PG&E to Contribute $1 Million to Nonprofits Supporting COVID-19 Response

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced it is donating 480,000 N95 masks and 470,000 surgical masks to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) for distribution to California hospitals and other first responders facing a critical shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

PG&E and The PG&E Corporation Foundation also will contribute $1 million to nonprofits focused on supporting individuals and families facing food insecurity, as well as small businesses to help with the uncertainty and economic impacts of the public health emergency. These donations come from shareholder funds, not customers.

PG&E has delivered 20,000 N95 masks and 20,000 surgical masks directly to the Kaiser Permanente Livermore receiving center. Kaiser has an immediate and critical need for the protective masks for its medical professionals.

“As a company and as individuals, we recognize the need to support the medical community and all they’re doing to help safeguard the health and safety of our fellow Californians. This crisis is unprecedented, but we know that our path forward requires us working together and helping medical professionals and first responders on the front lines of the pandemic. Helping our state and local communities is part of who we are at PG&E. It’s the right thing to do,” said Andy Vesey, PG&E CEO and President.

Vesey said the donations mirror the mutual aid that utility companies provide to each other during emergency response for storms, earthquakes or fires. The company maintains a supply of several types of masks to protect utility crews working in construction zones or responding to wildfires. Each year before wildfire season the company replenishes its stock of masks. PG&E is donating as many masks as possible to Cal OES, while maintaining sufficient supplies to ensure the safety of our field workers performing essential and emergency services during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic and to prepare for the upcoming fire season. The company will continue to evaluate opportunities for additional donations of masks and other equipment.

PG&E employees also are collecting masks and other equipment from their personal emergency kits to donate to hospitals and emergency services responders in their local areas.

Charitable Contribution to Local Nonprofits

Additionally, PG&E and The PG&E Corporation Foundation will contribute a combined $1 million in charitable contributions to support PG&E customers and their communities, focused on vulnerable customers and underserved communities experiencing hardship due to quarantine, illness, caring for loved ones, or school/business closures.

“In addition to providing safe and reliable energy service to our customers every day, we’re dedicated to supporting our communities during times of crisis. We know that many of our customers may face uncertainty and financial instability due to school and childcare closures, job loss, and other economic impacts. That’s why we’re working with our nonprofit partners to help with immediate needs,” said Robert Kenney, Chairman of The PG&E Corporation Foundation.

The contributions will be directed to nonprofits supporting people experiencing food insecurity, small businesses, as well as regional community foundations’ COVID 19 relief funds, food banks, senior meal programs and others.

PG&E is also encouraging its employees who want to give to contribute to charitable organizations providing support to impacted local communities. Company employees can take advantage of the company giving match program to maximize their individual contributions to support local organizations.

For additional ways PG&E is supporting customers during the COVID-19 public health crisis, go to www.pge.com/covid19.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com and www.pge.com/news.

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Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company