SAN DIEGO, May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) announced at an awards luncheon this week preceding the 7th Annual SDG&E Energy Showcase that 13 local businesses have been recognized as Energy Champions for their outstanding efforts in energy efficiency and conservation.  

"We're proud to recognize the remarkable energy-efficiency efforts of these customers that have gone above and beyond to save energy and money by taking advantage of the many rebates and incentives that are available through SDG&E's energy-efficiency and demand response programs," said Hal Snyder, vice president of customer solutions for SDG&E.

The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) was one of the 13 honored as a standout Energy Champion. UC San Diego has implemented energy-efficiency measures to optimize energy performance across the campus through active participation in SDG&E's University of California/California State University/Investor Owned Utility Energy Efficiency Partnership program. Earlier this year, SDG&E presented UC San Diego with a check for $2.4 million representing energy-efficiency incentives received through UC San Diego's 10 energy-efficiency projects completed in 2011, including extensive self-generating power initiatives and a campus-wide interior lighting upgrade.

Along with UC San Diego, additional award winners were Alexandria Realty, City of Chula Vista, Energy Curtailment Specialists, Hotel del Coronado, IKEA, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Lemon Grove School District, Qualcomm, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, the San Diego Convention Center, Siemens and the United States Marine Corps. Collectively, these SDG&E customers have saved more than 24.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity and more than 500,000 therms of natural gas, the equivalent of taking nearly 3,000 cars off the road.

The Energy Showcase will take place on May 11 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina from 7 a.m. until noon. The event will feature keynote speakers Jessie J. Knight, chairman and CEO of SDG&E, along with Ralph Cavanagh, co-director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's energy program. Seminars will take place with expert speakers on topics such as energy system innovations, the future of sustainable building design, and alternative fuel vehicle implementation and infrastructure. Additionally, local small businesses will share their energy efficiency success stories and their experience with taking advantage of SDG&E's energy rebates, demand response programs, free onsite energy-efficiency assessments and zero-interest financing programs.  More than 75 exhibitors and vendors will showcase the latest energy-saving technologies for those in attendance at this free event.

For more information on energy and money-saving programs available to SDG&E customers, business owners and representatives call (800) 411-7343, or visit www.sdge.com. 

SDG&E's energy-efficiency programs are subject to change without notice and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis as long as funding is available. These programs are funded by California utility customers and administered by SDG&E under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.

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)