PG&E'S Spending on Women Businesses in 2011 Topped Half a Billion Dollars

SAN FRANCISCO, March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has been selected by the Women Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) as one of the recipients of the 2011 America's Top Corporations For Women's Business Enterprises Award, the highest national award honoring corporations that level the playing field for women business enterprises (WBEs) to compete for corporate business.

During an award presentation on March 22 in Baltimore, Md., WBENC recognized 29 corporations for developing and driving innovative best practices across their organizations that result in productive business partnerships with women entrepreneurs and valuable products and services for their customers.

"Thanks to the extraordinary leadership of PG&E, and the commitment of all our member companies, we have created tremendous opportunities for WBEs in the public and the private sectors. This work, in turn, fuels a stronger economy as WBEs add jobs and contribute to their communities," said Pamela Prince-Eason, President and Chief Executive Officer of WBENC, the leading authority and advocate for WBEs as suppliers to the nation's leading corporations and government entities. 

PG&E recently announced that it achieved an all-time high of $1.61 billion in spending with diverse suppliers in 2011, accounting for 36.6 percent of its total procurement budget. PG&E's total spend on women business enterprises also reached an all-time high of $514 million, an increase of $120 million over 2010.

"PG&E enthusiastically supports the economic health of communities in which we live and work as a major purchaser of goods and services," said Des Bell, PG&E's senior vice president of safety and shared services. "Since 1981, our supplier diversity program has provided thousands of diverse businesses with opportunities to provide products to PG&E. It's an honor to receive this recognition – especially during Women's History Month – as we continue our efforts to integrate more women-owned businesses into our supply chain."

For more than three decades, PG&E has been committed to diversity and inclusion. The company has developed one of the state's leading programs that support economic development and job creation in the communities it serves. PG&E partners with diverse suppliers to generate innovation and increase competition while contributing to their revenue growth. In addition, the utility has played an important role by providing small businesses with technical assistance training.

For information on PG&E's supplier diversity program or to learn how to apply to become a certified diverse supplier, visit www.pge.com/supplierdiversity/.

About WBENC

Founded in 1997, WBENC is the nation's leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women, with nearly 11,000 WBENC-Certified WBEs. WBENC certification is accepted by more than 1,000 corporations representing America's most prestigious brands, in addition to many states, cities and other entities. Throughout the year, WBENC and its 14 Regional Partner Organizations provide opportunities for interactions between more than 650 member corporations, government agencies and thousands of certified WBEs at business building events and other forums. WBENC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that seeks and accepts donations from corporations, foundations and individuals that support its mission and programs. For more information, please go to www.wbenc.org.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to 15 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/about/newsroom/ or www.pgecurrents.com.

SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company