PG&E continues to drive environmental improvements at its offices and service yards with an ongoing focus on reducing energy and water use and waste. By doing so, we are reducing the environmental footprint of our facilities, while providing an enhanced work environment for our employees.
In 2010, PG&E made significant progress toward achieving its five-year targets for reducing energy, water and waste in office facilities and service yards. Set in 2009, these targets are part of an enterprise-wide environmental metric on which a portion of the compensation for all management employees depends.
To meet our five-year targets, we are executing a multi-faceted strategy to invest in key facility improvements and to spearhead a major effort to engage employees.
Our efforts include a combination of making smart investments in new and upgraded building infrastructure and doing so in a more strategic manner, such as coordinating capital improvements for energy and water efficiency with necessary lifecycle replacements and working to integrate environmental considerations into our every day facility projects and maintenance practices. We also continue to engage our broader workforce, including partnering with an active Grassroots Green Network that brings together employee volunteers to support energy, water and waste reduction awareness and initiatives.
There were numerous highlights in 2010:
2010 Target | 2010 Result | 2011 Target |
---|---|---|
Additional 4% reduction in energy use at 156 sites1 | 4.3% reduction | Additional 4.2% reduction at 168 sites |
Additional 4% reduction in water at 91 sites2 | 7.1% reduction | Additional 5.7% reduction at 125 sites |
Increase waste diversion rate by 6% at 6 sites3 | 7.8% increase in diversion rate | Achieve 55% waste diversion rate at 48 sites4 |
1 Energy use is measured in MMBTUs and the sites include offices and service yards.
2 Water use is measured in gallons and the sites include offices and service yards.
3 The six sites represented approximately one third of the waste produced by the buildings at PG&E’s offices and service yards.
4 Consistent with industry best practice and LEED™ certification criteria, the methodology for measuring this target was updated in 2011 to measure the diversion rate in the final quarter of each year rather than the diversion rate over the full calendar year.
Through a series of fun and engaging “waste minimization contests,” a growing number of employees are helping PG&E reduce waste one bin at a time. As part of PG&E’s new Grassroots Green Network, a group of “green ambassadors” is championing the contests for their respective office locations.
Last year, the volunteers spearheaded two competitions involving roughly 1,500 employees at our corporate headquarters—yielding up to 15 percent improvements in the waste diversion rate. The competitions featured brown bag lunches to educate employees on proper waste disposal, team building exercises and weekly prizes for employees that properly managed their waste. Volunteer judges reviewed sorting techniques and measured waste diverted from the landfill—rewarding winning departments with a gourmet pizza lunch. The momentum will continue in 2011 with additional competitions.
We also continue to give employees specific actions they can take to reduce energy and water consumption, such as turning off all equipment and lights when not in use, reducing operating hours when appropriate, reporting and repairing all leaks in irrigation and plumbing and conserving water when washing vehicles.
These figures represent electricity and natural gas usage at 156 facilities managed by PG&E’s Corporate Real Estate department.
Last year, we continued to offset the greenhouse gas emissions from the energy used by all our buildings through PG&E’s ClimateSmart™ program. PG&E was the program’s first participant, committing nearly $1.5 million of shareholder funding over three years to offset the energy use in the company’s offices, service centers, maintenance facilities and other buildings. In 2010, this amounted to nearly 48,000 metric tons of CO2 reductions.
In 2010, we made continued progress toward developing a comprehensive “water footprint.” Please see the Water Conservation and Management section for statistics on PG&E’s water usage.
PG&E strives to minimize use of and recycle non-hazardous waste, such as glass, paper and certain metals. These figures represent the total waste diverted from the landfill at six pilot sites managed by PG&E’s Corporate Real Estate department.
2010 | |
---|---|
Total Waste Generated (tons) | 1,979 |
Total Waste Diverted (tons) | 963 |
Waste Diversion Rate | 49% |
1 The data reflects the 12 month period from October 2009 to September 2010.
Many PG&E employees have put energy efficiency in action by installing compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in their homes. Last year, employees took another important step by leading a month-long CFL recycling drive at our corporate headquarters.
While CFLs can save considerable energy compared to incandescent bulbs, they also contain small amounts of mercury, which can get released into the environment if disposed in the trash. That’s why used CFLs must be managed through special recycling programs.
During Energy Awareness Month in October, employee volunteers distributed puncture-resistant, vapor-tight recycling bags so co-workers could safely transport used CFLs from their home to the office. All told, the drive collected more than 530 bulbs—roughly 1 from every 10 employees at the site—which PG&E then recycled. In addition to providing a convenient way to recycle the bulbs, the drive helped raise awareness about the proper management of used CFLs.
PG&E also actively works to raise public awareness about the need to recycle used CFLs and provides information on recycling locations. Building on our involvement in the California Department of Toxic Substances Control’s California Take-It-Back Partnership, we successfully partnered with four local governments to increase public awareness and fund drop-off containers and disposal services that helped collect more than 300,000 used CFLs and fluorescent tubes. Building on this pilot program, PG&E is developing a standard menu of low-cost marketing, education and outreach tools to help other local governments conduct public outreach campaigns throughout the state.
Other examples of waste reduction efforts in 2010 include the following:
In the normal course of business, utility operations generate certain hazardous wastes. Waste is also created during the remediation and cleanup of historic legacy sites.
Federal hazardous waste management statutes include the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Toxic Substances Control Act. California has its own set of hazardous waste management laws and regulations, which are more stringent and encompass a broader scope of waste streams. For example, wastes such as used oil are subject to California’s hazardous waste requirements but are not regulated as hazardous waste under federal law.
PG&E manages all hazardous waste in accordance with federal and state regulations. Our comprehensive approach includes providing guidance and training to employees to ensure that waste is properly managed from the point of generation to its ultimate disposal or recycling.
Additionally, while PG&E works to reduce the amount of hazardous waste generated, certain projects such as upgrades to our infrastructure or remediation of historical contamination may increase the amount of hazardous waste generated in a given year. In 2010, the generation of federal- and state-regulated hazardous wastes increased due to two major remediation projects: one at PG&E’s former Hunters Point Power Plant and another at PG&E’s Topock Compressor Station.
The following table provides statistics on PG&E’s waste generation.
Hazardous and Other Waste | |||
---|---|---|---|
2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
Total Hazardous Waste (tons) | 18,699 | 23,412 | 33,449 |
RCRA1 Hazardous Waste | 1,629 | 276 | 1,360 |
TSCA2 Hazardous Waste | 686 | 623 | 1,863 |
California Regulated Hazardous Waste | 16,384 | 22,513 | 30,226 |
Total Hazardous Waste (tons) | 18,699 | 23,412 | 33,449 |
Disposed | 15,554 | 22,446 | 32,309 |
Recycled | 3,145 | 966 | 1,140 |
TSCA Hazardous Waste | 112 | 34 | 77 |
California Regulated Hazardous Waste | 3,033 | 932 | 1,063 |
% Recycled | 16.8% | 4.1% | 3.4% |
Federal Regulated Hazardous Waste (RCRA) (tons) | |||
Total | 1,629 | 276 | 1,360 |
Federal Regulated Hazardous Waste (TSCA)—PCB Waste ≥50 ppm PCB3 (tons) | |||
Total | 686 | 623 | 1,863 |
Incineration | 313 | 239 | 306 |
Landfill | 260 | 350 | 1,479 |
Recycled | 112 | 34 | 77 |
% Recycled | 16.3% | 5.5% | 4.2% |
California Regulated Hazardous Waste (Non-RCRA)4 | |||
Total | 16,384 | 22,513 | 30,226 |
Disposed | 13,351 | 21,581 | 29,163 |
Recycled | 3,033 | 932 | 1,063 |
% Recycled | 18.5% | 4.1% | 3.5% |
Universal Waste (tons) | |||
Total | 198 | 149 | 164 |
Recycled | 198 | 149 | 164 |
% Recycled | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Low-Level Radioactive Waste | |||
Diablo Canyon Power Plant | |||
Disposed (cubic feet) | 1,320 | 793 | 367 |
Humboldt Bay Power Plant | |||
Disposed (cubic feet) | 2,397 | 8,905 | 52,009 |
Recycled Materials from Power Plants | |||
Diablo Canyon Power Plant | |||
Steel Recycled (pounds) | 45,057 | 138,014 | 115,845 |
Copper Recycled (pounds) | 36,343 | 61,773 | 9,300 |
Humboldt Bay Power Plant | |||
Steel Recycled (pounds) | N/A | 453,026 | 743,564 |
Copper Recycled (pounds) | N/A | 110,229 | 1,475 |
1 Refers to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
2 Refers to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
3 These figures were previously reported in kilograms. The 2008 recycling surge was due to increased oil-filled electrical equipment project work.
4 These figures include PCB Waste <50 ppm PCB. Additionally, PG&E is no longer including drained oil-filled electrical equipment in these totals because this waste stream is accounted for as scrap metal.
In 2010, we increased our number of projects in the process of obtaining LEED™ certification to seven as part of our ongoing efforts to certify new buildings and large remodel projects. As shown below, this includes a range of facilities throughout our service area.
Facility Name | Location | Scope | LEED™ Level | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
245 Market Street | San Francisco | Existing building | LEED—EB Gold | Received April 2007 |
Stockton Customer Service Office | Stockton | Major remodel—leased building | LEED—CI Silver | Received March 2010 |
Gateway Generating Station—Administration Building | Antioch | New building | LEED—NC Certified | Received March 2010 |
San Ramon Office Building | San Ramon | Major remodel—leased building | LEED—CI Certified | Received March 2010 |
Grid Control Center | Vacaville | New building | LEED—NC Silver | Received April 2010 |
77 Beale, 25th Floor | San Francisco | Major remodel | LEED—CI Gold | Received June 2011 |
San Francisco Garage | San Francisco | Major remodel | LEED—Gold (forecasted) | Expected in 2012 |
Stockton Service Center Operations Building 1 | Stockton | Major remodel | LEED—Silver (forecasted) | Expected in 2011 |
Stockton Service Center Operations Building 2 | Stockton | Major remodel | LEED—Certified (forecasted) | Expected in 2011 |
Colusa Generating Station—Administration Building | Colusa | New building | LEED—Certified (forecasted) | Expected in 2011 |
Santa Rosa Service Center | Santa Rosa | Major remodel | LEED—Certified (forecasted) | Expected in 2011 |
Bakersfield Service Center Operations Building | Bakersfield | Major remodel | LEED—Certified (forecasted) | Expected in 2012 |
Last year, we performed a major remodel of the 20,000 square foot 25th floor of our headquarters building in San Francisco. We received LEED-CI (Commercial Interiors) Gold certification for the project, which included:
PG&E continues to implement a variety of innovative measures to improve energy efficiency in our IT services function. Last year, Computerworld magazine ranked PG&E among the 12 winners of its Top Green-IT Organizations awards, recognizing leading organizations that are “striving to find new ways to reduce energy consumption of their IT equipment and use technology to conserve energy.”
Our work includes segmenting our primary data center into “PODs” and moving virtual servers, which used to be grouped by project, into a single pool of servers within those PODs in order to consolidate further. Each POD contains about a dozen racks and is walled off by plastic curtains to isolate cooling and increase efficiency. A major upgrade to the data center also incorporated a number of energy-saving technologies, from variable frequency drives on cooling towers to chilled water pumps and newer air handling units. Real-time sensors help to continuously manage data center efficiency.
With server virtualization technology, a single physical server is able to run multiple virtual servers, each with its own operating system and software. Reducing the number of servers lowers the energy needed to run and cool the server fleet. At the end of 2010, more than half of our server fleet was running in virtual instances.
Also, in 2010, PG&E purchased only Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) Gold- or Silver-level laptops, desktop computers and monitors—products that have demonstrated reduced environmental impacts. At the end of 2010, approximately 98 percent of our standard personal computer items were Gold or Silver EPEAT-compliant, increasing from 89 percent at the end of 2009.
Our “Think Before You Print” campaign continues to encourage employees to save energy and paper. Key components of the campaign included implementing double-sided printing, stored printing and increasing the use of shared network printers. Last year, we removed nearly 300 shared imaging devices and replaced them with about 150 more efficient devices that consolidate functions such as printing, copying and faxing into one piece of equipment, which saves considerable energy.