The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is a provider of natural gas and electricity. It is a holding company that conducts its business through Pacific Gas and Electric Company (Utility), its primary operating subsidiary. It operates in northern and central California. The Utility has received regulatory approval to pilot and test new smart grid technologies to provide electric service. Pacific Gas and Electric Company has added emergency capacity at substations, increasing distribution system automation, upgrading poor performing circuits, performing targeted asset replacement and improving service outage restoration processes.