Leadership teams from PG&E and Cal Poly Humboldt held extensive discussions recently about options for expanding their partnership.
The meeting was held on campus in Arcata and led by PG&E Chief Executive Officer Patti Poppe and Cal Poly Humboldt President Tom Jackson.
The wide-ranging talk included priorities at PG&E related to renewable energy and climate resilience, and ideas for leveraging the educational and applied research strengths at Humboldt. A recurring theme was how the organizations could work more closely together to better serve the region and the state, in part by demonstrating successful projects that were ready to scale up.
As part of the meeting, PG&E shared key elements of its True North strategy, which is a strategic plan for achieving the company’s vision and meeting its climate goals. The three major components include: focusing on rebuilding trust and delivering excellent service; architecting a decarbonized, safe, and reliable energy system; and building strong foundational capabilities. There were many ideas for how the University could partner to assist with these goals.
Cal Poly Humboldt leaders shared important updates from its polytechnic transformation, including details about the eight new undergraduate degrees and the new master’s degree launching in Fall 2023.
Polytechnic transformation details
In addition to CEO Poppe and President Jackson, other leaders among the dozen attendees included Joe Forline, Senior Vice President of Gas Operations and Vice President for the North Coast Region Ron Richardson. The Humboldt group included Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jenn Capps as well as more than a dozen others. Humboldt’s Schatz Energy Research Center, which has worked closely with PG&E over the years on projects including microgrids, was well represented with a group that included the Center’s Director and Professor of Engineering Arne Jacobson.
As a result of this meeting, the partnership between PG&E and Cal Poly Humboldt has been markedly strengthened. Both institutions share the goals of developing people to succeed in their professions and serve the communities where they reside. Joint efforts to develop projects that serve the region and State of California are anticipated and expected by both PG&E and Cal Poly Humboldt.