ENGIE and Watts of Love Bring Sustainable Power Solutions to Remote Guatemalan Villages

HOUSTON, Feb. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In a move that further illustrates the company's deep commitment to being a socially responsible corporation, ENGIE announced that it will join Watts of Love in a critical initiative to bring sustainable solar lighting to remote villages without access to power in Guatemala. 

Watts of Love is a U.S.-based nonprofit aimed at providing people around the world with the power they need to raise themselves out of the darkness of poverty.  With the support of ENGIE's U.S. retail electricity business, ENGIE Resources, Watts of Love will deliver Guatemalans 250 solar LED lanterns with built-in audio FM Radio/MP3 players.  Watts of Love will also offer recipients education on proper use and care; the health and safety benefits of power; and savings, investment, and entrepreneurship principles as well as customized learning opportunities with audio/MP3 players. 

"ENGIE has a rich tradition of philanthropy, and the contributions we are making in our support of Watts of Love further demonstrate this commitment," said Sayun Sukduang, President and CEO of ENGIE Resources.  "Our aim through this outreach is to build a cleaner, more sustainable future while raising awareness of the large number of impoverished people across the globe who are currently living without power."

ENGIE employees will also have the opportunity to join Watts of Love in Guatemala to help launch the program.

Today, more than 1.1 billion men, women, and children live in darkness when the sun sets.  According to data from The World Bank Group, as of 2012, more than 20 percent of Guatemalans have been without access to electricity. 

"With the backing of ENGIE Resources, we're bringing an instrument of hope to those who need it most," said John Economou, Co-Founder of Watts of Love.  "By giving the gift of power to Guatemalans in remote villages, we're providing far more benefits than the advantage of lighting alone.  We're delivering a life-changing opportunity for people to improve their health, enhance their education, and positively impact their local economies." 

The lights that will be supplied through Watts of Love will last up to 100 hours on a single charge. The highest setting offers the equivalent of 500 lumens, or the brightness of a 40 watt light bulb. That brightness is roughly 10 times brighter than a kerosene lamp.

About Watts of Love
Watts of Love is a global solar lighting nonprofit aimed at bringing people the power they need to raise themselves out of the darkness of poverty.  The organization engages in a range of projects around the world, helping to build a better future for impoverished communities and villages through safe, renewable, and life-changing solar lighting devices.  For more information, visit www.wattsoflove.org. 

About ENGIE Resources
ENGIE Resources, which rebranded in 2016, is the third-largest non-residential retail electricity supplier in the United States and currently serves commercial, industrial, and institutional customers in 14 markets: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington, D.C.  The company serves nearly 90,000 accounts for customers having a peak demand ranging from 50 KW to more than 200 MW, with an estimated peak load totaling nearly 13,000 MW.  For more about ENGIE Resources, visit www.engieresources.com or call 1-866-999-8374.  Follow ENGIE Resources on Twitter and Facebook.

The company offers electricity service to residential and small business customers in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington, D.C., under the brand Think Energy^®.  Think Energy^® works every day to be "The Unsurprise Energy Company," providing customers transparent, competitive fixed prices, easy-to-use online tools, and excellent customer service.  For more information, visit www.thinkenergy.com, or call 1-888-923-3633, or email [email protected].

ENGIE Resources & Think Energy^® are part of ENGIE North America, which manages a range of energy businesses in the U.S. and Canada, including electricity generation and cogeneration, natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) distribution and sales, retail energy sales, as well as services to help customers run their facilities more efficiently and optimize their energy use and expense. For more information on ENGIE North America, visit www.engie-na.com or Twitter.

SOURCE ENGIE Resources