When completed, DPV2 will allow the transfer of an additional 1,200 megawatts of power from the Blythe area in Riverside County to energy customers in Southern California. This is enough electricity to supply about 780,000 typical homes. Representative of the transmission upgrades necessary to strengthen the transmission system in the western United States, it will also reduce energy congestion within a nationally designated, critical electricity corridor.

Les Starck, SCE vice president, Local Public Affairs, said that the CPUC decision to approve the company's Petition to Modify is a positive and necessary action toward building needed electric transmission facilities. "This favorable decision from the CPUC is an important step in SCE's ongoing efforts to strengthen the transmission grid in California," Starck said. "DPV2 and other transmission projects on which we are working are needed to strengthen service reliability and improve the grid's ability to transmit electricity from new generating sources such as planned renewable energy projects."

The DPV2 project will provide the capability to meet generation developers' request for interconnecting new renewable and conventional generation projects in the solar energy rich areas of Southeastern California. By providing these developers with the earliest possible means to access markets in California, Arizona and other states in the Western region, construction of DPV2 will support these states' efforts to meet their respective renewable portfolio targets.

The California portion of the project currently is expected to be placed in service in 2013, subject to licensing and regulatory approvals.

As originally proposed in January 2007, DPV2 included transmission line segments and related facilities from Romoland, Calif. to the Palo Verde area west of Phoenix, Ariz. The modified project will end at the proposed Midpoint switchyard near Blythe, Calif. The CPUC approved the entire proposed project, but in June 2007 the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) denied the Arizona portion of the project. In May 2009, SCE informed the ACC that the utility's updated analysis of the project indicated that the benefits of the Arizona portion for California customers had substantially declined. Current studies confirm these results and do not support SCE's pursuit of the Arizona segment of DPV2 at this time.

The CPUC decision authorizing construction of the California portion of the DPV2 project is contingent upon approval by the California Independent System Operator (Cal-ISO).

About Southern California Edison

An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.

SOURCE: Southern California Edison

Southern California Edison 
Media Contact: 
Paul Klein, (626) 302-2255 
or 
Investor Relations Contact: 
Scott Cunningham, (626) 302-2540

"We're encouraging our customers to become the ultimate "energy vampire" slayers, and by doing so, they'll save energy, money and the environment," said Gene Rodrigues, SCE's director of energy efficiency. "There are so many easy, quick ways to become a smarter electronics consumer."

SCE encourages its customers to look for the Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR symbol when shopping for electronics and appliances. The iconic blue star signifies that the model is among the most energy-efficient of its kind. ENERGY STAR-labeled products usually are competitive in terms of price and performance compared to less efficient models.

Some other facts to consider:

-- ENERGY STAR-qualified TVs and set boxes use up to 30 percent less energy than comparable electronics that do not carry the energy-efficient label; home-entertainment equipment such as DVD players use up to 37 percent less. If all TVs sold in the United States met ENERGY STAR requirements, the savings in energy costs would grow to about $1 billion annually, and greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by the equivalent of about 1 million cars.

-- A computer monitor with the ENERGY STAR symbol uses about 22 percent less electricity; a PC up to 33 percent less. If each computer and monitor in homes across the nation were to go into energy-saving "sleep" mode when not in use, more than $1 billion in annual energy costs would be saved.

-- Telephones with the ENERGY STAR label use up to 58 percent less energy.

-- As many as 2.4 billion external power adapters are in use in the United States -- that's about eight for every person. These external power supplies contribute to about 12 percent of the national electric bill. Look for ENERGY STAR-qualified external power supplies, and use power strips as centralized turn-off points once finished with use of the equipment.

About Southern California Edison

An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.

SOURCE: Southern California Edison

Southern California Edison 
Vanessa McGrady, 626-302-2255

During the next five years, SCE will install, own and operate 250 megawatts of solar generating capacity. The utility also will conduct competitive solicitations offering long-term power contracts to independent solar power providers who will install an additional 250 megawatts, bringing to 500 megawatts the total generating capacity of the project -- the largest photovoltaic program ever undertaken.

"Promoting the use and generation of renewable energy is important to both MEPT and Kennedy Associates. Leasing unused roof space to SCE to generate renewable energy, while also creating 'green collar' union jobs, reinforces our commitment to responsible property investing," said Preston Sargent, executive vice president and portfolio manager for MEPT.

Project Benefits

-- New generation sources to areas where customer demand is rising.

-- Renewable generation that can be connected quickly to neighborhood circuits while major new renewable energy transmission lines are being built such as SCE's 4,500 megawatt Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project.

-- The output of solar panels generally matches peak customer demand -- lower in the morning and evening, higher in the afternoon.

-- The commercial rooftop solar project will allow SCE grid engineers to study the electrical effects of a high penetration of photovoltaics on distribution circuits. The information gained will be shared with the power industry.

-- SCE anticipates its solar power project will create as many as 800 new green jobs in Southern California in the solar industry. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, one of SCE's project partners, is supporting the project through the expansion of its solar installation apprentice training program.

About Kennedy Associates

Kennedy Associates is a full-service investment advisor with entrepreneurial real estate investment expertise to public, corporate, and retirement systems as well as major university endowments. A 2009 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year, Kennedy has approximately $8 billion in real estate assets under management and is a leader in Responsible Property Investing which considers environmental and social ramifications as well as fiduciary responsibilities in managing real estate investments. Kennedy has over $1.0 billion in certified buildings from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. www.kennedyusa.com

About Multi-Employer Property Trust

Multi-Employer Property Trust (MEPT) is a $4.6 billion, open-end commingled real estate equity fund that invests in a diversified portfolio of institutional-quality real estate assets in the United States. MEPT is the largest commingled real estate fund in the US that is signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment. MEPT maintains a Responsible Contractor Policy that requires that all contractors working on its portfolio properties be signatory to collective bargaining agreements with legitimate trade unions. www.mept.com

About Southern California Edison

An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6078009&lang=en

SOURCE: Southern California Edison

Kennedy Associates Media Contact: 
Bob Ratliffe, 206-623-4739 
www.kennedyusa.com 
or 
Southern California Edison Media Contact: 
Gil Alexander, 626-302-2255 
www.edison.com/pressroom 
or 
Edison International Investor Relations Contact: 
Scott Cunningham, 626-302-2540 
www.edisoninvestor.com

To decrease rising energy consumption and server failure risk, Toyota Motor Sales used IBM's Measurement and Management Technologies in its 20,000 square foot Torrance, California data center over a five-month period. The multi-level measurement tool assesses thermal readings throughout the data center from floor to ceiling and provides a detailed assessment of the heat distribution by creating a three-dimensional chart which pinpoints power and cooling inefficiencies. By using the scanning technology, researchers are then able to create a base model which is used to implement improvements within existing resources at low costs. During the pilot period, the automaker saw a decrease in high temperature hot spots and energy costs in the data center which houses its application development and testing equipment as well as file-sharing, email and printing capabilities.

"As environmental concerns merge with cost reductions efforts, innovative companies across all industries are looking to have more visibility and control," said Rich Lechner, Vice President of Energy and Environment at IBM. "Toyota Motor Sales knows this especially well as it continues to offer some of the most energy efficient and economical vehicles in the marketplace. This data center project is an example of how companies can reduce costs and become more efficient through smarter energy management."

Higher computing demands in recent years have caused a rapid increase in data center consumption. The usage accounts for nearly 1.2 percent of the total energy consumption in the United States and holds a 15 percent growth rate, according to a report by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 2007. Rising operational expenses and possible equipment failure caused by inefficient cooling, thermal issues, lack of reliability and availability and limitations on IT growth have caused data center managers across the globe to look for resolutions in center management.

"In a very short period of time, MMT showed us where to begin making inexpensive changes to air flow and temperature set points in our computer room," said Cathy Tryon, national manager of data center operations for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. "This allowed us to safely shut down two computer room air conditioners, resulting in significant energy and cost savings."

The company also improved air flow management, reduced chilled air leakage, matched cooling capacities to the IT power consumption and implemented a system to separate exhaust air and inlet temperatures within the data center. Although air conditioning units were reduced by 30 percent, TMS still saw an overall reduction in hot spots and a cooler consistent ambient temperature throughout the data center. Toyota Motor Sales' energy provider, Southern California Edison, quantified the company's energy savings and determined a demand reduction of more than 10 percent.

IBM also piloted an extension of MMT which includes real-time sensors that are distributed in strategic places throughout the data center. The updated version of the technology allowed IBM to constantly monitor temperature distributions throughout the project.

Southern California Edison is currently working to generalize Toyota Motor Sales' energy savings and evaluate Mobile Measurement Technology for broad application for energy and demand reductions for clients in its service area.

The data center energy reduction effort is part of IBM's Smarter Planet initiative which focuses on green infrastructures. The approach has enabled many IBM customers to significantly improve their IT operations within data centers, saving an average of 40 percent on energy costs, and meet their environmental goals.

About Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of more than 1,400 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers. Toyota directly employs more than 35,000 people in the U.S. and sold more than 2.2 million vehicles in 2008.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.Toyota.com

About Southern California Edison

An Edison International (NYSE: EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California. For more information about Southern California Edison, visit www.SCE.com

About IBM

For more information about IBM, visit www.IBM.com

    Contact:
    LaToya Evans
    IBM Research Communications
    Office: 914-945-1801
    Cell: 910-261-5874
    Email: evansla@us.ibm.com

SOURCE IBM

http://www.IBM.com