Bramfitt has been a frequent speaker at data center conferences and an active supporter of high-tech rebate programs, in which utility companies provide subsidies for organizations that use energy-saving technologies such as server virtualization and efficient cooling systems.

The program manager for PG&E's , he has also been leading the Utility IT Energy Efficiency Coalition, which PG&E to help other utilities offer similar energy-saving programs. The coalition now has 45 members in the U.S. and Canada.

Bramfitt announced his plan to leave PG&E at the in Sunnyvale, California. He didn't give a reason for his departure, but said it was unclear who will run the utilities coalition after he leaves.

The data center programs can be complex to set up, especially for power companies that have little experience with enterprise IT. Bramfitt has been an "evangelist" who helped other utilities adopt similar models, said Josh Wallace, key account representative for City of Palo Alto Utilities in California.

"PG&E is a test bed. If they try something and it works, we'll do it," he said.