Pacific Gas and Electric Company Honored for its Commitment to its Diverse Communities by Providing In-Language Service to its Customers

PG&E receives Language Line Services' 2006 Diversity Award

SAN FRANCISCO – Pacific Gas and Electric Company was honored with the 2006 Language Line Services Diversity Award on Friday, September 21st at PG&E’s 13th Annual Diversity Celebration Awards Presentation. The award recognizes the company’s commitment to providing in-language services to its customers from call centers and in the field. Language Line Services acknowledges companies that excel at meeting the needs of their Limited English Proficient customers. Pacific Gas and Electric Company is the third company to receive the Language Line Services’ Diversity Award.

“PG&E is honored to receive this award from Language Line Services for simply doing what is expected by our customers,” stated Bill Morrow, president and chief executive officer of Pacific Gas and Electric Company, “We are proud of our commitment to meeting the needs of the diverse communities we serve.”

“We commend Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s resourcefulness and innovation in advancing diversity throughout their organization and within the Northern California communities they serve,” said Louis Provenzano, Language Line Services’ President and Chief Operating Officer. “Bringing people together and creating new opportunities through the removal of language barriers is central to everything we do at Language Line Services. We are proud to work with a company that is equally committed to this endeavor.”

PG&E has been using Language Line Services since 1991.  Over the past 12 months, services to the utility’s customers have been provided in 68 different languages other than in English. In addition to over-the-phone interpretation services, the company also maintains 2 in-language websites that provide information on energy savings programs, environmental stewardship, financial assistance, and much more.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company provides gas and electric services to more than 15 million customers throughout California. Its service area extends as far south as Bakersfield and as north as Humboldt County. More than 30% of its customers are mono-lingual in a language other than English.

For more information about Pacific Gas and Electric Company, please visit the company’s web site at www.pge.com.

About Language Line Services

Language Line Services, the world's leading provider of language services, is recognized as a trusted partner to thousands of U.S. based organizations focusing their marketing efforts on the limited English speaking community, which is growing rapidly in both size and affluence. The company provides access to the telephone interpretation industry's fastest service at highly competitive rates. It serves the language needs of all major sectors including utilities, government, health care, telecom, financial services and insurance by connecting them to customers, patients and sales prospects in over 175 languages. The growth of the industry has soared with increased immigration and government regulatory compliance policies mandating organizations provide services to limited English speakers in their own languages. For more information about Language Line Services' suite of video and over-the phone interpretation services, document translation, and bilingual testing and training please call 800-752-6096 or visit www.languageline.com.