California's Clean Tech Open Competition Awards $50,000 in Cash for Energy Efficiency Innovation for Businesses; PG&E, SCE, Southern California Gas Co. and SDG&E Sponsor Award

Business Wire, April 26, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO -- The California Clean Tech Open today announced that Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric will sponsor the competition prize devoted to improving energy efficiency. One of the competition's five category prizes, the energy efficiency prize will award $50,000 in cash, free office space and a range of other professional services to the authors of the best proposal.

"Energy efficient and renewable technology development is imperative for future generations," said Tom King, president and CEO of Pacific Gas and Electric Company. "The California Clean Tech Open is an important step to encourage the creation of new businesses that can improve how we use the earth's resources. I look forward to serving our customers with energy-efficient and renewable-energy technologies like those this competition will produce."

Nearly 70 percent of the electricity generated worldwide is lost through inefficiency in the energy supply chain, from primary energy sources to conversion and distribution to users. Within California, large corporations and small businesses alike understand the importance, and positive financial impact, of greater energy efficiency. As a result, a large and growing market opportunity has emerged for businesses that focus on improved energy efficiency.

The state's recent Energy Action Plan calls for investor owned utilities (IOUs) to deliver a "power plant per year" of new energy end-use efficiency. In support of this initiative, the California Public Utilities Commission has authorized more than $2 billion in new funding to continue and expand California investor-owned, utility-administered programs to improve customer energy efficiency over the next three years. California has also created other legislative and regulatory incentives to improve energy end-use efficiency. One example, the Green Building Executive Order, calls for a 20 percent reduction in energy use in state buildings by 2015.

"Supporting this competition will ultimately help utility customers reduce their energy use and lower their bills," said Lynda Ziegler, senior vice president of customer programs and services for Southern California Edison. "By promoting innovative new technologies, we ensure that our customers will always have new ways to save energy and money."

The Clean Tech Open encourages professionals and students to submit proposals in one of five categories: energy efficiency, renewable energy, smart power, transportation, and water management. The energy efficiency category comprises technologies that can significantly enhance energy end-use efficiency, driving toward the California statewide energy- and demand-savings goals. Examples include advanced lighting and daylighting systems, high-performance water heating technologies and infrastructure for low-energy data centers.

"California entrepreneurs have consistently produced some of the world's most important technology innovations, and we're very optimistic that the energy efficiency prize will foster development of a big idea that will help us make better use of our power resources to the benefit of California's economy and environment," said Laurent Pacalin, cochair of the California Clean Tech Open. "With their generous support of the competition, California's investor-owned utilities are making a significant investment that will ultimately benefit all the state's residents."

Contestants interested in taking part in the 2006 California Clean Tech Open may submit applications now through May 31. Contest rules, application forms and other details are available on the Web at www.CaCleanTech.com.

About The California Clean Tech Open

The mission of the California Clean Tech Open is to encourage the development of clean technology companies that foster a healthy natural environment -- companies that provide environmental benefits in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency, pollution reduction and resource protection, and conservation. The competition will also serve as a platform to educate the public, as well as the participants, about the environmental challenges we face and new technologies that can provide solutions to those challenges. The inaugural competition opens in April 2006, and winners will be announced in September at a finals event in the Bay Area. The best plan submitted from five categories -- Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Smart Power, Transportation, and Water Management -- will be awarded a bundle of prizes to create a sustainable business. Prize sponsors to date include: Energy Efficiency -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company, and San Diego Gas and Electric; Smart Power -- AMD; Transportation -- Lexus; Water Management -- Agora Foundation, led by President Wynnette LaBrosse. The competition was initiated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Club of Northern California (MITCNC) with charter partners Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Horn Murdock Cole, A&R Partners, and Plug & Play Real Estate.