Applications for community grants from PEC now

Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) invites area nonprofits to apply for community grants of up to $5,000. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Friday, April 3.

The cooperative’s semiannual grants are open to organizations within or surrounded by PEC’s service territory. Grant funds may be used for projects that include technology, capital improvements, or equipment related to energy efficiency. In the fall, PEC awarded a record $30,000 in community grants.

“Giving back to our communities to help them thrive and serve our membership is a big part of who we are as a cooperative,” PEC Community Relations Coordinator Caroline Tinsley Porter said. “These grants are one way we show that commitment, and we can’t wait to see the good that will be done with the next round of grants.”

The grants are funded exclusively by the generosity of PEC members through the Power of Change program, which allows members to round up their electric bill to the nearest dollar for charity.

“Signing up for Power of Change is such an important and easy way for our members to support nonprofits in their community,” Tinsley Porter added. “The average donation is about $6 per year, and together we make a huge impact.”

Members interested in supporting local nonprofits may enroll in Power of Change via SmartHub, by phone, on their payment slip, or by visiting a PEC office.