This is the 18th consecutive year that SDG&E received PA Consulting's ReliabilityOne® Award for Outstanding Reliability Performance among utilities in the west region
SAN DIEGO, Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Every day, approximately 3.6 million people in San Diego and southern Orange counties depend on San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) to provide reliable energy service to their homes and businesses. In recognition of SDG&E's continued superior performance and innovation in the utility industry, PA Consulting recently honored the company with two of its most prestigious awards: Outstanding Reliability Performance in the West Region Metropolitan Service Area (also known as the "Best in the West") and Outstanding Grid Sustainability.
"As we face new challenges from a changing climate, increasing regulations, and emergency events, we are determined to innovate and develop new solutions to meet the demands of an increasingly complex energy business," said Caroline Winn, SDG&E's chief executive officer. "Our culture emphasizes continued improvement, innovation, and seeking opportunities to exceed expectations that provide our customers with the reliability and excellent customer service they deserve. This award recognizes our sustained excellence and efforts to enhance grid resiliency, advance sustainability, and promote grid dependability despite challenges."
This is the 18th consecutive year that SDG&E has received the ReliabilityOne® Award for 'Outstanding Reliability Performance' among utilities in the West. To be named the most reliable utility in a metropolitan service area in the Western United States means electricity is available when customers need it, with fewer interruptions than elsewhere in the West. The ReliabilityOne® Awards are given annually to utilities in eight regions that have excelled in delivering reliable electric service to their customers.
Some of SDG&E's programs and projects that contributed to its recognition as 'Best in the West' and the award for outstanding grid sustainability include:
Enhanced Climate Hardening & Resilience Advancements
- SDG&E has implemented one of the most comprehensive and robust wildfire risk mitigation programs in the industry.
- SDG&E continues to enhance its Wildfire Next Generation System (WiNGS), an innovative data-driven tool that leverages AI to model climate scenarios and recommend grid hardening initiatives to help prevent utility-related wildfires and reduce the likelihood and duration of a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS).
- SDG&E deployed an advanced weather network with 221 weather stations, cameras equipped with AI to detect smoke, air quality sensors and technology that measures moisture content in vegetation.
Grid Sustainability & Customer Resiliency
- Construction of renewable microgrids to keep communities and critical facilities energized during a PSPS while promoting sustainability.
- SDG&E developed "The Path to Net Zero," an actionable roadmap recommending a diversified approach to decarbonization utilizing cleaner electricity, cleaner fuels and carbon removal to help achieve California's greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals.
- SDG&E has developed a suite of cleaner energy solutions, including two battery storage sites, to bolster grid reliability and community resilience during the hot summer by easing the strain on the larger energy grid.
"For 23 years, the ReliabilityOne® Awards have highlighted outstanding electric utility providers who resiliently build a more positive future for their customers," said Derek HasBrouck, PA Consulting's ReliabilityOne® Program Director. "We celebrate utilities who provide high levels of reliability and resilience while integrating clean energy assets and greater clean resource diversity into their operations. Congrats to SDG&E for integrating reliability and clean energy initiatives."
SDG&E is an innovative energy delivery company that provides increasingly clean, safe and reliable energy to better the lives of the people it serves in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The company is committed to advancing a sustainable future by increasing energy delivered from low or zero-carbon sources; accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles; and investing in innovative technologies to help ensure the reliable operation of the region's infrastructure for generations to come. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE). For more information, visit SDGEnews.com or connect with SDG&E on X (formerly Twitter) (@SDGE), Instagram (@SDGE) and Facebook.
About ReliabilityOne® awards
PA Consulting's ReliabilityOne® awards are presented to electric utilities providing their customers with the highest levels of reliability in the industry. PA Consulting's ReliabilityOne® study is based on standard industry reliability statistics that measure the frequency and duration of electric power outages. ReliabilityOne® participants on average experienced 55% fewer sustained outages, and outages were 70% shorter than the average US investor-owned utility. PA Consulting has been analyzing electric utility performance since 1987.
SOURCE San Diego Gas & Electric