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Concord: New Center Will Enhance Electric Reliability for PG&E Customers

CONCORD - PG&E broke ground today (April 26) on the first of three new electric distribution control centers that will house new smart grid technology, enhancing electric reliability for customers. Over the next year, about 250 construction workers will build the new 37,000-square-foot center, which is located in a lot next to the utility’s service center in this Contra Costa County city. The center will be completed in 2014. About 90 electric operations employees will work at the facility. They’ll monitor thousands of miles of electric distribution lines — from the San Francisco Bay Area south to the Central Coast region — that deliver electricity to millions of individual homes and businesses. Geisha Williams, PG&E's executive vice president of electric operations, spoke about the benefits of the new center during a ceremony attended by utility employees, elected officials, community leaders and the contractors who are designing the new building.

Currents: Concord: New Center Will Enhance Electric Reliability for PG&E C
Currents: Concord: New Center Will Enhance Electric Reliability for PG&E C

National Arbor Day: PG&E Replaces Vandalized Trees in Oroville, Provides Grant to Tree Fresno

OROVILLE – PG&E volunteers worked side-by-side with third-graders at Helen M. Wilcox Elementary School today planting trees to replace the ones taken out by vandals last weekend. The utility donated five maple trees in 15-gallon pots to the school after hearing that some of its trees were knocked down and uprooted by vandals. A local nursery donated two more trees. Employees from PG&E's vegetation management division and other departments pitched in to replant the trees at the K-3 school as the nation celebrated National Arbor Day. Oroville mayor Linda Dahlmeyer joined PG&E and the students at the event. "The community's response to our loss of trees has been wonderful and all the support has really lifted the kids’ spirits," said Heather Scott, principal of Helen Wilcox Elementary School. "PG&E's response was fantastic and we at Helen Wilcox Elementary greatly appreciate the trees and the help to plant them."

Currents: National Arbor Day: PG&E Replaces Vandalized Tree in Oroville, Provide
Currents: National Arbor Day: PG&E Replaces Vandalized Tree in Oroville, Provide

Utilities Have Far to Go in Smart Grid Maturity

Utilities of all sizes have various smart grid projects underway, whether installing two-way digital smart meters, deploying self-healing distribution technology or integrating data across the business operation. And then there are a handful of utilities that are doing all of these things. In a new report, Utility Smart Grid Outlook in North America 2013: Technologies, Strategies & Case Studies, Emma Ritch, a senior smart grid analyst with GTM Research, ranks 40 utilities that serve one-third of U.S. electricity customers, based on their current adoption of smart grid technologies. CenterPoint Energy, Pacific Gas & Electric and San Diego Gas & Electric are tied for the top position with an overall average ranking of 4.2 out of a total five possible points, ranging from one for "exploratory" to five for" optimized" within five different categories. "Mid-size and large utilities dominated the list of those with the highest ratings in smart grid maturity, but there were also a few standouts with about 50,000 electric customers," Ritch said.

Green Tech Media: Utilities Have Far to Go in Smart Grid Maturity
Green Tech Media: Utilities Have Far to Go in Smart Grid Maturity

PG&E Gets OK to Cut Pines

County Code Enforcement has given has given PG&E permission to remove five "hazardous" Monterey pine trees in Cambria as part of the utility's periodic "reliability program" of trimming and removing vegetation that could interrupt electrical service and pose a hazard to people and property. However, Mother Nature has already taken care of one of those trees on a vacant Pineridge Drive lot near Ellis Avenue and Bradford Road. On April 15, high winds toppled the tree, which fell across Pineridge. The resulting outage lasted about an hour for 754 customers, but 79 of those were out of electricity for about 10 hours. Another tree to be removed under the reliability program remains standing - for now - on the same lot. The reliability project also includes trimming, due to start next week on another 11 trees, many of them in the Top of the World neighborhood of Lodge Hill. They include pines on Pineridge, Burton, Berwick, Pierce, Spencer Street, Orville Avenue, and a Monterey cypress on London Lane, near Green Street.

The Cambrian: PG&E Gets OK to Cut Pines
The Cambrian: PG&E Gets OK to Cut Pines

Recent PG&E Press Releases

PG&E Responds To Parties' Recommendations On Fines And Remedies In CPUC Investigations Into Company's Gas Operations

May 13, 2013  SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) released the following statement from PG&E Corporation Chairman and CEO Tony Earley in response to filings by parties proposing fines and...

PG&E Ranked One Of The Top Utilities In The Nation For Diversity

May 13, 2013  SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has been recognized by DiversityInc as one of the top regional utilities in the country for its strong diversity practices. This...

PG&E Lauds U.S. Senators Shaheen And Portman For Leadership In Introducing Important Energy Efficiency Legislation

May 13, 2013  WASHINGTON, D.C. – Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today expressed appreciation to U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) for their leadership in introducing the "Energy Savings and...

PG&E Celebrates Success Of First-Ever Month Of Service Program

May 13, 2013  SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today announced the results of its first-ever Month of Service program in honor of National Volunteer Month in April. Over the...

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Recent PG&E Related Media Stories

PG&E Upgrading Mineral Electrical Delivery Reliability

May 10, 2013  Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) utility crews started work this week on a $740,000 project in eastern Tehama County to upgrade the local electric system to provide more reliable service...

Source: Red Bluff Daily News

Barn Owl Study Shows They Can Keep Gophers at Bay

May 6, 2013  Everyday backyard gardeners know that gophers can be a true nuisance. But for grape growers, these root-chewing, hole-digging vermin can destroy entire fields of vines, undermining a farmer’s very livelihood.

Source: Lodi News-Sentinel

Humboldt Resident Recognized by First Lady Michelle Obama

May 3, 2013  Earlier this week, President Obama, Vice President Biden, first lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden recognized U.S. Army veteran Erick Varela, who works as a Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

Source: Times-Standard

PG&E Provides $450K Grant for Fresno State

May 2, 2013  Pacific Gas and Electric Co. on Thursday presented a $450,000 grant to Fresno State farm operations for demonstration projects involving new water and energy management technologies. The demonstrations will take place...

Source: The Business Journal (Fresno)

Recent Blog Postings

Celebrate National Bike Month Every Month

May 17, 2013  In honor of National Bike Month, NEXT100's Jonathan Marshall applauds the growing number of bike-share programs around the United States.

Avila Beach: PG&E Volunteers Support Tour of California Bike Race

May 16, 2013  The fifth stage of the Amgen Tour of California Bicycle Race rolled into San Luis Obispo County today (May 16) and PG&E was there to greet the winners.

Pleasanton: Small Business Owners Learn to Save Money Ahead of New Pricing

May 16, 2013  Today's Time for Business lunch was an educational opportunity for small- and medium-sized business owners to learn more about time-of-use energy pricing. About a dozen such events will be held in...

Mariposa County: Tennis Courts Receive New Lighting, PG&E Provides Funding

May 15, 2013  Community ribbon cutting welcomes new court lighting at Mariposa County Park that allows for the return of nighttime tennis play.

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