Dec 04 2009

Jobs Summit Seeks Creative Ideas

Posted by: Katie Romans

Yesterday, the issue of job creation took the national stage at the White House Jobs Summit, as President Obama pledged to bring down the nation's 10 percent unemployment rate through a host of ideas, including green energy jobs and investments in the nation's infrastructure.

President Obama's message was directed to approximately 130 attendees, including small business owners, experts from green jobs sector, business leaders, academics, mayors and representatives from nonprofits. Attendees discussed the issue of job creation and expanding the economy in six breakout sessions, tackling such topics as: creating jobs through the rebuilding of America's infrastructure, expanding job opportunities for America's workers through exports and encouraging business investment, competitiveness and job creation.

PG&E CEO Peter Darbee participated in the White House Jobs Summit to speak of rebuilding America's workforce through investments in infrastructure and energy efficiency. 

Darbee identified several broad areas of opportunity to spur utility investment in infrastructure and accelerate job creation:

o        Passing a national climate change policy that puts a price on carbon emissions;

o        Improving processes around siting and permitting for key infrastructure projects, such as renewable energy projects;

o        Setting stable, long-range investment incentive policies in areas like distribution infrastructure, the smart grid and renewable energy; and

o        Developing the next generation of the utility workforce, including those skilled in low-carbon energy.

For a utility like PG&E, energy efficiency is also a tried and true source of jobs -- PG&E implements its approximately 85 energy efficiency programs both through our own employees and through a network of contractors and vendors that employ thousands of people.

Yesterday, Mr. Darbee shared with attendees a significant opportunity to stimulate the sale of energy-efficient products. It's something that PG&E has been doing for years and that is scalable to the national level: work directly with large retailers and manufacturers to buy down the cost of energy-efficient products. PG&E has applied this model to energy-efficient appliances, compact fluorescent lamps and business and consumer electronics most recently. Such midstream/upstream incentive programs have successfully driven market adoption of the next generation of energy-efficient products.

As PG&E continues to seek out new and innovative ways for our own customers to save energy, we will share best practices at the national level to help the environment and generate jobs.

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"PG&E" refers to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation.