A Climate Optimist’s Stand for Our Planet

It’s easy enough to be a climate pessimist. Someone who thinks climate disasters are only going to get more intense and more frequent. Someone who thinks it’s too late to do anything about it.  

My coworkers and I at PG&E are taking a different stand. We are climate optimists, and we’re taking a stand for our planet. 

We see an energy system that is not only more resilient to a changing climate, but also one that ushers in a zero-carbon economy and that’s affordable for all. 

In fact, I believe that a clean, resilient energy system is the only kind of energy system we can afford. 

Doubters gonna doubt 

Climate pessimists will say the challenge is insurmountable. 

I often hear that there’s no substitute for fossil fuels and that the grid can’t operate on clean fuel alone.  

I hear that building in California is too tough, that zoning and permitting are just too burdensome.  

I also hear that the grid can’t handle a clean energy future, that it’s too old and not up for the job.  

Perhaps most often, I hear that a clean grid is too expensive. With rising prices in recent years, some say we simply can’t afford the transition to a clean, climate-resilient energy system. 

We did that! 

I think it’s first important to acknowledge that we’ve done hard things before. 

Go back to the U.S. electrification boom of the mid-1900s. We invented new ways to use the grid with electric streetcars, indoor lights, electric appliances and rural electrification. Then as we used the grid more efficiently, energy became more affordable.  

We’ve also replaced coal, once California’s dominant energy source, with renewables. Solar power now covers 20% of the state’s energy needs, and solar costs dropped by 80% over the past decade.  

I believe we can muster the same kind of ingenuity to solve today’s challenges, too. 

Let’s do this! 

On top of our recent progress, other factors give us reason to believe. Here are a few: 

• The grid can actually handle more demand. On all but a handful of days each year, we only use about 45% of its capacity.  

• Electric demand is expected to double by 2040. Data centers and EVs need more power.  

• When thousands of new connections are added to the grid, the costs of operating and maintaining the grid are spread across more kilowatts used, lowering costs for all. 

So, how do we take advantage of these factors? How do we satisfy demand by using more of the grid and lowering costs for everyone? 

The secret is in our power to innovate and collaborate, just as society has done so many times before. Battery storage will help us balance supply and demand. Artificial intelligence will help us optimize how and when data centers use power. EVs will send power back to the grid when needed.  

Overall, we need a smart, orchestrated approach across technologies and sectors. Our Innovation Summit this year is a perfect example of the partnerships we need—from tech giants to city government to builders and industry groups. 

Join us! 

Every car owner and homeowner can be part of the solution, too. Join us in taking a stand for our planet: 

• Go electric on the road: Use our EV Savings Calculator to see how an EV can save you money and sign up for special EV rates.  

• Go electric at home: Review our Guide to Home Electrification and our Energy Action Guide. When an old appliance fails, replace it with an electric one that’s cleaner and more efficient.  

• Be part of the vehicle-to-grid future: Check out our vehicle to everything pilots.

It’s not too late to help our planet. Let’s work together to build a clean, resilient and affordable energy future. Let’s do this!  

About the author

Patti Poppe is CEO of PG&E Corporation.