PG&E SOLAR SCHOOLS HONORED BY MAYOR GAVIN NEWSOM AND SUPERINTENDENT CARLOS GARCIA

21 May 2008
San Franciscans celebrated the new PG&E Solar Schools and were honored last week.  The San Francisco Sentinel wrote a great story, and we wanted to share the news with you!

http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=13055

Students from 18 San Francisco Schools Get Hands-On Solar Energy

Pacific Gas and Electric Company today joined Mayor Gavin Newsom and San Francisco Superintendent of Schools Carlos Garcia to honor eighteen Solar School recipients during a Green Energy Fair and Solar Celebration at Presidio Middle School in the Richmond district.

The event also featured a solar oven and interactive games for the students.

“By teaching children the value of clean and renewable energy, we are ensuring a more sustainable future for our City and our planet,” said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

“I congratulate PG&E for their commitment to outfit our schools and educate our students.”

Since 2004, a total of 18 San Francisco schools have been awarded solar photovoltaic (PV) systems as part of PG&E’s Solar Schools program. Each PV system generates 1.3 kilowatts of electricity, or enough to provide for the power needs of an entire classroom.

“In my role as Superintendent of San Francisco schools, I value programs that bring environmental awareness to children’s lives,” said San Francisco Superintendent of Schools Carlos Garcia.

Mayor Newsom, Helen Burt, with San Francisco Schools
Superintendent Carlos Garcia

“We appreciate PG&E’s generosity in bringing solar power to our San Francisco schools.”

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the power of solar energy with San Francisco’s current and future leaders,” said Helen Burt, senior vice president and chief customer officer for PG&E.

“As we seek to address the challenges of climate change, inspiring our children about the importance of environmental stewardship is critical. We also want to thank the participating teachers and schools who make this goal possible with their support and dedication,” stated Burt.

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, which support innovative solar science projects in classrooms.

Since its inception in 2004, PG&E has contributed $6 million to this shareholder-funded program, which includes 100 schools and has trained over 2,000 teachers, benefiting nearly 100,000 students throughout PG&E’s northern and central California service area.

PG&E recognizes that local schools, particularly in underserved communities, face unprecedented financial challenges. The Solar Schools Program is one of the ways PG&E is planning for the future.

The program brings together the company’s commitment to renewable energy, energy efficiency and education in a way that benefits students and the community for years to come.

PG&E’s award-winning Solar Schools Program is nationally recognized for teaching the value of alternative energy. The Solar Schools Program 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.

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 www.pge.com

PG&E San Francisco Solar Schools

Schools Receiving Solar Generation Systems:
Starr King Elementary
Lawton Elementary School
Lafayette Elementary School
Sunset Elementary
Creative Arts Charter
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Middle School
Marshall Elementary School
Argonne Elementary School
Bessie Carmichael
Gateway High School
Alvarado Elementary School
AP Giannini Middle School
Balboa High School
Frank McCoppin Elementary School
Lakeshore Elementary School
Life Learning Academy Charter
Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary School
Presidio Middle School

For more information about PG&E Solar Schools Program, please visit our web site at pge.com/solarschools

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 29th, 2008 at 10:05 am and is filed under California, Perspectives, Solar Schools . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.