Brandon Hernandez and Travis Kiyota, The Green Giants

The architects of PG&E's multi-million dollar green campaign.

(From left) BRANDON HERNANDEZ, 36, and TRAVIS KIYOTA, 37. Architects of Pacific Gas & Electric Company's multimillion-dollar, multicultural green campaign. Shot on location in the Tenderloin by Keeney + Law.

Let's face it: The movie Erin Brockovich didn't exactly do wonders for PG&E's reputation. But Travis Kiyota and Brandon Hernandez are working to atone for the SF company's tarnished past by painting the town green. Since 2006, the duo has been carrying out the utility giant's mission to create a carbon-neutral city. So far, PG&E has donated $7.5 million worth of solar panels to such local groups as the LGBT Center and Project Open Hand (Grace Cathedral is in the works), funded an organic culinary program at the Mission Language and Vocational School and sowed flora into the sidewalks around 18th and Shotwell in a team effort with PlantSF. "Public utilities have an obligation to address climate change—we're in a unique position to change people's habits when it comes to energy use," Kiyota says. "It's a serious responsibility, not a publicity stunt."

One key component to the program—which they devised with Mayor Newsom—is the groundbreaking "Verde Que Te Quiero Verde" crusade, which encourages the Latino population to board the green bandwagon through Spanish-language, family-focused messages. "The response has been incredible," Hernandez says.

So, do these eco-warriors practice what they preach? Besides being an ardent recycler, Kiyota, a native San Franciscan, has installed low-flow toilets and an energy-efficient ventilation system in his family's Richmond District home. Hernandez, a Potrero Hill resident, has made the switch to CFLs, and commutes on foot or by public transportation. "I'm not recycling 100 percent yet," he admits, "and I do wear brand-new leather shoes. I have a weakness for fashion, but I'm working through it."

Describe the perfect "green day" in the city:
Brandon: Start with coffee at Blue Bottle Café [beans are organic], then lunch at Pizzeria Delfina [organic/local ingredients] and finish off by browsing used books at Green Apple.

(On Hernandez): Junya Watanabe for Comme des Garçons navy trench coat ($1,195), Barneys New York, 415-268-3500. Shirt and trousers, model's own. (On Kiyota): Band of Outsiders blazer ($1,610) and Levi's jeans ($185) at Barneys New York. Belt and shoes, model's own.

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