-By Gregory Solman

LOS ANGELES Responding to complaints from some shops that its proposal request process was too burdensome and complicated, Pacific Gas & Electric said it would simplify the process in order to solicit pitches from "a more diverse group of agencies" not necessarily specialized in winning government business.
 
"PG&E is encouraging agencies to provide a proposal outlining their strengths and [to] list their exceptions to the general conditions," said Darlene Chiu, a PG&E representative in San Francisco. "We don't just want the usual suspects to respond."
 
She added: "We understand that some people are frustrated with the length of the RFP. But the actual RFP is only 38 pages."
 
Chiu explained that as PG&E is required to include general conditions to comply with California Public Utilities Commission standards -- such as elaborate details on the diversity of the vendor's workplace -- initial paperwork bloomed to a 61-page document. "As such, when you remove the general conditions, it is not as daunting," she said.
 
The RFP is due back Sept. 9, Chiu said.

There is no incumbent, as the new work represents advertising for energy efficiency programs mandated by the California Public Utilities Commission.

PG&E spent more than $25 million on ads  in 2007, and $5 million through May 2008, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.