Join your peers at the Sacramento Regional Inclusion and Diversity Conference "Building Bridges" scheduled for Thursday, January 26, 2012. The event is sponsored by VSP Global, Anthem Blue Cross, CalPERS, America at Work, Kaiser Permanente, My Sister's House, Wells Fargo, Delta Dental, Microsoft and the City of Elk Grove. The conference provides businesses the opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from Northern California inclusion leaders and innovators. Keynote speaker, Dr. Steve L. Robbins, is a powerful communicator, insightful facilitator and inspiring motivator who can simultaneously challenge and encourage people with a dynamic use of story-telling, humor and extensive knowledge

Sacramento Municipal Utility District offices will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2011 in observance of the Labor Day holiday. The following regular business hours will resume on Tuesday, September 6: Residential customer phone service 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 1-888-742-SMUD (7683) Commercial customer phone service 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1-877-622-SMUD (7683) Customer lobby service 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Customer Service Center, 6301 S St., Sacramento Business offices 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. SMUD's 24-hour electric outage number, 1-888-456-SMUD (7683) will continue operating throughout the holiday. If power goes out, customers should notify SMUD immediately. In the event of an electrical problem, customers

SMUD received an electrifying down payment of sorts with the delivery this week of 11 plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) pickup trucks. Three more will be arriving later as part of a $97 million Chrysler demonstration project in select markets. “We were a logical partner for Chrysler because we’ve been testing alternative fuel vehicles for more than 20 years in an effort to improve the Sacramento region’s air quality,” said SMUD General Manager John DiStasio. “Environmental leadership is one of the SMUD’s core values.” Chrysler manufactured 140 of the Ram hybrid trucks under a U.S. Department of Energy stimulus grant that was awarded in the fall of 2009. “These vehicles were still in the co

Anne Dunlap-Kahren’s old refrigerator was in her kitchen for 13 years. She bought a new one and relegated the old one to a place where a lot of old refrigerators go, the garage. The problem is these older refrigerators use more household energy than anything else in the home. They use as much as three times the energy of newer models, and can cost up to an additional $125 per year to run. When Anne heard about SMUD’s Refrigerator Recycling program, she called to make an appointment. Within a few days, JACO Environmental, a SMUD recycling contractor, was at her door to pick up the old one and give her a $35 check for it. By recycling, Anne is saving money, energy and the environment. “Fo

Discounts available at SMUD’s Rancho Seco Recreational Area Getting away from it all doesn’t have to mean going far. Enjoy the last lazy days of summer at SMUD’s Rancho Seco Recreational Area – a complete vacation destination that’s just 25 miles from downtown Sacramento. And for a limited time, the longer you stay, the bigger the discount. Now through October 31, 2011, tent and RV campers staying three nights will get the fourth night free. The park includes a 160-acre stocked lake (including Florida-strain largemouth bass), a variety of day-use and camping sites, a 7-mile nature trail and a general store. Windsurfing, fishing, horseshoes and bird watching are favorite activities at the