Pacific Gas and Electric Company Partners With U.S. GSA to Offer Major Energy Efficiency Rebates for Federal Building Facilities

General Services Administration Earns $300,000 Rebate for Energy Efficient Buildings

SAN FRANCISCO, March 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company was proud to present the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) with a celebratory energy savings rebate check for two of its facilities, the San Francisco Federal Building and the Robert E. Coyle Federal Courthouse in Fresno. Energy efficiency was an essential design aspect of the facilities and now earned the federal government a $300,000 rebate check. The rebate is an incentive from one of PG&E's industry-leading energy efficiency programs which have helped its customers save more than $20 billion in energy costs over the past three decades.

"The GSA is an excellent example of how government can do its part for the environment and save taxpayers money by implementing energy efficient designs into its facilities," said Helen Burt senior vice president and chief customer officer for PG&E. "We are happy to be here celebrating this effort and will continue to be a leader in providing customers with the tools to manage their energy usage and reduce their bottom line."

"The San Francisco Federal Building is a major step forward by the U.S. General Services Administration in leading the way in design excellence and sustainable design," said Peter Stamison, Regional Administrator for the GSA Pacific Rim Region. "As always, GSA is proud of its ongoing partnership with PG&E, in this and other federal projects, as we address the need for energy efficiency and the greening of the federal government."

Combined, the GSA's energy efficient building designs in San Francisco and Fresno could potentially generate a collective savings of approximately 1 MW and 2.8 million kwh and prevent the emission of close to 1.5 tons of greenhouse gases per year. This is the equivalent of powering more than 400 households, or taking more than 200 cars off the road for a year. Design aspects of the San Francisco building include a natural ventilation system with operable windows that dramatically reduces energy consumption. The use of natural ventilation eliminates the need of mechanical ventilation in more than 70% of the tower's area. This 18-story structure uses about 30% less energy than traditional high-rise buildings. Both buildings are designed to conserve natural resources, take advantage of the equable climate, minimize waste, and create a healthy and productive work environment for all its tenants.

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is a centralized federal procurement, property development and management, and policy agency created by Congress to improve government efficiency and assist federal agencies to better serve the public. GSA makes it possible for other federal agencies to save billions of tax dollars in their travel, rent, and building maintenance, on everything they use from furniture to technology, and long distance and local telecommunications costs. GSA's Pacific Rim Region provides products and services throughout Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and overseas in the Pacific Rim. GSA is proud to lead the way in the greening of the Federal government.

PG&E is a national leader in helping its customers use energy efficiency as a cost-effective way of reducing their energy bills and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Over the past three decades, PG&E's 85 distinct residential and commercial energy efficiency programs have helped its customers save more than 118 million megawatt-hours of electricity and 10.7 billion therms of natural gas. These joint efforts have resulted in enough saved electricity to power over 18 million homes and enough annual natural gas to heat 15 million homes, while preventing over 125 million tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

For more information about Pacific Gas and Electric Company, please visit our website at http://www.pge.com/

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Source: PG&E

CONTACT: PG&E News Department, +1-415-973-5930

Web site: http://www.pge.com/

2008-03-06 19:54:14 0306936 PRNEWSWIRE