PSE to present $45,000 sponsorship to Northwest Maritime Center at July 3 groundbreaking event
BELLEVUE, Wash. (July 1, 2008) – Puget Sound Energy (PSE) at a ceremonial groundbreaking at 3 p.m. on July 3, 2008, will present Port Townsend’s Northwest Maritime Center (NWMC) with a $45,000 sponsorship to help construct its new NWMC at Pope Marine Park across from old City Hall and adjacent to the future NWMC site.
“We are thrilled to support the valuable work of the Northwest Maritime Center, “said Sue McLain, senior vice president of Operations for PSE. “Puget Sound Energy strongly supports this project for the economic development it will bring to the community and its commitment to environmentally responsible and sustainable design, as well as energy efficiency.”
In all, PSE has donated $50,000 to help fund construction of the new NWMC, scheduled to open in the fall of 2009. The utility made an initial donation of $5,000 in 2004.
“Each day, we come one step closer to realizing our vision of a center that will awaken our curiosity and creativity about the sea, our heritage, and our natural resources,” said Stanley Cummings, Ph.D., NWMC executive director. “We thank donors, like Puget Sound Energy, for their generous contribution to this vital project.”
Once completed, the new center, which will consist of the Maritime Heritage and Resource Building, the Chandler Maritime Education Building, an outdoor public commons area, and a dock and floats, will offer a wide range of educational and recreational activities focused on celebrating the Puget Sound’s heritage and natural habitat. The “green” facility design, on which PSE is collaborating, will promote energy efficiency and employ a number of sustainable energy technologies, including photovoltaic rooftop solar panels and a saltwater heat pump heat exchanger.
Activities and programs offered at the new NWMC will range from boat-building demonstrations and overnight trips aboard historic vessels to rigging lessons and marine biology labs.
The center’s new dock was completed in May 2004, and construction of the Maritime Heritage and Resource Building will begin once fundraising is completed and permits are approved. As of January 2008, the NWMC has raised $10.2 million of the $12.5 million needed to begin construction.
The NWMC is one of 15 organizations in Jefferson County that receives community funding from PSE Community Programs, including United Good Neighbors of Jefferson County, Jefferson Land Trust, Centrum, EarthDay EveryDay!, Port Ludlow Arts Council, and Kiwanis Camp for Kids.
For information on PSE’s Community Programs visit www.PSE.com. For additional information about the Northwest Maritime Center visit www.nwmaritime.org.
Contact
Meghan Fitzpatrick, 888-831-7250
About Puget Sound Energy
Washington state’s oldest and largest energy utility, with a 6,000-square-mile service area stretching across 11 counties, PSE serves more than 1 million electric customers and nearly 735,000 natural gas customers, primarily in Western Washington. PSE meets the energy needs of its growing customer base through incremental, cost-effective energy efficiency, procurement of sustainable energy resources, and far-sighted investment in the energy-delivery infrastructure. PSE employees are dedicated to providing great customer service to deliver energy that is safe, reliable, reasonably priced, and environmentally responsible.