PG&E earns eco props

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. last week won the 2007 Brilliant Utility Award for eco-related efforts. The award, from the Discover Brilliant International Conference, recognizes public utilities that set new sustainability standards.

To identify winners, contest judges looked at such areas as innovation, partnerships and the depth and breadth of programs.

Over the past 30 years, PG&E says, its energy efficiency programs have helped keep more than 125 million tons of carbon out of the atmosphere, eliminate the need to build 24 new power plants in California and reduce its customers’ bills by nearly $10 billion.