PG&E’s 2023 Corporate Sustainability Report: A Year of Progress Building a Safer, Cleaner and More Innovative Energy System for Customers

By Tracy Correa Lopez

PG&E has made significant progress over the past year, especially when it comes to delivering a safer, cleaner and more innovative energy system for the 16 million customers it serves in Northern and Central California.

That progress is detailed in PG&E Corporation’s recently published 2023 Corporate Sustainability Report. The report shares statistics and stories on how the company is making good on its commitments to safety — including wildfire safety — and delivering some of the cleanest energy in the nation.

“We are proud of the progress PG&E has made over the past year as we work to deliver on our triple bottom line approach of serving people, the planet and California’s prosperity,” said Patti Poppe, CEO of PG&E Corporation.

Poppe stressed that PG&E’s progress begins with safety, adding: “Through our proven layers of protection, we saw a 99% reduction in total acres burned in high fire-threat districts in 2022, compared to the 2018-2020 average. We also operate one of the nation’s safest natural gas systems — ranking third in safety performance in 2022 — and one of the top-performing nuclear power plants, Diablo Canyon.”

The report details meaningful action PG&E took in 2022 on reducing wildfire risk, increasing clean energy supplies, enabling clean transportation, and more.

Among the report’s highlights are how the company has:

• Reduced the risk of wildfires by undergrounding 180 miles of powerlines, hardening over 480 miles of powerlines, and expanding Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings, which allows for automatic shutdown of an electric line if the system senses a problem
  
  
• Delivered clean electricity to customers that was 95% greenhouse gas-emissions free
  
  
• Announced innovative vehicle-to-home charging technology partnerships with GM and Ford, with installations beginning this year
  
  
• Provided weatherization, energy efficiency solutions and appliances to more than 67,000 income-qualified households, generating average bills savings of about $795
  
  
• Spent over $4.7 billion with diverse suppliers, representing more than 39% of its total procurement

• Enhanced PG&E’s focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and updated the company’s Environmental and Social Justice Policy to guide its work
  
  
• Contributed $22.3 million to charitable organizations and achieved nearly 30,000 coworker volunteer hours in the communities PG&E serves

Additionally, PG&E remains committed to longer-term climate goals established in last year’s Climate Strategy Report, helping to transition California to a decarbonized and more climate-resilient economy.

“We share the ambitions of our state and a growing number of stakeholders determined to turn back the clock on climate change and begin to heal our planet… including a long-term goal to go beyond net zero and become climate positive by 2050,” said Carla Peterman, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer of PG&E Corporation.

“As we pursue our commitments, we know that we cannot do it alone—and we are committed to making progress together. We’re also striving to lead with love as we transition our energy system,” she added.

To view the report in its entirety, go to www.pgecorp.com/sustainability