CLEARLAKE >> As part of its Respond, Rebuild, Resilience commitment to meeting the challenges of extreme weather resulting from climate change, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) donated $75,000 to the Lake Area Rotary Club Association to purchase a generator for a community center that serves as a vital emergency shelter.
PG&E’s Kevin Dasso, Vice President of Electric Asset Management, who announced the company’s support during the Clearlake City Council meeting on March 22, said the contribution will go toward improving response capability and strengthening the community’s resilience.
“Years of drought, extreme heat and more than 129 million dead and dying trees have created a ‘new normal’ for our state, and we want to work together with our communities to be sure we are continually adapting to meet these challenges. Unfortunately, no community has experienced this new normal more consistently than Lake County,” said Dasso, as he addressed council members.
This is part of PG&E’s larger strategy to assist communities in confronting the consequences of climate change. That strategy was announced in late 2017 along with a $1 million shareholder contribution to the California Climate Challenge, a new corporate-giving initiative dedicated to helping communities prepare for, withstand and recover from extreme events caused by climate change.
The strategy has three major pillars:
Respond: Work to support the effectiveness of first responders in both preventing and combatting wildfires
Rebuild: Support fire-impacted communities and help them restore and rebuild what’s been lost for as long as it takes
Resilience: Support California’s efforts to be more resilient to the impacts of climate change, including infrastructure resiliency.
Lake County has experienced five large wildfires in the past four years, all of which destroyed structures and required evacuations. During these fires, the Clearlake Community Senior Center was open to evacuees as an emergency shelter. Given its proximity to the fires, the center lost power during two of those emergencies. The community has been working on a solution for future emergencies — including purchasing a backup generator.
“I’m just elated. We have been fundraising for several years to get the money to purchase and install a backup generator as well as showers and other necessities for the Community Senior Center and now with PG&E’s donation, it’s finally going to happen. This means a lot to the city of Clearlake,” said Russ Cremer with the Lake Area Rotary Club Association.
The generator will enable the community to have a fully-functioning emergency shelter in the largest city in Lake County.
“The community has welcomed us with open arms and the out-of-town crews who supplemented our local response to the recent wildfires have come away with such an appreciation for the beauty of this place and the kindness of the people here,” added Dasso.
Also this week, PG&E announced its Community Wildfire Safety Program, a comprehensive effort in conjunction with first responders, civic and community leaders and customers to reduce wildfire threats and improve safety. For details on the new program as well as information on how PG&E is helping with rebuilding efforts in the areas impacted by the Northern California wildfires, visit www.pgecommitment.com.
