Green Wombat

The CEO of the parent company of one of the nation’s largest utilities today urged the federal government to establish national limits on greenhouse gas emissions and require targeted reductions to combat global warming. In a speech at the National Press Club, PG&E Corp. (PCG) Chief Executive Peter Darbee also called for a national carbon trading market, an extension of tax credits for renewable energy investment, national energy efficiency
standards and the promotion of plug-in hybrids cars. "If you look at U.S. greenhouse gas emissions compared with other nations, the amount is vastly disproportionate to our
population.  Our emissions are higher than those of China and India combined, where the population is more than 2.5 billion people," Darbee said, according to his prepared remarks, in accepting an award from the Natural Resources Defense Council. "If you look at our wealth and prosperity relative to other nations, it’s clear that we can afford to make a difference. And, if you look at our tremendous capacity for innovation, it’s clear that we have the human capital to develop the solutions. By signaling to the market that we’re serious about progress on clean energy, we can stimulate investment and engage our best and brightest in this effort."

San Francisco-based PG&E is perhaps the nation’s greenest utility and Darbee also appeared on Capitol Hill today to throw his support behind Senate legislation that would cut greenhouse gas emissions from his own industry.  “As the single largest source of
emissions in the U.S., the utility sector must play a key role in meeting our national
emissions reductions goals," he said in a statement. "This bill will significantly reduce emissions from the utility sector and it will do so by leveraging the innovation and
efficiency of the market.” Darbee’s speech comes as a raft of global warming bills are being introduced into the new Democrat-controlled Congress. At the Press Club, he urged the government to
provide renewable energy investors with some certainty by extending tax credits for
more than one or two years at a time and to fund new research into alternative energy. "I’m particularly intrigued by solar thermal technology. PG&E is also exploring the possibility of tidal and wave power off the coast of San Francisco," said Darbee. "Our economy will lead the clean energy revolution, just as we’ve done in hi-tech and biotech."

Darbee’s call for national global warming laws is sure to further divide the utility industry. Unlike utitilies in coal-dependent regions, PG&E relies on cleaner natural gas plants to provide most of the electricity it sells. And because California regulates the utility’s revenues, PG&E isn’t dependent on increasing consumers’ power usage to boost profits.