SAN DIEGO and OAKLAND, Calif., Sept.
21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sempra Foundation, founded by
Sempra (NYSE: SRE) (BMV: SRE), today announced a charitable
contribution of more than $200,000 to
GRID Alternatives to install five grid-tied solar projects on
community buildings and off-grid solar projects benefitting 40
families in Mexico. The projects
are intended to help improve energy access for vulnerable
communities with environmental justice concerns in the country.
GRID Alternatives is a national leader in providing access to
clean, affordable renewable energy to economic and environmental
justice communities in the U.S. and internationally. Last month,
GRID Alternatives completed work on the first solar project located
at a health center in Tijuana.
"We believe that access to resilient, affordable and clean
energy is critical to advancing a just and prosperous world," said
Lisa Alexander, director and board
chair of Sempra Foundation. "Energy access is crucial to health,
economic growth and prosperity, and we are proud to support a
portfolio of projects that are expected to result in affordable,
cleaner energy for those in need."
The project in Mexico is part
of a broader commitment by Sempra Foundation to help improve lives
and build stronger, more resilient communities by expanding energy
access. Sempra Foundation and GRID Alternatives identified seven
communities and organizations in northern Baja California, Mexico, in need of energy
assistance as they work to provide necessities for those they
support. The locations include two orphanages, two Indigenous
residential communities, a health center, a migrant center and a
hospice serving individuals experiencing homelessness and living
with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
"We are excited to work with Sempra Foundation on these
important solar projects to help improve access to reliable
electricity and reduce the burden of energy costs for organizations
that are doing critical work in Mexico," said Jenean
Smith, senior director of international programs for GRID
Alternatives. "We are also providing hands-on training for local
students pursuing clean energy careers, as pandemic safety
protocols allow."
Creating a Positive Impact
In Mexico, more than 10 million residents live
without access to reliable electricity. The solar installations are
expected to result in:
- A total of 68 kW of grid-tied solar capacity installed at the
locations in Mexico;
- An estimated 1,930 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions
avoided, the equivalent of planting and growing over 32,000 trees;
and
- Solar installation training is planned for 60 local renewable
energy students, at least half of them women.
About Sempra Foundation
Founded by Sempra in 2007,
Sempra Foundation has long been focused on investing its energy and
resources into efforts that make a real difference for people when
they need it most. Sempra Foundation encourages community
engagement by supporting the 19,000 employees who work for Sempra
and its operating companies, helping them to deliver their energy
with purpose in communities. The foundation does this by matching
employee contributions of time and money to any eligible 501(c)(3)
charitable organization they choose to support.
Sempra Foundation is also exploring the issue of energy access
by looking to understand energy poverty at a deeper level and
determine how it can help shape a vibrant future for all going
forward. The foundation also has a long history of investing in
relief efforts when disasters strike, including wildfires,
hurricanes, earthquakes and other events.
About GRID Alternatives
GRID Alternatives is a
national leader in making clean, affordable solar power and solar
jobs accessible to economic and environmental justice communities.
Using a unique, people-first model, GRID develops and implements
solar projects that serve qualifying households and affordable
housing providers, while providing hands-on job training and
connections to clean mobility and battery storage incentive
programs. GRID has installed solar for more than 20,000 families to
date and helped households and housing providers save $531 million in lifetime electricity costs, while
training over 32,000 people. GRID Alternatives has eight regional
offices and affiliates serving California, Colorado, the mid-Atlantic region, and Tribal
communities nationwide, and serves communities in Nicaragua, Nepal and Mexico. For more information, visit
gridalternatives.org.
This press release contains statements that constitute
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements are based on assumptions with respect to the future,
involve risks and uncertainties, and are not guarantees. Future
results may differ materially from those expressed in any
forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements
represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this
press release. We assume no obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future
events or other factors.
In this press release, forward-looking statements can be
identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates,"
"plans," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," "should," "could,"
"would," "will," "confident," "may," "can," "potential,"
"possible," "proposed," "in process," "under construction," "in
development," "target," "outlook," "maintain," "continue," "goal,"
"aim," "commit," or similar expressions, or when we discuss our
guidance, priorities, strategy, goals, vision, mission,
opportunities, projections, intentions or expectations.
Factors, among others, that could cause actual results and
events to differ materially from those described in any
forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties relating
to: California wildfires,
including the risks that we may be found liable for damages
regardless of fault and that we may not be able to recover costs
from insurance, the wildfire fund established by California
Assembly Bill 1054 or in rates from customers; decisions,
investigations, regulations, issuances or revocations of permits
and other authorizations, renewals of franchises, and other actions
by (i) the Comisión Federal de Electricidad, California Public
Utilities Commission (CPUC), U.S. Department of Energy, U.S.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Utility Commission of
Texas, and other regulatory and
governmental bodies and (ii) states, counties, cities and other
jurisdictions in the U.S., Mexico
and other countries in which we do business; the success of
business development efforts, construction projects and
acquisitions and divestitures, including risks in (i) the ability
to make a final investment decision, (ii) completing construction
projects or other transactions on schedule and budget, (iii) the
ability to realize anticipated benefits from any of these efforts
if completed, and (iv) obtaining the consent of partners or other
third parties; the resolution of civil and criminal litigation,
regulatory inquiries, investigations and proceedings, and
arbitrations, including, among others, those related to the natural
gas leak at Southern California Gas Company's (SoCalGas) Aliso
Canyon natural gas storage facility; actions by credit rating
agencies to downgrade our credit ratings or to place those ratings
on negative outlook and our ability to borrow on favorable terms
and meet our substantial debt service obligations; actions to
reduce or eliminate reliance on natural gas, including any
deterioration of or increased uncertainty in the political or
regulatory environment for local natural gas distribution companies
operating in California; weather,
natural disasters, pandemics, accidents, equipment failures,
explosions, acts of terrorism, information system outages or other
events that disrupt our operations, damage our facilities and
systems, cause the release of harmful materials, cause fires or
subject us to liability for property damage or personal injuries,
fines and penalties, some of which may not be covered by insurance,
may be disputed by insurers or may otherwise not be recoverable
through regulatory mechanisms or may impact our ability to obtain
satisfactory levels of affordable insurance; the availability of
electric power and natural gas and natural gas storage capacity,
including disruptions caused by failures in the transmission grid
or limitations on the withdrawal of natural gas from storage
facilities; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on capital
projects, regulatory approvals, and the execution of our
operations; cybersecurity threats to the energy grid, storage and
pipeline infrastructure, information and systems used to operate
our businesses, and confidentiality of our proprietary information
and personal information of our customers and employees, including
ransomware attacks on our systems and the systems of third-party
vendors and other parties with which we conduct business;
expropriation of assets, failure of foreign governments and
state-owned entities to honor their contracts, and property
disputes; the impact at San Diego Gas & Electric Company
(SDG&E) on competitive customer rates and reliability due to
the growth in distributed and local power generation, including
from departing retail load resulting from customers transferring to
Direct Access and Community Choice Aggregation, and the risk of
nonrecovery for stranded assets and contractual obligations; Oncor
Electric Delivery Company LLC's (Oncor) ability to eliminate or
reduce its quarterly dividends due to regulatory and governance
requirements and commitments, including by actions of Oncor's
independent directors or a minority member director; volatility in
foreign currency exchange, inflation and interest rates and
commodity prices and our ability to effectively hedge these risks;
changes in tax and trade policies, laws and regulations, including
tariffs and revisions to international trade agreements that may
increase our costs, reduce our competitiveness, or impair our
ability to resolve trade disputes; and other uncertainties, some of
which may be difficult to predict and are beyond our
control.
These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the
reports that Sempra has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC). These reports are available through the EDGAR
system free-of-charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and on
Sempra's website, www.sempra.com. Investors should not rely unduly
on any forward-looking statements.
Sempra North American Infrastructure, Sempra LNG, Sempra
Mexico, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor and Infraestructura
Energética Nova, S.A.B. de C.V. (IEnova) are not the same companies
as the California utilities,
SDG&E or SoCalGas, and Sempra North American Infrastructure,
Sempra LNG, Sempra Mexico, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor and IEnova
are not regulated by the CPUC.
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