PGamp;;E Named quot;;Corporation Of The Yearquot;; For Supporting Minority Business Development

SAN FRANCISCO, April 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has been named "Corporation of the Year" for the third year in a row by the [ Northern California Minority Supplier Development Council (NCMSDC) ] for the utility's consistently strong commitment to minority business development.

This year, more than 40 companies and certified minority business enterprises (MBEs) competed for 11 distinguished awards. In addition to the "Corporation of the Year" award, Joan Kerr , director of supplier diversity and sustainability at PG&E, won the "Supplier Diversity Leader of the Year" award for her exceptional leadership in improving the overall participation of minority suppliers in the utility's supply chain. PG&E's procurement specialist Cynthia Olson also won the "Corporate Buyer of the Year" award for her championship of including minority suppliers in the procurement process within PG&E.

"Once again, PG&E's inclusion of minority businesses in the procurement process demonstrates an enduring commitment to diversity and community development. Such commitment continues to come with top-down support and genuine corporate stewardship," said NCMSDC President Scott A. Vowels . "I commend PG&E and the winners of NCMSDC's Excellence in Supplier Diversity Awards for their ongoing leadership."

PG&E [ recently announced ] that it achieved an all-time high of over $2 billion in spending with diverse suppliers in 2012, accounting for 38.8 percent of its total procurement budget. PG&E's total spending on minority-owned business enterprises also reached an all-time high of $1.3 billion, an increase of $262 million or 25.7 percent over 2011.

"Having a broad and diverse supplier base reinforces our commitment to the communities where we live and work, and helps us to provide safe, reliable and affordable gas and electric service to our customers." said PG&E's Kerr. "I am proud to lead a Supplier Diversity Program that is supported by so many PG&E employees dedicated to including diverse suppliers in all aspects of our business operations."

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 NCMSDC

Founded in 1978, the Northern California Minority Supplier Development Council (NCMSDC) is a non-profit organization that promotes minority participation in the procurement process to create economic wealth in minority business communities in Northern California, Hawaii, and the nation. It provides the only nationally-recognized Ethnic Minority Business Certification in Northern California and Hawaii and connects certified Minority-owned Business Enterprises (MBEs) with NCMSDC Corporate Members, including many of America's largest publicly-owned, privately-owned, and foreign-owned companies, as well as universities, hospitals, and other buying institutions. For more information, visit [ www.ncmsdc.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

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PGamp;;E Named quot;;Corporation Of The Yearquot;; For Supporting Minority Business Development