The following is a press release by Pacific Gas and Electric Company:
The PG&E Corporation Foundation (PG&E Foundation) and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) are now accepting applications for their Better Together Nature Positive Innovation and Resilience Hubs grant programs totaling $900,000 this year for projects and initiatives dedicated to environmental stewardship and climate resilience.
Better Together Nature Positive Innovation Grants
For 2023, the PG&E Foundation’s Better Together Nature Positive Innovation grant program will award up to $500,000 total — in five $100,000 regional grants — to fund projects that address the focus areas of land stewardship, air quality, and water stewardship. One grant will be awarded for each of the five regions of PG&E’s service area: North Valley and Sierra, North Coast, Bay Area, South Bay and Central Coast, and Central Valley.
This is year two of a three-year commitment to fund up to $1.5 million in projects supporting environmental stewardship in communities PG&E serves across Northern and Central California.
The Nature Positive Innovation grants help communities mobilize around and invest in solutions that address challenges facing the natural environment. The program is designed to support innovative and replicable resilient solutions that can be shared widely to build more sustainable habitats and communities.
Resilience Hubs Grants
In addition, the PG&E Resilience Hubs grant program, now in its third year, is designed to help communities create a physical space or set of resources that supports community resilience — such as access to power, shelter, and information — to climate-driven disruptions, including wildfires and Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events. Once developed, these “resilience hubs” can also be accessed year-round as a community resource.
For 2023, the PG&E Resilience Hubs grant program will award $400,000 total in grants at both the $25,000 and $100,000 level. These grants will be funded by PG&E Corporation shareholders as part of PG&E’s investments in statewide wildfire resiliency and response, in accordance with a mandate from the California Public Utilities Commission.
“Climate change is no longer a future threat; it is a present-day challenge that will only accelerate in the coming years,” said Carla Peterman, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer for PG&E Corporation and Chair of the Board of The PG&E Corporation Foundation. “These two focused grant programs are designed to help the hometowns we serve meet the challenge of climate change and be stewards to our environment by developing unique, sustainable and equitable strategies that communities across our state can learn from and replicate.”
Priority for both grant programs will be given to projects that address the needs of disadvantaged and/or vulnerable communities. Strategies and solutions resulting from the grants will be made publicly available to help all communities and encourage local and regional partnerships.
Better Together Nature Positive Innovation proposals may cover any stage of an environmental stewardship project, including but not limited to planning, construction, design, education, and coordination.
Resilience Hub proposals may include conducting a feasibility analysis to assess resilience hub needs through local engagement, planning and design of physical spaces, mobile resources that will provide community resilience, or retrofits of existing buildings or structures to support community resilience.
To be eligible, applicants to either program must be a governmental organization (including tribal governments), educational institution, or 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The deadline to apply for both grant programs is June 30, 2023.
Learn more about the Better Together Nature Positive Innovation grant program.
Learn more about the Resilience Hubs grant program.
