Corporate Philanthropy

Civic and Community

PG&E is an active partner with thousands of communities throughout our service area. We strive to work with cities, counties and organizations to strengthen services and programs in need of assistance. Here are some of the highlights from 2009:

2-1-1 Services

For the third year in a row, PG&E helped to fund a number of regional and county-wide 2-1-1 telephone information and referral services, a hotline modeled after 9-1-1 that connects callers with local social service organizations and resources. Among other services, the 2-1-1 programs offer information about PG&E's payment assistance programs such as REACH and CARE for customers having difficulty paying their utility bills. With increased call volumes during the past two years, 2-1-1 services have become vital links to local and regional assistance programs for individuals and families. Since the program began in 2007, PG&E has contributed more than $900,000 to 2-1-1 services.

Economic Development

By working together with community organizations, PG&E is helping to build capacity for the "green jobs" of the future—a critically important task in light of today's difficult economic climate. Here is an example from 2009:

Greenlining Institute

Leveraging charitable support from PG&E, the Greenlining Institute continued its important work to facilitate dialogue and engage diverse communities in efforts to address energy and climate change challenges. Among other priorities, Greenlining is working to address climate change in a way that creates new jobs and strengthens small and minority-owned businesses.

Education

PG&E has a long history of offering the diverse communities we serve opportunities to grow through educational programs and partnerships. Examples of partnerships in 2009 include:

New Energy Academy

PG&E established the New Energy Academy in partnership with the California Department of Education and CaliforniaALL, an education non-profit. A "school within a school," the Academy will offer science, technology, engineering and mathematics instruction with a focus on energy and the environment for students in grades 10 to 12. We donated $200,000 in 2009 for curriculum, professional development and planning. New Energy Academies will open in the 2010 school year at five participating high schools in Berkeley, Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield and Stockton.

California Academy of Sciences

As the lead corporate sponsor of the California Academy of Sciences, PG&E continues to collaborate with the Academy to support environmental and science education, with the goal of inspiring Californians to take steps to fight climate change. Key highlights last year included giving talks and demonstrations on topics such as clean technology, community sustainability initiatives and our innovative ClimateSmart™ program.

Emergency Preparedness

Earthquakes and other emergencies can strike at any time, so PG&E is working with community partners and others to plan ahead through support for training, tools and other important resources. Here are some examples from 2009:

American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter

Over the past four years, with support from PG&E, the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter trained more than one million people in the Bay Area to prepare for and respond to emergencies, with a focus on making underserved communities more resilient in the face of a disaster. PG&E contributed a total of $1 million to support the organization's important work.

Collaborating Agencies Responding to Disasters

We joined with Collaborating Agencies Responding to Disasters to hold a seminar for officials in Alameda County on how PG&E's gas and electric system operates in emergencies and about our programs to help local communities during power interruptions, gas pipeline breaks and other emergencies.

Environmental and Energy Sustainability

In support of our goal of environmental leadership, we contribute to a range of environmental programs designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, protect natural resources and educate students and others about how they can make a difference, often benefiting disadvantaged communities. Examples of environmental partnerships from 2009 include:

PG&E's Solar Habitat Program

PG&E expanded its partnership with Habitat for Humanity in 2009 to help build a brighter future for families with limited incomes. We provided $1.4 million to cover the full cost of solar power installations on 80 Habitat-built homes in northern and central California, part of our overall $3.2 million commitment since that began in 2005. We also hosted a green building symposium to enable allfor the Habitat for Humanity affiliates in our service area to on building energy-efficient, environmentally friendly homes. As a result, six homes earned LEED Gold certification last year.

PG&E's Solar Schools Program

We targeted our Solar Schools Program last year to help schools reduce energy usage, save money and educate the leaders of tomorrow. PG&E awarded $250,000 in "Bright Ideas" grants of up to $10,000 for teachers to help students implement projects and develop unique environmental learning opportunities. For example, a high school math applications class in Winters used its grant to develop a nanocrystalline solar cell made from raspberry juice. Since the program's inception in 2004, PG&E has contributed more than $9 million in shareholder funding to create more than 125 Solar Schools and train more than 3,000 teachers, benefiting almost 275,000 students.

Nature Restoration Trust

PG&E continued to support the Nature Restoration Trust through a three-year collaboration with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. With a $1 million commitment, PG&E supports community-based habitat restoration projects involving students, community volunteers and tribal organizations in efforts to restore and enhance wetlands, riparian and coastal fish habitats and rural and urban environments for wildlife. For example, through the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose, high school students restored a watershed by conducting vegetation surveys, replacing invasive plants with native plants and measuring the results.