5 days ago
- Business
- Business Journals
PG&E initiatives drive small business resilience and growth
As the Sacramento region continues to grow, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is doing more than just powering businesses -- it's helping them thrive. Through a variety of tailored programs, PG&E is helping small and medium businesses save energy, reduce costs and operate more efficiently from day one.
PG&E serves more than 19,000 small and medium business customers in Sacramento, Yolo, Placer and El Dorado counties. In just the past three years, those businesses have collectively saved over 440,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy -- enough to power about 42 average homes for an entire year. These businesses have also received more than $544,00 in energy efficiency incentives through PG&E's rebate and financing programs.
PG&E has a Small Business Engagement (SBE) Team that provides dedicated support to small businesses by making personalized calls, launching regional campaigns and working with local partners. Their goal is to ensure customers know about every available resource.
Let's take a deeper dive into those programs and resources.
Support starts early -- with PG&E's Welcome Series. As part of this new initiative, SBE representatives reach out to new business owners during the first six weeks of service to offer personalized guidance so they can take control of their energy use from the start.
'This early outreach is more than just connecting a business to the grid,' said Joe Wilson, vice president for PG&E's North Valley & Sierra region. 'It's about building trust and showing business owners we're here to help them succeed long-term.'
For businesses facing financial challenges, PG&E offers Thrive, a no-cost operational assessment that identifies ways to cut costs, boost efficiency, and improve comfort for both employees and customers. You can contact your local representative for more details.
PG&E also provides high-impact programs that help businesses continue growing and saving, even years after opening their doors.
For example, PG&E's Rate Analysis Tool helps customers find the most cost-effective electric rate plan for their operations. The SBE team runs two targeted rate analysis campaigns each year—one focused on agricultural businesses and another for general business customers.
In 2024 alone, this campaign effort saved small business customers across PG&E's service area a combined $5.4 million.
PG&E's On-Bill Financing (OBF) program offers interest-free loans for energy-efficient upgrades, with payments made through the customer's monthly PG&E bill. In most cases, the energy savings offset the loan payments. Paired with Customer Energy Efficiency (CEE) rebates, these tools have had a measurable impact.
Additional tools for long-term growth
Simplified Savings Program – Free energy assessments and upgrades for businesses in disadvantaged communities.
Rebates for food service equipment -- Rebate programs that will help you save money and improve productivity when you upgrade your food service equipment.
Food Service Technology Center -- Access key training programs, design consultants and test kitchen plans to improve your operations and energy efficiency.
Budget Billing -- The program averages out your monthly bill to determine your monthly payment, instead of having unpredictable summer bills.
Economic Development Rate. This offers eligible business customers the opportunity to lower costs through one of three reduced electric rate options. PG&E developed this rate to help businesses grow or maintain jobs in California. The standard 12% rate is available throughout our service territory.
Small businesses make up 99% of PG&E's commercial customer base, and the company is committed to serving them with local solutions and lasting support.
'Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, and we're proud to support them with tailored energy solutions, cost-saving programs, and local partnerships,' said Wilson. 'We're committed to helping small business owners thrive by making energy more affordable, reliable, and accessible.'
