PCG » Topics » Post-Service Benefits

This excerpt taken from the PCG DEF 14A filed Apr 1, 2009.

Post-Service Benefits

Retirement/Pension

The majority of companies in the Pay Comparator Group provide tax-qualified defined benefit plans (e.g., pensions or similar plans), other tax-qualified defined contribution plans (i.e., 401(k) plans), and non-tax-qualified retirement plans.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company provides retirement benefits under a tax-qualified defined benefit plan to the NEOs and other eligible employees of PG&E Corporation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company. In

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addition, PG&E Corporation has adopted a Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (SERP), a non-tax-qualified defined benefit pension plan that provides officers and key employees of PG&E Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Pacific Gas and Electric Company, with a pension benefit based on a combination of base salary and payments under the STIP. PG&E Corporation also has established a grantor trust to set aside funds to pay for a portion of the non-qualified benefits payable to participants. Assets held in the trust are subject to claims of creditors and, upon the commencement of a bankruptcy case, become part of the debtor's estate subject to the jurisdiction of the bankruptcy court.

PG&E Corporation also provides a matching contribution to officers who participate in the PG&E Corporation Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), a qualified 401(k) plan. For all NEOs and most other employees, PG&E Corporation provides a maximum matching contribution of 75 cents for each dollar contributed up to 6% of base salary. To the extent that matching contributions cannot be made to an NEO's RSP account because the Internal Revenue Code limits would be exceeded, PG&E Corporation contributes the excess amount to the NEO's account in the SRSP.

In 2003, Peter A. Darbee was credited with an additional five years of service under the SERP. Mr. Darbee was eligible to earn an additional five years of credited service under the SERP, provided that he was employed by PG&E Corporation or a subsidiary on July 1, 2008. Accordingly, the additional service was credited in 2008. Pursuant to the terms of the November 21, 2005 offer letter of employment between John S. Keenan and Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Mr. Keenan will accrue 1.5 years of credited service under the SERP for each year of actual service during his first seven years. The Committee felt that a defined benefit pension was an attractive and cost-effective recruiting tool.

The value of pension benefits accumulated as of December 31, 2008 for the executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table is reported in the table below entitled "Pension Benefits."

This excerpt taken from the PCG DEF 14A filed Apr 2, 2008.

Post-Service Benefits

Retirement/Pension

The majority of companies in the Pay Comparator Group provide tax-qualified defined benefit plans (e.g., pensions or similar plans), other tax-qualified defined contribution plans (i.e., 401(k) plans), and non-tax-qualified retirement plans.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company provides retirement benefits under a tax-qualified defined benefit plan to the NEOs and other eligible employees of PG&E Corporation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company. In addition, PG&E Corporation has adopted a Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (SERP), a non-tax-qualified defined benefit pension plan that provides officers and key employees of PG&E Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Pacific Gas and Electric Company, with a pension benefit based on a combination of base salary and payments under the STIP. PG&E Corporation also has established a grantor trust to set aside funds to pay for a portion of the non-qualified benefits payable to participants. Assets held in the trust are subject to claims of creditors and, upon the commencement of a bankruptcy case, become part of the debtor's estate subject to the jurisdiction of the bankruptcy court.

PG&E Corporation also provides a matching contribution to officers who participate in the PG&E Corporation Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), a qualified 401(k) plan. For all NEOs and most other employees, PG&E Corporation provides a maximum matching contribution of 75 cents for each dollar contributed up to 6% of base salary. To the extent that matching contributions cannot be made to an NEO's RSP account because the Internal Revenue Code limits would be exceeded, PG&E Corporation contributes the excess amount to the SRSP.

In 2003, Peter A. Darbee and Thomas B. King were each credited with an additional five years of service under the SERP. Mr. Darbee also is eligible to earn an additional five years of credited service under the SERP, provided that he is employed by PG&E Corporation or a subsidiary on July 1, 2008. At that time, the Committee felt that a defined benefit pension was an attractive and cost-effective recruiting tool. The Committee also felt that tying additional credited service to continued future service would help to focus executives on long-term performance. In 2003, most of PG&E Corporation's senior management team were earning a significant portion of their retirement benefit through participation in one or more of the above-listed pension plan arrangements. The Committee also believed that such pension benefit enhancements would help to further strengthen and align the management team by eliminating disparities.

The value of pension benefits accumulated as of December 31, 2007 for the executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table is reported in the table below entitled "Pension Benefits."

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