Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions, Solar, Sourcing Renewables  -  June 8, 2022

PG&E Sets 2040 Goals

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) unveiled commitments to reduce carbon emissions and remove GHG gases from the environment by 2040.

PG&E will work to achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2040 by eliminating or reducing emissions and then removing remaining carbon from the atmosphere. By 2050, the company plans to be removing more GHG gases than it emits.

The company is committed to partnering with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including customers, coworkers and community organizations to co-create plans that will help ensure equity and to deliver on these climate commitments in a cost-effective way. 

PG&E’s Climate Strategy Report  outlines the company’s path to go beyond net zero emissions.

The company plans to dramatically reduce emissions attributable to the company and its customers by 2030—reductions from its operations and energy delivery (Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions).

By 2030, PG&E plans to have 70% of its electric power mix consist of state-eligible renewable resources such as wind and solar. This target exceeds the state’s mandate of 60% for that same year and will be met in a way that is affordable to all.

PG&E plans to be the industry’s global model by fueling at least 3 million EVs in its service area by 2030 — leading to a cumulative reduction of at least 58 million metric tons of carbon emissions. Additionally, PG&E plans to prepare the grid to enable 2 million EVs to participate in vehicle-grid integration applications, allowing EVs to be a cornerstone of energy reliability and resilience efforts.

The company PG&E plans to achieve 48 million metric tons of lifecycle carbon emissions reductions by 2030 through an increased focus on energy efficiency and building electrification. To support this goal, PG&E will be evaluating all gas capital projects for electrification alternatives and will pursue electrification for projects deemed feasible and cost-effective.

 “At first glance, meeting these milestones may look to be an extraordinary challenge. But extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures,” said Patti Poppe, CEO of PG&E Corporation, in a statement. “As recent events have made clear, California is not just on the frontline for acting on climate change but also on the frontline of its destructive effects. We can no longer be content with merely adapting to those harms."