PG&E donates $1M to communities
SAN FRANCISCO >> Pacific Gas and Electric Co. will be donating $1 million to wildfire impacted communities, the company announced in a press release Thursday.
The company has been embroiled in more troubles in recent months after the utility giant indicated responsibility for the still active Dixie Fire which as of writing has burnt upwards of 800,000 acres and destroyed 1,282 structures.
In the release, PG&E Corporation Chief Executive Officer Patti Poppe thanked firefighters for the continued work on fires.
“We are so thankful for the courageous firefighters working around the clock to contain the wildfires ravaging California communities,” Pope said.”We all are blessed by the kindness of the many nonprofit organizations, volunteer fire departments and community groups that are opening their hearts and rolling up their sleeves in service to those who have been displaced temporarily or permanently by these terrible fires. We humbly offer our support to them to help our communities through these difficult days.”
The $1 million donation comes at a time when the company’s public image continues to suffer. Going before U.S. District Court Judge William Allsup on Tuesday, PG&E was pressed with questions regarding what caused the Dixie Fire. Significantly, Allsup wanted to know what evidence the company had to lead them to believe a Douglas fir broke and fell into the Bucks Circuit, possibly causing the start of the Dixie Fire on July 13.
According to a report released on Friday by the National Interagency Coordination Center, the cost to fight the Dixie Fire has reached $437 million while total damage assessment cost has not been released.
After repeatedly being linked to causing wildfires, PG&E has since raised its contributions to nonprofits and environmental agencies.
In 2020, PG&E working with private foundation The PG&E Corporation Foundation, contributed a total of $17.5 million to more than 600 nonprofit organizations throughout Northern and Central California.
Included in PG&E’s most recent $1 million donation is a previously announced $300,000 to support wildfire relief and recovery efforts from the American Red Cross this fire season. PG&E said their donations help the Red Cross to shelter families, serve meals, support emergency responders, deliver relief supplies, provide medical care and create recovery plans.
Another $50,000 from their donation is going towards the California Association of Food Banks’ Rapid Response Fund to help local food banks purchase food and supplies and supplement their staffing.
PG&E said the donation also includes $80,000 specifically to local unnamed nonprofits and fire departments serving residents impacted by the Dixie Fire.
Donations will come from PG&E shareholders, not PG&E customers, the company said in the release.
Beginning in September, PG&E and PG&E Corporation also launched a campaign which matches employee’s charitable donations 1:1 for five select charities including Red Cross, California Fire Foundation, Pacific Service Employees Association Emergency Assistance Fund, El Dorado Community Foundation Caldor Fire Fund and North Valley Animal Disaster Group. The company will match up to a total of $50,000 from the PG&E Corporation Foundation.