PG&E Corp

The Utility generates electricity and provides electric transmission and distribution services throughout its service area in northern and central California to residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural customers. The Utility provides electricity, transmission, and distribution services in its service area. Customers also can obtain electricity from alternative providers such as municipalities or CCAs, as well as from self-generation resources, such as rooftop solar installations. For more information, see “Competition” below.

Electricity Resources

The Utility is required to maintain adequate capacity to meet its customers’ demand for electricity (“load”), including peak demand and planning and operating reserves, deliverable to the locations and at times as may be necessary to provide reliable electric service. The Utility is responsible for scheduling and bidding electric generation resources, including certain electricity procured from third parties into the wholesale market, to meet customer demand.

The following table shows the percentage of the Utility’s estimated total net deliveries of electricity to customers in 2023 represented by each major electric resource, and further discussed below. The Utility’s deliveries were primarily from renewable energy resources that qualify under California’s RPS and other GHG-free resources (i.e., nuclear, and large hydroelectric generation). California’s RPS requirements and SB 100 goal is to serve 100% of retail electricity sales with GHG-free resources by 2045. For more information about California’s RPS requirements and clean energy goals, see further below and in the Environmental Regulation section above.

The total estimated electricity generated, procured, and sold (net), as of December 31, 2023 was 26,018 GWh (1)and comprised of the following:

(1)This amount excludes electricity provided by DA providers and CCAs that procure their own supplies of electricity for their respective customers.

(2)The allocation of “Others, net” in the “CEC Reporting Methodology Adjustment” and “Power Content Label” columns is consistent with current CEC guidelines as an adjustment mechanism to apply, as specified. Total reported generation and procurement volumes equate to actual electric retail sales.

(3)Amounts include biopower (e.g., biogas, biomass), solar, wind, certain hydroelectric (i.e., 30MW or less), and geothermal facilities. The eligible renewable percentages above do not reflect RPS compliance, which is determined using a different methodology.

(4)Amounts consist primarily of natural gas facilities.

(5)Amount is mainly comprised of net CAISO open market (sales)/purchases.

(6)Amount is comprised of renewable, nuclear, and large hydroelectric facility resources generated, procured, and sold.

Renewable Energy Resources

California law established an RPS that requires LSEs, such as the Utility, to gradually increase the amount of renewable energy they deliver to their customers. See “Environmental Regulation - Air Quality and Climate Change” above. The Utility may in the future incur additional costs to procure renewable energy to meet the new renewable energy targets, which the Utility expects will continue to be recoverable through rates as “pass-through” costs. The Utility also may be subject to penalties for failure to meet the higher targets.

Renewable generation resources, for purposes of the RPS requirements, include bioenergy such as biogas and biomass, certain hydroelectric facilities (30 MW or less), wind, solar, and geothermal energy. RPS requirements are based on procurement, which aligns with the methodology presented in the first column of the table above. Procurement from renewable energy sources was estimated to comprise 37% of total annual retail sales in 2023. Per the Power Content Label methodology based on current CEC guidelines presented in the table above, an estimated 34% of the Utility’s energy deliveries were from renewable energy sources in 2023.

The estimated total renewable deliveries as of December 31, 2023, shown above was 9,676 GWh and comprised of the following:

(1)Estimated renewable procurement percentages above and renewable compliance percentages are expected to be consistent; however, final RPS compliance reporting is subject to a different methodology and may result in differences between the two percentages.

Energy Storage

Energy storage improves system reliability and supports California’s decarbonization goals by integrating increased levels of renewable energy. The CPUC has established a multi-year energy storage procurement framework, under which the Utility was required to procure 580 MW of qualifying storage capacity by the end of 2020, with all energy storage projects required to be operational by the end of 2024. As of December 31, 2023, the Utility was on track to meet its storage goals by the end of 2024.

Additionally, the Utility has been actively procuring energy storage to meet critical reliability needs. The CPUC previously approved more than 1,100 MW of storage to come online in 2022 and 2023. In January 2022, the Utility also requested CPUC approval for another 1,600 MW of storage to be completed by the summer of 2024, which would bring the Utility’s total energy storage system capacity to more than 3,330 MW. Finally, the Utility is soliciting 200 MW of long-duration storage, which is storage with at least eight hours of discharge capacity, to have these resources online between 2026 and 2028. In order to address both its bundled portfolio need and to help to meet State planning and policy objectives to increase long-duration storage capacity after 2028, the Utility is pursuing regulatory approval to increase the nameplate generating capacity of its Helms Pumped Storage Facility.

Owned Generation Facilities

At December 31, 2023, the Utility owned the following generation facilities, all located in California, listed by energy source and further described below:

(1)The Utility’s Diablo Canyon power plant consists of two nuclear power reactor units, Units 1 and 2. The NRC operating licenses currently expire in 2024 and 2025, respectively. For more information, see “Extension of Diablo Canyon Operations” in Item 7. MD&A below.

(2)The Utility’s hydroelectric system consists of 99 generating units at 61 powerhouses. All of the Utility’s powerhouses are licensed by the FERC (except for two small powerhouses not subject to the FERC’s licensing requirements), with license terms between 30 and 50 years.

(3)The Utility’s large photovoltaic facilities are Cantua solar station (20 MW), Five Points solar station (15 MW), Gates solar station (20 MW), Giffen solar station (10 MW), Guernsey solar station (20 MW), Huron solar station (20 MW), Stroud solar station (20 MW), West Gates solar station (10 MW), and Westside solar station (15 MW). All of these facilities are located in Fresno County, except for Guernsey solar station, which is located in Kings County.

The Utility has applied to transfer its non-nuclear generation assets to Pacific Generation and potentially sell a minority interest in Pacific Generation. (For more information, see “Application with Pacific Generation for Approval to Transfer Non-Nuclear Generation Assets” in Item 7. MD&A below.)

Generation Resources from Third Parties

The Utility has entered into various agreements to purchase power and electric capacity, including agreements for renewable energy resources, in accordance with its CPUC-approved procurement plan. See “Ratemaking Mechanisms” above. For more information regarding the Utility’s power purchase agreements, see Note 15 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.

Electricity Transmission

Transmission lines deliver electricity at high voltages and over long distances from power sources to transmission substations closer to customers. A strong transmission system supports reliable and affordable service, ability to meet state energy policy goals, and support for a diverse generation mix, including renewable energy.

As of December 31, 2023, the Utility owned approximately 18,000 circuit miles of interconnected transmission lines operating at voltages ranging from 60 kV to 500 kV. The Utility also operated 33 electric transmission substations with a capacity of approximately 66,000 MVA. The Utility’s electric transmission system is interconnected with electric power systems in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council, which includes many western states, the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, and parts of Mexico.

Decisions about expansions and maintenance of the transmission system can be influenced by decisions of the Utility’s regulators and the CAISO.

Electricity Distribution

Distribution lines allow electricity to travel at lower voltages from substations directly to customers. The Utility’s electric distribution network consists of approximately 108,000 circuit miles of distribution lines (of which, as of December 31, 2023, approximately 26% are underground and approximately 74% are overhead), 67 transmission switching substations, and 752 distribution substations with a capacity of approximately 36,000 MVA. The Utility’s distribution network interconnects with its transmission system, primarily at switching and distribution substations, where equipment reduces the high-voltage transmission voltages to lower voltages, suitable for distribution to the Utility’s customers.

These distribution substations serve as the central hubs for the Utility’s electric distribution network. Emanating from each substation are primary and secondary distribution lines connected to local transformers and switching equipment that link distribution lines and provide delivery to customers. In some cases, third parties, such as municipal and other utilities, who generate or procure their own power rely upon the Utility’s distribution facilities to deliver their power to them, so that they are able to resell the electricity. The Utility operates electric distribution control center facilities in Concord, Rocklin, and Fresno, California; these control centers form a key part of the Utility’s efforts to create a smarter, more resilient grid.

Electricity Operating Statistics

The following table shows certain of the Utility’s operating statistics from 2021 to 2023 for electricity sold or delivered, including the classification of revenues by type of service. No single customer of the Utility accounted for 10% or more of consolidated revenues for electricity sold in 2023, 2022 or 2021.

(1)These amounts include electricity provided by DA providers and CCAs that procure their own supplies of electricity for their respective customers.

(2)This activity is primarily related to the change in unbilled revenue and amounts subject to refund, partially offset by other miscellaneous revenue items.

(3) These amounts represent revenues authorized to be billed.