improved staffing of call centers to shorten wait times and increased information about gas and electric safety and reliability programs.

Economic impacts:

• Supports 39,000 jobs and a total of $3 billion in wages each year
• $9 billion in total positive economic benefit for California

PG&E provides addition information about the GRC on its website,  www.pge.com/grc.

At a series of public hearings throughout Northern and Central California in May and June, PG&E customers will have a chance to weigh in on the company’s 2014 GRC. Here is a list of those public-participation hearing dates and locations.

• May 22: San Bruno
• May 23: San Francisco
• May 29: Fresno
• May 30: Bakersfield
• June 5: Santa Rosa
• June 10: Stockton
• June 12: Oakland
• June 17: Chico
• June 19: San Jose
• June 24: Soledad
• June 25: San Luis Obispo

In San Jose, the utility is replacing portions of its small-diameter distribution gas pipelines as part of its extensive, multiyear program to improve the safety of its natural gas system. Replacement pipelines are made with modern materials and installed using safe and proven installation methods that are used throughout the nation.

In Fresno, the open house is for a  project to replace larger transmission pipeline.

In most cases, gas service will continue without interruption during the replacement projects. PG&E will contact customers if there will be any impacts.

Experts from PG&E will be on hand to answer questions on the replacement. Poster boards will provide additional information.

Here are the dates and locations of the open houses:

• Wednesday, May 22, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Cherrywood Elementary School (2550 Greengate Drive) in San Jose
• Thursday, May 23, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at God’s Family Church (7272 W. Shaw Ave.) in Fresno

For more information, visit www.pge.com/gas.

Customers who live near pressure-test locations have received letters with information about the hydrostatic pressure tests. Experts from PG&E will be on hand to answer questions on the testing. Poster boards will provide additional information.

As part of its work to improve the safety of its gas system, PG&E has strength-tested or validated prior strength testing for 435 miles of transmission pipeline and plans to strength-test an additional 189 miles in 2013. This video explains how a pipeline pressure test works.

Here are the dates and locations of the open houses:

• Monday, May 20, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at  the Ulatis Community Center (1000 Ulatis Drive) in Vacaville
• Monday, May 20, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Martinez Adult School (600 F. Street) in Martinez

For more information, visit www.pge.com/gas.

PG&E's Geisha Williams joined Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin and other local leaders in today's groundbreaking event for PG&E's new Fresno Control Center. (Photos by Tracy Correa.)

FRESNO – With shovels in hand, PG&E and local community leaders broke ground Friday (May 17) on a new 24,000-square-foot electric distribution control center in Fresno that will both improve electric reliability and provide an economic boost to the city.

The center is one of three planned in PG&E’s service area to provide the utility’s system operators with improved tools to better manage electric distribution by giving them real-time visibility into the system. The center in Concord broke ground on April 26, and the third center will be located in Rocklin.

Scheduled to be completed in 2014, the Fresno center will create 250 construction jobs over the next year and eventually 40 to 50 electric operations workers will monitor and control thousands of miles of electric lines that deliver electricity to millions of individual homes and businesses.

Centers will improve electric reliability

Geisha Williams, PG&E’s executive vice president of electric operations, and Greg Pruett, PG&E’s senior vice president of corporate affairs, spoke during Friday’s groundbreaking ceremony about the benefits of the new center.

PG&E’s Geisha Williams speaks with Fresno City Council members Paul Caprioglio and Blong Xiong at the groundbreaking of the new distribution control center on Friday.

Pruett, who said he was glad to be back in his hometown of Fresno, welcomed the crowd saying, “Fresno is just such a great place to do business.”

Williams talked about the steady improvements PG&E has made to electric reliability and said the new facility will improve on the utility’s commitment to provide customers with the safest, most reliable electric service possible.

Last year, customers experienced the fewest minutes without electricity in PG&E history and the number of service interruptions was the second lowest on record. Then, in the first quarter of 2013, PG&E delivered its best service reliability performance ever.

“Electric reliability improved 30 percent in Fresno over the previous year,” said Pruett.

“The Distribution Control Centers are a big deal for us,” Williams said. “It’s another step in our journey of implementing proven, sophisticated technology to improve the service we deliver for our customers.”

The new Fresno center will incorporate data from PG&E’s Geographic Information System and Distribution Management System and customers’ SmartMeters to help pinpoint the exact location of outages. It’s this type of smart grid technology that already is benefitting customers, she said.

PG&E's Greg Pruett spoke to the utility's strong connection with Fresno.

The center will provide information and place the ability to respond to outages “at the fingertips of our operators,” Williams said.  “It will also provide us the ability to respond to outages anywhere in our system.  If something happens in the Sierra… we can help in Fresno.”

In addition, automated “intelligent” switches being installed on electric circuits throughout PG&E’s service area will help reroute the flow of electricity to minimize the number of customers impacted by an outage. Williams described this as a “self-healing” technology.

Mayor touts economic benefits

Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin praised the investment that PG&E is making in the city and the benefits the new center provides for local PG&E customers. She also emphasized the jobs that will be created during construction. “We look forward to a successful operation in the coming months and years,” she said.

By 2014, new PG&E control centers will be in operation in Concord, Fresno and Rocklin.

The event was attended by city council members, county supervisors, chamber and economic development officials and school officials – among others. Also in attendance were PG&E employees and contractors involved in the construction of the building.

Ahwahnee Middle School is located next to the field where the new center will be built and PG&E has helped support the school’s environmental program.  Jose Guzman, Ahwahnee’s principal, spoke at the groundbreaking and brought some of his students who had a front-row seat and even got to turn some of the fresh dirt at the site.

“The new center will create another area of economic pride in the community,” he said, adding that students will be able to see it from campus.

Once all three centers are in operation, PG&E will have greater flexibility to shift workloads between them if support is needed during storms or a natural disaster. They will be constructed to high seismic standards and to leading environmental standards.

E-mail Tracy Correa at Tracy.Correa@pge.com

SAN FRANCISCO — Successful companies today understand that social responsibility is no longer an option or a slogan — it’s a necessary part of doing business.

That was the theme at a panel discussion today (May 17), in which PG&E President Chris Johns joined an executive from Wells Fargo along with regulators from both the utility and banking industries to talk about why diversity matters for Corporate America.

PG&E President Chris Johns took part in an Economic Summit sponsored by the Greenling Institute today.

The panel was part of a daylong Economic Summit presented by the Greenlining Institute, a nonprofit organization marking 20 years of advocating for racial and economic justice in public policy. The group’s vision is to bring the American Dream within everyone’s reach, regardless of race or ZIP code.

PG&E was a lead sponsor of the event.

Greenlining’s Executive Director Orson Aguilar started the discussion with a question for Johns referencing PG&E’s opposition to Proposition 209, the 1996 ballot initiative that ended affirmative action practices in government and public education. PG&E was one of only a handful of companies who went against the wishes of then-Gov. Pete Wilson to voice their opposition.

Johns, who joined the company that same year, said PG&E’s position was true to its values at the time and that those values are still true today.

“One of the reasons I came to PG&E … was because of the values of the company around diversity,” Johns said. “Corporate social responsibility is part of our DNA.”

He pointed to programs at PG&E that focus on workforce and supplier diversity, and on training and educating young people to replace the wave of baby boomers set to retire. He mentioned PG&E’s PowerPathway utility worker training program, Bright Minds scholarships and Summer Jobs program as efforts to “build up confidence and skills sets” in the next generation of workers.

A fellow panelist, California Public Utilities Commissioner Mark Ferron, discussed the role regulators play in supporting diversity. While the CPUC cannot mandate numbers around diversity, it can bring transparency, Ferron said, calling attention to the mandate that California’s investor-owned utilities report their diverse supplier spending each year. “The numbers have moved because we’ve shined a light on them,” he said.

Johns also was asked about his perspective on corporations’ return on investment from diversity programs—essentially, why diversity is good for business.

When companies like PG&E work to make their workforce as diverse as the communities they serve, their customers will want to do business with them, he said. “It does pay off in the long run,” he added.

Panelist Jon R. Campbell, executive vice president, director of government and community relations, for Wells Fargo, reiterated this point: “We have to look like the communities we serve.”

Email Currents at currents@pge.com.

MILL VALLEY — The quiet operation of an electric car seems like the perfect complement to the majestic stillness of the Muir Woods in Marin County.

And after the unveiling of two public EV chargers on Thursday (May 16) at the Muir Woods National Monument, that combination of technology and trees has become a reality.

From left, Andrew Hudgins, Clean Cities & National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Frank Dean, Golden Gate National Recreation Area; Kitty Adams, Adopt-A-Charger; Matt Leffert, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy; and PG&E's Ezra Garrett at the ribbon cutting. (Photos by Jason King.)

“A place like this, it’s a majestic redwood grove, we do want to have the quietest vehicles we can, the cleanest vehicles we can, and this is one step getting to that goal,” said Frank Dean, general superintendent of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

The chargers were made possible with a grant from PG&E. They were installed by Adopt a Charger.

“Partnerships like this with partners like the Adopt-a-Charger team and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area park team are really phenomenal for us from a sustainability standpoint,” said Ezra Garrett, a PG&E vice president and its chief sustainability officer. “It truly does integrate an environmental opportunity with a social and an economic opportunity.”

Garrett spoke of the significance of being able to come to Muir Woods if you drive an electric vehicle.

“The ability for folks to come to a park like this – not close to home, it’s a little bit of a remote location – but to have the confidence that they’re going to be able to charge that vehicle back up to get back home really is a difference maker for folks who are contemplating whether or not to take the plunge and get into an electric vehicle,” he said.

The chargers are located near the entrance to Muir Woods National Monument.

PG&E will pay for the power that’s used by the EV chargers. And thanks to a grant from the Energy Department’s Clean Cities Initiative, the park service was able to buy several  electric vehicles that they’ll use in their fleet.

“Muir Woods receives nearly a million people a year,” Dean said. “These coveted parking spaces will be right here front and center so people will notice them as they walk through and as they arrive and they’ll notice this opportunity and this great partnership. So I think it is an educational opportunity as well as a tangible usage opportunity.”

Other speakers at the event included Benjamin Rubin, an assoc. planner at Governor Brown’s Office of Planning & Research; Matt Leffert, the director of philanthropic programs, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy; Andrew Hudgins, project leader, Department of Energy Clean Cities and National Renewable Energy Laboratory; and Kiitty Adams, executive director of Adopt A Charger, Inc.

According to the story:

The control center will be technology-heavy and replete with redundancies in case of electric outages or server room failures. Gas dispatchers and control room personnel alike will be able to work off video displays conveying a broad swath of system information, such as supervisory control and data acquisition visibility, crew locations, line outages and construction work.

The centrally located information is slated to be protected by physical and cyber controls, with multiple security access points to reach the control center and a separation between the real-time system data and other PG&E networks. Still, the control center will also be able to share video and other visual communication with workers in the field, allowing for greater back-and-forth in the event of an emergency.

Click here to read the story.

Eric Wright describes some of the work that's required to keep the lights on for customers. (Photo from Oakland North.)

In this article and accompanying video, Wright explains to Oakland North — a University of California, Berkeley, online news project produced by the Graduate School of Journalism — the hard work and dedication required to keep the lights on for customers.

It’s part of Oakland North’s series chronicling workers who keep Oakland running.

“Some people think when they come home they flip a switch and that’s all there is to it,” Wright says in the video while a crew performs electrical repairs. “Most of our jobs seem to be routine, but they’re not really routine.”

May is Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Older Americans Month, and, for some reason, Pet Cancer Month. Readers of NEXT100, however, might want to note that it is also National Bike Month.

May weather is ideal for bicycling, which is why many communities also celebrate bike to work days this month. And to help you plan a safe trip to work or for pleasure, Google now offers special maps showing bicycle lanes and preferred routes.

As Jeff Eisenberg writes on the Google Green blog, “Whether you’re an avid cyclist or a casual cruiser, biking can save you money, improve your health and help you explore your community. As an added benefit, biking is better for our environment, too.”

Cities that invest in bike lanes not only enhance public safety but have “benefited from improved quality of life, a healthier population, greater local real estate values, more local travel choices, and reduced air pollution,” according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

New York City has created more than 300 miles of bicycle lanes, supporting a tripling of bicycle commuting in the last dozen years. A parking-protected bike lane built on 8^th and 9^th Avenues in Manhattan led to decreases in street injuries of up to 58 percent and an increase in retail sales of up to 49 percent, according to a new report released by New York City’s Department of Transportation.

One great urban innovation that’s spurring renewed interest in bicycling is public bike-sharing programs, which provide convenient, temporary access to two-wheeled transportation for a small fee. The U.S. Conference of Mayors passed a resolution supporting bike sharing programs “as a means to increase transportation mobility and mode choice.”

According to Janet Larsen, director of research at Earth Policy Institute, “Today more than 500 cities in 49 countries host advanced bike-sharing programs, with a combined fleet of over 500,000 bicycles.” The bike sharing operation in Paris now has nearly a quarter million members who have taken more than 130 million trips.

Washington, D.C. began its Capital Bikeshare program less than three years ago. It plans to more than double its bicycle fleet to 3,700 at 300 stations by the end of this year. The program’s bright red bicycles have already carried users on more than four million rides, Larsen reports.

Not to be outdone, the Big Apple plans to make 6,000 bicycles available for sharing at 330 stations by the end of this month. Although membership will cost $100 a year, that’s less than a monthly subway pass, Larsen adds.

The Bay Area, an avid center of cycling, will get a new bike sharing program this summer, courtesy of the regional air quality control board. Future plans call for as many as 10,000 bicycles in the system.

Bottom line: As with appreciation of older Americans and Asian Pacific heritage, we support bicycling and other forms of clean, healthy transportation every month, not just in May. Promoting bicycle-safe urban routes and affordable bike sharing programs is a great way to show that support.

Email Jonathan Marshall at jonathan.marshall@pge.com.

Rebecca Weber, a PG&E customer relationship manager based in San Luis Obispo, talks to a race spectator who visited PG&E's booth. (Photo by John Lindsey.)

PG&E volunteers staffed a booth near the finish line to share information about the nearby Diablo Canyon Power Plant as well as facts about energy efficiency and other programs offered by PG&E.

PG&E President Chris Johns was on hand to present a jersey to the second-place stage winner. Jens Voight of Germany won Stage 5. Tyler Farrar of the United States was second and Thor Hushovd of Norway finished third.

The race, one of the nation’s largest, began on May 12 and concludes on May 19. Over eight days, 16 teams will travel on 750 miles of California highways and back roads.

The fifth stage took riders from Santa Barbara to Avila Beach. The route covered more than 115 miles and featured a grueling 7,776-foot elevation gain. The race concludes Sunday in Santa Rosa.

Tour organizers say that more than 2 million people saw the 2012 race.

Between 2,000 and 3,000 people were in Avila Beach to watch the finish of today’s stage and the related festivities, according to The (San Luis Obispo) Tribune.

PLEASANTON — As a small business owner, Dianne Evans needs to keep costs to a minimum. And that includes energy expenses for her massage and wellness center.

She quickly names what uses energy: Laundry. Towel cabbies that heat wet towels. Magnifying lamps for facials. Microwaves to heat lotion and oil. And, of course, air conditioning.

Alison Feliz-Wukasinovich, a PG&E customer relationship manager, talks with customers Cindy and Nile Godfrey who own Classical Clocks and Antiques in Livermore. They attended today’s Time for Business event in Pleasanton. (Photo by Tanya Ramirez.)

It all adds up.

So when Evans received a postcard in the mail from PG&E to attend a Time for Business energy informational lunch for small- and medium-sized business owners, she didn’t hesitate. The event in this Alameda County city today (May 16) is one of 12 planned throughout the utility territory within the next few weeks as more and more business customers are transitioned to state-mandated time-of-use energy pricing.

“I just really like the fact that PG&E is reaching out to us to help us save,” said Evans whose Fremont Massage & Wellness business will begin time-of-use pricing this November as part of a group of about 126,000 small- and medium-sized businesses.

Time-of-use means businesses that traditionally have paid flat electric rates will generally pay more during partial peak hours Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and, from May 1 to Oct. 31, during on-peak hours from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The California Public Utilities Commission required the pricing to ensure greater power reliability and a healthier environment.

Most business owners will save

However, PG&E estimates that about 60 percent of business customers will actually see their bills decrease or stay the same by doing nothing. About 40 percent of customers’ bills might nominally increase, typically less than $100 per year.

Like many business customers who attended the event, Evans wasn’t aware of all the options available to her.

PG&E has organized 12 lunch events this month with owners of small- and medium-size businesses that will be impacted by state-mandated time-of-use energy pricing. (Photo by David Kligman.)

PG&E led business owners through a number of stations. After registering, they sat under a tent and used iPads to watch short videos on businesses that have successfully made energy efficiency changes. Then they went to another station where they were able to go online to get personalized energy usage information and learn about PG&E’s Business Energy Checkup service to get customized tips to help businesses lower their operating costs.

Finally, they can learn about savings tools that PG&E offers, including on-bill financing and rebates and incentives.

“Education is key, and that’s why we’re doing these events,” said Candice Cintron, PG&E program marketing manager.

Evans, the massage business owner, said she probably wouldn’t have begun investigating ways to save money if it wasn’t for PG&E.

“I honestly didn’t realize PG&E could help me,” she said. “When you’re left to do it on your own it’s so overwhelming. I like that they literally take your hand and guide you through this.”

Many customers pleasantly surprised

Some business owners were pleasantly surprised after learning about time-of-use- pricing. A woman whose restaurant is busiest on the weekends realized she would actually benefit. A church owner planned to take advantage of a PG&E service that provides business owners with a free air conditioning inspection and maintenance.

Kent Pryor, who lives in Pleasanton but owns a mobile park home in Stanislaus County, was investigating whether a sewage treatment aeration pump could be used at night instead of around-the-clock. If that’s the case, the change would simply mean reconfiguring an electronic timer.

A PG&E customer from Granada Baptist Church in Livermore listens intently to a presentation on time-of-use energy pricing. (Photo by Tanya Ramirez.)

And Pryor is like many customers who until now hadn’t really paid a lot of attention to their energy use.

“I probably was paying more attention to who is paying their bill as opposed to my PG&E bill,” he said. “So I see this as an opportunity to save money.”

Time for Business events were held earlier this month in Santa Rosa, Monterey, Red Bluff, San Francisco and San Carlos. Upcoming sessions are planned for Merced (May 20), Santa Cruz (May 22), Napa (May 24), Fresno (May 28), Santa Maria (May 30) and San Luis Obispo (May 31). Customers can register to attend at www.pge.com/TimeForBusiness.

Joel Everett, a Concord-based customer relationship manager for PG&E, said he hopes customers realize they have a partner in PG&E when it comes to reducing their energy costs.

“We’re really helping them adapt,” Everett said. “A lot of customers just pay their bill and don’t realize they have a resource in PG&E.”

Email David Kligman at David.Kligman@pge.com.

A ribbon cutting on Tuesday (May 14) celebrated nearly 20 new light fixtures at Mariposa County Park that will allow for the resumption of nighttime tennis play. The event was attended by members of the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors, county staff, local tennis players and PG&E’s Richard Dye, a government relations representative.

The lights had operated erratically in recent years and were often broken by vandals. PG&E provided $2,500 to help pay for the repairs.

“PG&E is proud to partner with the county to upgrade and replace the tennis court lighting facilities, which will improve community safety, allow early evening recreation and create more opportunities for people to meet other members of their community,” said Dye.

The local Mariposa Tennis Friends club routinely uses the courts that are also available to the general public. Players are required to check out a key from county parks and recreation staff before using the light system.

By David Kligman

SEBASTOPOL — This Sonoma County city definitely has a style all its own. And that local flavor can be found at Analy High School, where an unusual experiment is taking place.

Students with virtually no construction experience are building a little house that maximizes energy efficiency, a project funded by PG&E. (Photo by David Kligman.)

Environmental studies teacher David Casey and 20 of his students with virtually no construction experience are building a little house. And by little we mean really little — 132 square feet or roughly the size of a small office.

But when the 8-by-16-foot house is finished next fall it will be fully functioning, including a bathroom, shower, kitchen, sleeping loft and even a sitting area. Relying on solar power for its energy, heat and oven, the home will be zero net energy meaning it can generate as much as it uses.

“Many of them have never held a hammer, a saw, a screw gun in their life,” Casey said. “So they were a little hesitant at first, but now they love it and I actually can’t even slow them down enough. They walk in the classroom and they say, ‘Let’s go work. Let’s go build a house!’”

PG&E funding unique project

Currents recently visited Analy High as the students worked on the frame of the house, which is being built on a trailer.

After a brief classroom discussion, Analy High teacher David Casey and his students get to work building a house. (Photo by James Green.)

PG&E provided the school with a $10,000 Bright Ideas grant that’s giving the students a hands-on learning opportunity unlike anything they’ve experienced. The Bright Ideas program began in 2005 to help public schools better understand the energy industry.

Casey said he couldn’t have pulled off the project without PG&E.

“PG&E is funding the entire project, which is just so incredible to have that money for supplies, for training and for consultants,” he said. “So without them none of this would have happened. It was a great opportunity to really put together all the pieces of my curriculum.”

Students began designing the house when school began last September.

‘How much space do you need?’ and other questions

Along the way, Casey has posed questions to his students: “How much energy does it take to run a house?” “How much space do you need?” And “Could you actually live in a house this small?”

Analy High School in Sebastopol is the site of a unique home-building project that’s getting students to think about how much energy it takes to run a house. (Photo by David Kligman.)

“Right now it looks kind of big but when we put in all the appliances it’s kind of small, something different since I’m so used to my big house but I don’t know,” Analy High senior Alexia Moreno Espinoza said. “I’ll have to wait till the whole thing is put together to see.”

Theo Avila, an 11^th grader at the school, said he definitely could see himself living in a house this little.

“It changed my view that I don’t have to have like a big house or anything,” he said. “I can live in a really small space and still enjoy my life and enjoy my life just how everybody else does in a big house.”

As to what will happen with the house once it’s complete next fall, that’s still undecided. One idea is to auction the home and use the money to pay for materials to build another house or use it as a traveling lab to teach other students.

One thing’s for certain. This small house is generating some big ideas.

Email David Kligman at David.Kligman@pge.com.