Solar Habitat Program Supports 18 Local Habitat for Humanity Affiliates and Solar on 79 Homes

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today announced its $1 million commitment to support the installation of rooftop solar on 79 homes with 18 different Habitat for Humanity local affiliates throughout Northern and Central California. From the Mendocino Coast to Merced, PG&E’s Solar Habitat Program, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, is making affordable housing and solar energy a reality for deserving families, particularly in neighborhoods that have been historically underserved and overlooked.

“PG&E is proud to support Habitat for Humanity’s mission of making homeownership a reality for deserving families. Our sustained collaboration on the Solar Habitat Program allows these homes to be both financially and environmentally sustainable. Together, we’re building a cleaner, brighter future for the people of California,” said PG&E Corporation Chairman, CEO and President Tony Earley.

For 10 years, PG&E’s Solar Habitat Program has provided more than $9.6 million to help respond to the housing needs of families in Northern and Central California. As the exclusive solar partner of Habitat for Humanity in the Bay Area, PG&E’s Solar Habitat Program has funded the installation of solar on more than 600 new-construction Habitat for Humanity homes throughout the utility’s Northern and Central California service area.

"Thanks to our partnership with PG&E and the Solar Habitat program, Habitat homeowners spend less on electricity and that helps us keep the overall cost of homeownership low. This is a critical piece of the overall affordability of Habitat homes,” said Phillip Kilbridge, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco.

The PG&E Solar Habitat program lowers the electricity bill of an average household by $500 per year. Each solar panel generates nearly 300 kilowatt-hours of clean, renewable energy from sunlight per month, avoiding the release of more than 132,000 pounds of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere over the 30-year life of the system. In total, Habitat families have saved $9 million in energy costs through this partnership.

Earlier this year, the company and the non-profit celebrated their decade-long solar partnership by hosting the Brown Bag Build at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco. Community members contributed over 200 volunteer hours to Habitat for Humanity to safely construct 60 doors and window frames in 30-minute shifts during their lunch breaks for the Habitat Terrace development in San Francisco’s Ocean View neighborhood.

In addition to the Solar Habitat program, PG&E employees have provided more than 11,000 hours of volunteering with Habitat for Humanity through the years.

The full list of Habitat for Humanity local affiliates and grants are below:

About Habitat for Humanity Bay Area

Habitat for Humanity Bay Area represents a collection of two local Habitat affiliates: Greater San Francisco and East Bay/Silicon Valley. In 30 years, the two affiliates have engaged volunteers from the community-more than 14,000 annually -- to create more than 750 sustainably built homes sold at affordable prices to qualifying families with limited incomes in the six county San Francisco Bay Area.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), and the PG&E Corporation Foundation strive to power strong communities throughout Northern and Central California. In 2014, PG&E contributed more than $23 million to nearly 1,300 charitable organizations, including matching the generosity of employees who donated more than $7.3 million and volunteered more than 75,000 hours to company-supported events. Community investments are funded entirely by the company’s shareholders. For more information, visit www.pge.com/community.

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Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company