Research & development

PG&E's Innovation Summit is an annual event convening thousands of innovators, researchers, academics, investors, public servants and others to collaborate on solutions to address the highest priority challenges identified in the PG&E R&D Strategy Report.

The 2024 Summit will be announced shortly. Stay tuned for details.

Innovation Summit 2023 recordings

Welcome to PG&E's Innovation Summit 2023

Jason Glickman, Executive Vice President of Engineering, Planning and Strategy at PG&E kicks off the company’s first ever Innovation Summit on July 25, 2023.

R&D Strategy and Delivering a Clean Energy Future – PG&E Innovation Summit 2023
Quinn Nakayama, Senior Director Grid Research, Innovation and Development discusses PG&E’s R&D Strategy.

Collaboration on Research and Funding – PG&E Innovation Summit 2023
Heather Rock, Senior Director of Strategy (PG&E), Rob Chapman, Senior Vice President of Energy Delivery and Customer Solutions/Chief Sustainability Officer (Electric Power Research Institute – EPRI), Leslie Rich, Senior Consultant, Loan Programs Office (U.S. Department of Energy – DOE), and Ron Snedic, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development (GTI Energy) discuss rethinking innovation in the utility industry; creating relationships; sharing and understanding each other's ideas; fostering innovation for entrepreneurs and startups; collaborating and problem solving.

Patti Poppe, PG&E CEO interviews Elon Musk, Tesla CEO at PG&E Innovation Summit 2023
Patti Poppe, CEO, PG&E Corporation discusses PG&E's Purpose, Virtues and Stands and the company’s 10-year True North Strategy and is joined by Elon Musk, CEO, Tesla for a discussion on electrification, artificial intelligence, digital super intelligence, and meeting the energy needs of tomorrow.

PG&E, Schneider Electric, Microsoft announce DERMS at PG&E Innovation Summit 2023
Patti Poppe, CEO, PG&E Corporation joins Annette Clayton, Chief Executive Officer Schneider Electric North America and Darryl Willis, Corporate Vice President, Energy & Resources Industry, Microsoft to announce and discuss the development and deployment of the companies’ new Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS).

How to Participate in PG&E’s R&D Strategy Initiative -- Innovation Summit 2023
Dan Gilani, Senior Manager of Emerging Technology Strategy & Programs at PG&E details the process for organizations to collaborate with PG&E on R&D priorities through its Pitch Fest.

Breakout session: Ensuring Affordable and Timely Connection for Every Residential Customer
Explores challenges related to connecting residential customers' EVs to PG&E's grid, from both the customer and PG&E perspective. 

Breakout session: EVs: Unlocking the Potential of EVs as Grid Assets

Exploring how both customers and PG&E can capitalize on the full potential of EVs as flexible grid assets, increasing resilience across PG&E's entire system.

Breakout session: Undergrounding: Civil Construction and Scalable Solutions
Dive into PG&E's 10K miles undergrounding program and explore the capabilities needed to streamline the undergrounding process including site survey and subsurface mapping, route design and planning and civil construction materials and installation.

Breakout session: Future of the Gas System: Clean Fuels
Key areas of foundational research and technical innovation that are critical to navigating an orderly transition to the net zero gas system of the future.

Breakout session: Future of the Gas System: O&M Efficiencies
Key areas of foundational research and technical innovation necessary to increase safety and efficiency of the gas system while maintaining affordability and reducing emissions.

Breakout session: Integrated Grid Planning: Reducing the need for conventional capacity upgrades
Innovative solutions needed to maximize utilization of PG&E's current system in order to meet growing demand and support sustainable system growth.

Breakout session: Integrated Grid Planning: Optimizing prioritization and reducing costs
PG&E's efforts to support unprecedented growth across the system by exploring novel approaches to grid planning needed to optimize investments in capacity upgrades and maximize safe reuse of existing infrastructure.

Breakout Session: Wildfire: Situational Awareness and Eliminating Ignitions
PG&E's existing wildfire mitigation program and explore areas where current processes can be improved including inspections, maintenance, monitoring and de-energization schemes and situational awareness programs.

Breakout Session: Wildfire: Forestry and Vegetation Management
This breakout session explores PG&E's vegetation and forest management programs and cover key areas of research and technical innovation needed to create more targeted, holistic methods to minimize ignition risk.

Breakout Session: Supply and Load Management: Clean Supply and Energy Storage
Exploring novel clean supply and energy storage technologies necessary to support anticipated load growth while maintaining reliability and affordability across PG&E's entire system.

Breakout Session: Supply and Load Management: Expanding Load Management Capabilities
Foundations needed to support comprehensive load management capabilities at the transmission, distribution and customer levels.

EPIC enables PG&E, other California investor-owned utilities and the California Energy Commission (CEC) to demonstrate and deploy emerging technology projects that address developing grid needs. These include:

• California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) decisions
• Program applications
• Annual reports
• Workshops

PG&E Gas R&D Annual Reports

Download our Annual Reports to learn about accomplishments achieved through our Gas R&D programs.