New Program Will Fund Innovative Energy Projects Reaching 26,000 Students Nationwide
BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG) today announced that it has awarded 10 E2: Energy to Educate grants totaling more than $350,000 to schools and nonprofit partners in communities where Constellation Energy does business. The grants will support hands-on demonstration projects that enhance student understanding of the science and technology needed to address energy issues. Funding for the program comes from the Constellation Energy Foundation, which launched the newly created E2 grant program in September.
“As we celebrate American Education Week, the E2 grant program helps to underscore the importance of providing all of our children with a quality education while at the same time preparing them to address our energy challenges”
The E2 grant program targets projects that advance energy innovation and build on student knowledge and application of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Collectively, the grant awards will reach more than 26,000 students nationwide. The funds will support a variety of initiatives, ranging from a project to evaluate the viability of wind energy at local schools to designing and building a solar-powered house that produces as much energy as it uses.
“As we celebrate American Education Week, the E2 grant program helps to underscore the importance of providing all of our children with a quality education while at the same time preparing them to address our energy challenges,” said Mayo A. Shattuck III, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Constellation Energy. “Through these projects, students will explore innovative ways to promote our necessary transition to a more secure, efficient and low-emissions energy system, while learning math and science skills that will help them compete in the global marketplace. This program also serves as an extension of our efforts to strengthen our communities and economy by investing in the people and technologies that will create the energy infrastructure of the future.”
As part of the E2 grants initiative, Constellation Energy also conducted a social media campaign on Twitter in partnership with the USA Science and Engineering Festival. Approximately 1,000 Twitter users re-tweeted information about the grants program, resulting in Constellation Energy making a $10,000 donation to the science festival. The funds provided grants that helped an additional 2,000 students attend the festival, which was held in October.
In 2009, Constellation Energy joined the ranks of companies that give 1 percent or more of their annual operating income to support charitable organizations and causes. The E2 grant program is among a range of initiatives, donations and grants targeting the company’s key areas of focus – energy, education, economic growth, the environment and employee involvement.
To qualify for an E2 grant, projects had to reach a minimum of 100 students and be located in an area where Constellation Energy does business. The program was open to students in grades six through 12, as well as those attending two- and four-year colleges and universities.
A complete list of the grant recipients and a description of each project can be found in the Community Outreach section at www.constellation.com.
About Constellation Energy
Constellation Energy (www.constellation.com) is a leading supplier of energy products and services to wholesale and retail electric and natural gas customers. It owns a diversified fleet of generating units located in the United States and Canada, totaling approximately 9,000 megawatts of generating capacity, and is among the leading advocates for the development of new nuclear plants in the United States. The company delivers electricity and natural gas through the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE), its regulated utility in Central Maryland. A FORTUNE 500 company headquartered in Baltimore, Constellation Energy had revenues of $15.6 billion in 2009.
