What Is the ClimateSmart™ program?

The ClimateSmart program, a first-of-its-kind, helps you to balance out your home's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through environmental conservation, restoration and protection projects. By adding a voluntary, tax-deductible donation to your monthly PG&E bill—around $5 a month for the typical home—you can join the fight against climate change and reduce your carbon footprint.

"The ClimateSmart program illustrate[s] the opportunities that exist to address global warming, and the power of individuals to send a message that personal action is both possible and significant."

-Dan Kammen, Professor, Energy and Resources Group, Goldman School of Public Policy and Director, Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory, the University of California, Berkeley

• How it works

  • When you join the ClimateSmart program, your monthly energy bill shows the cost of reducing or absorbing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with your home's actual energy use. Through 2009, the monthly cost for ClimateSmart participation is $0.00254 per kilowatt-hour (for electricity) and $0.06528 per therm (for natural gas), or about $5 a month for the typical Northern California home.

    100% of your payment is tax-deductible and supports projects that reduce or absorb GHG emissions by conserving and restoring native redwood forests or capturing methane gas from dairy farms and landfills.

    The ClimateSmart program is being funded by PG&E customers in accordance with the California Public Utilities Commission. To make participating customers carbon neutral, PG&E may enter into greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction contracts where the reductions occur over time into the future.

• PG&E participation

  • All PG&E-owned office and maintenance buildings are enrolled in the program, committing more than $1.5 million in shareholder funding to ClimateSmart projects. Since PG&E became the first participant, tens of thousands of organizations and residential customers have joined us in taking action against global climate change with the ClimateSmart program.

    In addition to supporting our customers through one of the country's most successful energy-efficiency programs, PG&E continues to deliver some of the nation's cleanest electric power, advocate for regulation of greenhouse gases, and invest in renewable energy. PG&E is proud to be a leader in driving towards a cleaner tomorrow and a healthier, happier planet.

• ClimateSmart Annual Reports

  • 2008 ClimateSmart Customer Annual Report
    2007 ClimateSmart Customer Annual Report
    2008 ClimateSmart Annual Report
    2007 ClimateSmart Annual Report