PG&E 2009 Annual Report Download - page 7

Within our power generation operations, we forged
ahead with both conventional and renewable generating
projects.
PG&E’s Gateway Generating Station went into service in
early 2009, ahead of schedule, within budget, and with an
exceptional safety record in construction—all of which set the
stage for an exceptionally safe and reliable first year of
operations. A showcase for the latest in clean, highly efficient
gas-fired generation, the plant earned project-of-the-year
accolades from Power Engineering magazine. Construction also
progressed on two other conventional-fueled facilities,
Humboldt Bay and Colusa Generating Station. Humboldt
Bay is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2010,
and Colusa Generating Station is expected to be completed
several months later.
Importantly, we also unveiled PG&E’s first plans to own
new renewable generation assets. These include a proposed
project to build 250 megawatts of PG&E-owned solar
photovoltaic resources (in addition to another 250
megawatts that would be owned by other developers). We
also proposed to buy and operate a major wind energy
facility. If approved and built, it would provide enough
power for about 100,000 average homes. Both the solar and
wind projects are awaiting regulatory approval.
Within our existing fleet, we completed major capital
projects to help ensure the ongoing safe and reliable
operation of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, a critical
source of carbon-free nuclear power for millions of
Californians. We also began the multiyear regulatory
process to renew the licenses for this essential facility so
that it will be available to provide power well into this
century.
OPERATING WITH EXCELLENCE
Even with the right investments in our system, delivering
for customers ultimately depends on our people and
practices. As a result, operational excellence—safety,
reliability, productivity, and on-budget and on-time
performance—is central to our strategy.
Last year’s operational metrics show that PG&E’s
intensive efforts in these areas are paying off.
Nowhere is this more true than on our number one
priority, safety. In 2009, the three basic safety indicators we
monitor all continued to move decisively in the right
direction.
Thanks to improved training, improved work
procedures, and an emphasis on accountability, we
achieved major reductions in recordable injuries, lost
workdays, and motor vehicle incidents.
We exceeded our goals in all three categories. Most
extraordinarily, since 2006, we have bettered performance
in each of these areas by more than 50 percent.
However, notwithstanding these achievements, our
safety results are not yet where they must be. On-the-job
tragedies took the lives of two workers last year, and our
overall safety scores still trail those of the top performers in
the industry.
Our pledge is that reducing safety incidents will remain
a top priority until we reach the absolute goal of zero
injuries.
Importantly, while this commitment is about people
first, it is also about performance: A safer workplace is a
more productive, efficient, cost-effective workplace. In fact,
excellence in safety is one of the best bellwethers of overall
operational excellence.
Another key benchmark of excellence is reliability. In
fact, our customers consistently rank reliability as a top
driver for satisfaction.
In 2009, through a combination of strategic
investments, more rigorous and efficient work practices,
and excellent teamwork, we dramatically drove down both
the frequency and duration of electric outages, our two key
reliability measures.
Although our targets set a high bar for the year, our
teams exceeded the goals on both measures. PG&E
customers experienced service interruptions less often than
at any time in the last 22 years. And if they did, we restored
their service faster than at any time in the past nine years.
We also focused again on the reliability of our natural
gas operations. Last year’s accomplishments included
completing 1.9 million on-location service line inspections
as part of an ongoing initiative to survey the integrity of
our entire gas distribution network on an accelerated basis.
This progress exceeded our target for the year.
Other operational highpoints included more progress in
streamlining processes and making it easier for our
employees to serve customers; solid storm recovery efforts;
excellent execution on the steam generator, dry cask
storage, and reactor-head replacement projects at Diablo
Canyon; and the remarkably safe and smooth construction
of the Humboldt and Colusa generating projects.
TAKING CARE OF CUSTOMERS
Our principal barometer for measuring customer
satisfaction—a series of independent surveys that look at
customers’ views on reliability, pricing, service interactions,
and overall favorability—rose in 2009 compared with 2008,
exceeding our target.
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