Tree Davis is a tree-planting and stewardship program located in Davis, California. The organization, founded in 1992, has worked to expand the urban forest for more than 15 years. Tree Davis, in conjunction with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), is piloting a new shade tree program in which residents of Yolo County may be eligible to receive a free tree to plant in their yard in an effort to reduce energy consumption.

This program came about because of research performed by the U.S. Forest Service Center for Urban Forest Research, located in South Davis. While the conventional wisdom that trees can reduce electric bills has been around for awhile, before PG&E could justify the expense of such a program, it had to be quantified. So the Center for Urban Forest Research did the analysis and, as Ruth Williams of Tree Davis puts it, "got the numbers." With the numerical justification in place, Tree Davis could partner with PG&E to begin a pilot program. Davis participates in the pilot program, along with Stockton, San Jose and Yolo County.

According to Carrie Johnston of Tree Davis, you can save up to 30 percent off of your energy bills by having a mature tree on the west, south or east side of your house. This tree provides a canopy that