PJM Corporate Social Responsibility Report Highlights Strong Culture of Caring

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Apr 04, 2019, 12:58 ET

VALLEY FORGE, Pa., April 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The employees of PJM Interconnection, responsible for keeping the power flowing for more than 65 million people, underscored their commitment to the community in 2018 with record donations and outreach.

Throughout the year and during PJM's annual United Way campaign, more than 300 employees landscaped and cleaned up trash at Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown, Pa., helped attack hunger at Philabundance in Philadelphia, Pa., and volunteered at local community centers and area parks and recreation departments.

"The culture of caring runs deep at PJM, and I take pride in our employees' dedication to giving back to the communities where we live and work," said Nora Swimm, senior vice president for Corporate Client Services. "Whether it's providing Thanksgiving meals to struggling families, sending Halloween candy to the troops or collecting board games for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, employees continually seek ways to make our neighbors' lives a little brighter."

PJM's newly published Corporate and Social Responsibility Report highlights employees' numerous outreach and volunteer efforts.

Civic and Community Outreach

PJM employees support a wide variety of charities and community causes, including Habitat for Humanity of Chester County, the Salvation Army and the Make-a-Wish Foundation. PJM Outreach, an employee-run club, supports local agencies through collection drives and volunteering with local organizations. Among their contributions to the community last year, employees:

Served 5,400 breakfasts at an area homeless shelter.
Collected 200 pairs of socks for people experiencing homelessness.
Delivered 350 pounds of food to an emergency food pantry.

Health Initiatives

PJM nurtures a healthy work-life balance for its employees through a number of initiatives, including an on-site fitness center. Employees in turn support community health programs. Among them:

PJM sponsored a team of 21 cyclists who participated in the MS 150 City to Shore bike ride, raising $15,000.
On-site blood drives provided 87 pints of blood to the American Red Cross.

Environmental Consciousness

PJM's commitment to sustainability and the environment is woven into our campus and employee practices.

Waste generated on the Valley Forge and Milford campuses is processed through a trash-to-steam program, diverting 100 percent of it from landfills.
Three of the five buildings on PJM's Valley Forge campus have earned the EPA's ENERGY STAR rating, making them more efficient than 75 percent of similar facilities nationwide.
PJM's 2018 annual recycling event yielded 16.85 tons of single-stream recycling, 20,050 pounds of household hazardous waste and 11,000 pounds of electronics.

Educational Outreach

PJM works to inspire the next generation of energy professionals by actively supporting students' engagement in the STEAM disciplines – science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.

PJM hosted students from 40 schools to teach them about how PJM operates the power grid.
PJM employees volunteered at the VEX Robotics PA State Competition.
Employees participated in mentoring programs and numerous career and science fairs at area schools.

PJM Interconnection, founded in 1927, ensures the reliability of the high-voltage electric power system serving 65 million people in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. PJM coordinates and directs the operation of the region's transmission grid, which includes over 84,236 miles of transmission lines; administers a competitive wholesale electricity market; and plans regional transmission expansion improvements to maintain grid reliability and relieve congestion. PJM's regional grid and market operations produce annual savings of $2.8 billion to $3.1 billion. For the latest news about PJM, visit PJM Inside Lines at insidelines.pjm.com.