SAN DIEGO, April 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) today announced that the utility exceeded the California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC) goal for diverse spending for the sixth year in a row.

In 2011, SDG&E reported that 38.13 percent of products and services were provided by diverse business enterprises (DBEs).  SDG&E spent a total of $546 million on purchases with women, minority, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses in 2011 – a nearly 42 percent increase in spending over 2010.

"Our 2011 results are especially significant because our company's base spending went up sharply due to capital projects such as the Sunrise Powerlink. Notably, DBE spending also followed suit, increasing by a remarkable $161 million in 2011 over 2010," says Jessie J. Knight, Jr., chairman and CEO for SDG&E. "This increase is attributable to the intrinsic value and high quality of products and services that DBEs provide."

Headquartered among the strong military presence of San Diego, the utility's commitment to working with service-disabled veteran-owned businesses resulted in more than $50 million of products and services—an increase of almost $19 million over 2010. SDG&E's ability to infuse diverse businesses in both core business areas and capital projects has proven to show an increase in quality and service while minimizing cost.

SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.4 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and more than 850,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties.  The utility's area spans 4,100 square miles.  SDG&E is committed to creating ways to help customers save energy and money every day.  SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego.  

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SOURCE San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)