PSEG Gives State Museum $500,000 for a Climate Change Exhibit
January 30 2008 - 12:30PM
PR Newswire (US)
Governor Corzine & Secretary of State Wells Celebrate Gift and
Applaud Public-Private Collaborations that Strengthen NJ's Cultural
Institutions TRENTON, N.J., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The
New Jersey State Museum will have a new exhibit on global warming,
thanks to a $500,000 pledge from one of New Jersey's largest
corporations. Ralph Izzo, chairman, president and CEO of Public
Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), joined Governor Jon S. Corzine and
Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells today to formally announce a
donation from PSEG to the Friends of the New Jersey State Museum.
The gift is the largest private sector contribution to the museum's
capital campaign to date, and will be given in equal installments
over four years by the PSEG Foundation. It will fund an exhibit
designed to educate visitors about the impact of climate change on
New Jersey's coastline. Governor Corzine and Secretary Wells
praised PSEG for its leadership, and cited its commitment to
investing in New Jersey's cities and cultural institutions as a
shining example of how public-private collaborative partnerships
can result in meaningful accomplishments. "The State Museum is one
of New Jersey's great treasures, a place where natural history,
archaeology and ethnology, fine art, culture and the wonders of
science converge to educate visitors young and old alike," noted
Governor Corzine. "The extraordinary commitment of PSEG is a
testament not only to its generosity, but to our shared desire to
leave the most diverse, educational and exciting experience for
Museum guests for years to come." "Climate change is a defining
issue for this generation and will be, even more so, for the next.
We cannot afford to wait to teach our children about it, and to
begin taking action," Izzo said. Izzo said PSEG has taken a number
of steps to reduce its own carbon footprint and has been
encouraging its customers and other businesses to do the same. He
noted that PSEG is investing in hybrid vehicles and biofuel, as
well as energy efficient wires and transformers. Its utility
business, PSE&G, has proposed to invest $100 million to help
spur investment in solar energy and begun a campaign to give
100,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs to customers in communities
across New Jersey. PSEG's contribution to the State Museum will
support the development of an exhibit called Rising Tide: Global
Warming and New Jersey's Changing Coastline. It will show that
global warming leads to rising sea level and demonstrate how that
has altered New Jersey's coastline. The Governor expressed his
gratitude for PSEG's support of the exhibit as part of a larger
effort of raising public education and awareness about climate
change. "Overwhelming evidence has shown global warming poses a
serious threat, and if we continue on a course of inaction our
planet will continue to warm, water levels will continue to rise,"
noted Governor Corzine. "And, as a state with 127 miles of
coastline, New Jersey could especially face dire, irreversible
consequences." PSEG's donation is the latest gift to be announced
as part of an ambitious, ongoing effort to raise $13 million from
the private sector to fund the design and installation of exhibits
that are stimulating, educational and timely. The New Jersey State
Museum is approaching the completion of a $15 million renovation
funded by the State of New Jersey and overseen by the Department of
State. The renovation included the installation of a new HVAC
climate control system, as well as improvements in electrical
systems, ventilation, restroom facilities and the general interior.
Secretary of State Wells thanked PSEG for its generous contribution
to the Museum's Capital Campaign. "We heartily applaud PSEG for the
funding of this timely exhibition, which will also become part of
the Museum's major new Natural History Hall. Such support will
assure that we offer the best possible new and interactive
exhibitions to our visitors -- whether individuals, families or
school classes. The New Jersey State Museum was the first state
museum in the country established with a clear educational mission,
and we are proud that this considerable legacy is as strong as
ever." "We are proud to help build what promises to be an important
exhibit on climate change -- one that encourages new ways of
thinking about our relationship to the environment -- and proud to
support the State Museum and the city of Trenton," Izzo said. The
announcement was part of a larger program at the State Museum where
students from Trenton examined fossils displays from the Museum's
collection, toured a fossil exhibition and experienced a live
program on the Jersey Coast -- all of which concluded with a
Q&A session with a panel of scientists. Founded in 1895, the
New Jersey State Museum's mission is to collect, preserve and
interpret the cultural and natural history of New Jersey to
visitors of all ages and diverse backgrounds and to preserve in
conjunction with Historic Morven, Inc. the landmark property called
Morven. To this end, the Museum presents exhibitions, educational
programs, publications and other services that interpret its
collections in archaeology/ethnology, decorative arts, fine arts
and natural history. The Museum -- which is located only a half
block from the State Capitol in a 1964 building -- is currently
undergoing major renovations and upgrades. While the Main Building
is undergoing renovation, the Museum continues to provide school
programs in its 384-seat Auditorium and 145-seat Planetarium -- the
largest in New Jersey. Exhibitions are still offered in its
galleries in the Auditorium and in 225 West State Street and
through a traveling exhibition shown at various state parks,
museums, libraries, county colleges, and tourism centers throughout
the State. The Museum has recently been reaccredited for ten years
by the American Association of Museums. Public Service Enterprise
Group (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG) is a publicly traded diversified energy
company with annual revenues of more than $12 billion, and three
principal subsidiaries: PSEG Power, PSEG Energy Holdings, and
Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G). PSEG has a
long tradition of caring for New Jersey's people and communities.
Each year, the company and its employees invest millions of dollars
and thousands of hours to improve the quality of life in New
Jersey. The company's culture dictates that service to customers
and community go hand-in-hand. DATASOURCE: Public Service
Enterprise Group (PSEG) CONTACT: Jenn Kramer of PSEG,
+1-973-430-7734 Web site: http://www.pseg.com/
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