SAN DIEGO, CA – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) announced that its procurement program generated US$2.59 billion in direct economic impact in 2023, contracting with more than 2,000 companies for goods and services to fulfill the company’s mission to serve the 3.7 million people in its service area with an increasingly cleaner, safer and more reliable energy infrastructure.
The utility noted that more than 43% of SDG&E’s total expenditures were with diverse suppliers, i.e., minority-owned businesses, women, LGBT, disabled veterans and people with disabilities, according to the company’s annual supplier diversity report recently filed with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
Also, nearly 600 services, or one-third of the suppliers doing business with SDG&E in 2023, were diverse companies. In 2023, SDG&E’s spending with diverse businesses reached US$450.6 million in San Diego County and US$950.7 million in California. For the 19th consecutive year, SDG&E has not only met, but exceeded the CPUC’s supplier diversity goal.
“We are focused on maximizing every dollar for our customers while growing economic opportunities for small and diverse businesses in our region,” said SDG&E CEO Caroline Winn.
Since launching its supplier diversity program in the 1980s, SDG&E has helped many small businesses become top suppliers. Some of the company’s top suppliers are leading by example by serving as mentors to diverse subcontractors.
“Large employers like SDG&E play a significant role in sustaining and growing our region’s economy because of the sheer volume of goods and services they procure,” said Mark Cafferty, president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation.
SDG&E continues to expand its supplier portfolio by collaborating with community organizations and business associations.
