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Pacific Gas and Electric Company recently announced that it has made property tax payments totaling $13.24 million to Contra Costa County, the first of two annual installments of property taxes due for the period from July 1 to Dec. 31.

The Contra Costa payment is part of more than $157 million PG&E is paying to the 49 California counties in which it operates.

"Local governments are facing financial challenges and must address public safety, environmental protection, health care, education and other needs with limited resources," said Mark Caron, PG&E's vice president of tax. "PG&E's timely and substantial payments to local governments for property taxes and other fees help them address those vital community services."

The company's tax payments to counties for tax year 2012/13 increased by more than $18 million over the previous property tax year's payments as a result of an increase in assessments due to PG&E's infrastructure investments. This includes upgrades to improve electric and gas safety, reliability and capacity, as well as energy-generating-station development.

PG&E relocated its gas operations headquarters to Bishop Ranch.

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