SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its continuing effort to bring solar power to the classroom, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today unveiled 25 California schools selected to participate in the 2008 solar schools program. Each school will receive a 1.3 kilowatt solar generation system, valued at $25,000. PG&E also announced the 9 schools chosen to receive up to $5,000 in "Bright Ideas" grants for their innovative solar science projects.
This year's winners will be honored at a special teacher training and awards banquet hosted by PG&E at the newly renovated California Academy of Sciences building in San Francisco. PG&E is honored to join the San Francisco Academy of Sciences in this effort. As the lead sponsor in the partnership, PG&E looks forward to collaborating with the Academy during the next four years to further inform Californians on environmental sustainability. The partnership will also contain an education module on climate change and steps individuals can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"We are proud to be a part of the education of our future leaders on how they can make real contributions in the advancement of renewable energy and the fight against global climate change," said Ophelia Basgal, vice president of civic partnerships and community initiatives at PG&E. "These students are the future scientists of clean energy. The dedication and interest in science demonstrated by their teachers and schools, is inspiring."
The PG&E Solar Schools Program includes installation of photovoltaic systems in public schools, a solar-based curriculum training package, workshops for teachers, and "Bright Ideas" grants awarded to innovative solar science projects in classrooms. (The complete list of 2008 winners is below.) Each photovoltaic system generates 1.3 kilowatts, or enough electricity to provide for the power needs of an entire classroom. Since its inception in 2004, PG&E shareholders have contributed $6 million to this program. With more than 125 schools participating throughout PG&E's northern and central California service area, the program has trained more than 2,000 teachers, benefiting almost 100,000 students.
PG&E's award-winning Solar Schools Program is nationally recognized for teaching the value of renewable energy. It has been awarded the Interstate Renewable Energy Council's IREC Annual Innovation award, named "Education Innovator of the Year" by the San Francisco Business Times and received the Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award, California's highest and most prestigious environmental honor.
PG&E has a long history of making charitable grants tailored to the wide variety of needs of the communities it serves. The company's broader program of support to communities includes cash grants, in-kind contributions, and volunteers for community-based nonprofit organizations, and for schools and other governmental programs throughout northern and central California.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation , is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to 15 million people in northern and central California. For more information, visit http://www.pge.com/about/.
The 2008 PG&E Solar Schools and Bright Ideas Award Winners: Schools Receiving $25,000 Solar Generation Systems Arroyo Grande High School Arroyo Grande Selby Lane Elementary School Atherton Sunset Middle School Bakersfield Heritage High School Brentwood South Bay Elementary School Eureka Ahwahnee Middle School Fresno Ayer Elementary School Fresno Washington Colony Elementary School Fresno Chicago Park School Grass Valley Kings Mountain Elementary School Half Moon Bay Hayward High School Hayward Loleta Union Elementary School Loleta Allendale Elementary School Oakland Hillcrest Elementary School Oakland Cabrillo Elementary School Pacifica Bauer Speck Elementary School Paso Robles Cesar Chavez Elementary School San Francisco Commodore Sloat Elementary School San Francisco Everett Middle School San Francisco Monroe Elementary School San Francisco Visitacion Valley School San Francisco San Jose Conservation Core & Charter School San Jose Sierra Outdoor School Sonora Venture Academy Stockton Taylorsville Elementary School Taylorsville Schools Receiving up to $5,000 in "Bright Ideas" Grants Sunset Middle School Bakersfield Jacoby Creek Charter School Bayside Redwood Elementary School Fort Bragg Cottage Hill School Grass Valley Kennedy Elementary School Newark Rancho Cotate High School Rohnert Park Holly Oak School San Jose Washington Manor Middle School San Leandro Margaret Kemp Girls Camp San Mateo
For more information about PG&E Solar Schools Program, please visit our web
site at http://www.pge.com/solarschools
