PG&E 2025 Innovation Pitch Fest

Save the date!

Together with Realize 2050, PG&E is excited to announce the upcoming launch of its second Innovation Pitch Fest, designed to identify and accelerate breakthrough solutions to California’s most pressing grid challenges. This year’s initiative builds on the momentum of 2023’s inaugural effort and the 2024 Innovation Summit, with a focus on co-developing deployable technologies in partnership with vendors. With up to $25 million in EPIC funding and strong backing from PG&E leadership, PG&E looks forward to bringing innovative grid solutions to life.

PG&E has refined its focus to 13 high-impact problem statements from our 2024 R&D Strategy Report, including several newly identified challenges, that require bold thinking and breakthrough solutions from our community to help shape a more affordable, reliable, and decarbonized energy future. If you are developing a novel solution to one of the problem statements outlined below, we encourage you to consider applying starting Monday, July 7. 

Problem Statements:  

  1. Automating PSPS events to improve safety and decrease customer impacts 

  2. Avoiding installation delays for public and fleet charging due to capacity constraints 

  3. Detecting and forecasting customer-led appliance electrification to support zonal electrification efforts  

  4. Enhancing broad customer resiliency and grid benefits with utility-owned batteries 

  5. Enhancing fire spread modeling to address increasing urban conflagration risk 

  6. Enhancing visibility into DER and EV load flexibility potential 

  7. Expanding capabilities and coverage of continuous fault monitoring 

  8. Modeling and predicting grid impacts from large load ramping 

  9. Optimizing deployment of forest management interventions 

  10. Optimizing paving and spoils management 

  11. Reducing cost and complexity of underground construction 

  12. Streamlining design and estimation for routine projects 

  13. Unlocking technology pathways to reduce PG&E operating costs 

Why

With support from internal champions and California’s EPIC program, PG&E is seeking partners to help solve the most urgent challenges facing the grid. 

Selected partners will work with PG&E through year-end to define projects and co-develop integration pathways from concept to scaled deployment. 

Who

PG&E invites innovators, entrepreneurs, and technology developers with novel and deployable solutions that address one or more of the 13 highlighted problem statements. Whether you’re a startup or an established company, if you’re ready to co-create with a major utility, we want to hear from you. 

When & Where

The 2025 Innovation Pitch Fest will take place in person in Oakland, California from September 23-25, 2025.

How to Apply

Applications will open at the following link starting July 7, 2025, and will remain open through July 25, 2025 at 11:59 PM PT. 

Contact Us

Contact PG&E

For questions, contact PG&E at: innovation@pge.com