Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) has officially launched its previously announced program to extend the option for 100% solar power to all customers, whether or not they are planning to install rooftop solar.
Under PG&E’s Solar Choice program, customers can purchase half or all of their electric power from solar energy locally sourced in northern and central California for what the utility calls a modest charge. PG&E says this will allow customers to reduce their carbon footprint and drive the development of new solar resources within the state.
“PG&E’s Solar Choice program is all about giving customers more choice and control over their energy and bringing the benefits of solar to our communities. Our customers already enjoy some of the cleanest power in the country. Now, they can directly contribute to bringing more renewable energy onto the electric grid – a win for our customers and for California,” says Laurie Giammona, PG&E’s senior vice president and chief customer officer.
Additionally, participating organizations could qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) points for green building leadership, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership for electricity generated from renewable resources.
Kelly Slater Wave Co. is one of the first California businesses to partner with PG&E’s Solar Choice to go 100% solar. The company is powering its new wave technology and training center in California’s Central Valley.
“We are committed to encouraging sustainable development at any site using our technology. As part of this commitment, we are pleased that our first site in central California is 100 percent powered by solar energy through PG&E’s Solar Choice,” says Noah Grimmett, the company’s general manager.
Late last year, PG&E announced that all of its operations service centers – nearly 100 facilities – will be fully powered by solar energy through its Solar Choice program.
PG&E says it has already connected more than 215,000 solar customers to the grid and anticipates that its Solar Choice program will extend access to solar to approximately 40,000 additional homes and businesses across the company’s service area.
