CPS Energy's Smart City Partner, Itron, Contributes To REAP

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Nov 16, 2020, 13:22 ET

SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CPS Energy's Residential Energy Assistance Partnership (REAP) received a $100,000 donation from their Smart City partner, Itron. Established in 2002, REAP is a partnership of CPS Energy, the City of San Antonio, and Bexar County to provide energy bill assistance to those in need. The program is administered by the City of San Antonio and Bexar County. Qualified recipients can receive bill credits two times per year, up to a maximum of $400. Last year, 10,455 households benefited from over $3 million in aid. Since 2002, the program has made 139,071 pledges for assistance from $30,751,000 in contributions. CPS Energy continues to contribute $1 million annually to the REAP fund. Customers seeking assistance can visit cpsenergy.com/assistance.

"Itron has been a great partner for many years. Together we leverage innovation to make San Antonio's technology landscape even smarter," said Paula Gold-Williams, CPS Energy President & CEO. "This donation to REAP will help hundreds of families get the financial utility assistance they need during these unprecedented times."

Due to the ongoing pandemic and need for social distancing, Itron took their annual Itron Utility Week (IUW) conference virtual and canceled the in-person event, which was slated to take place in San Antonio. In lieu of optional locally-based volunteer activities, normally offered at the conference, Itron made the donation to REAP. Their support will provide utility assistance to residents in Greater San Antonio. This contribution complements Itron's partnership with CPS Energy to improve energy and water literacy and inspire a future talent pipeline through the Smart Energy Education initiative.

"While we are disappointed that we are unable to hold Itron Utility Week in San Antonio this year, we still wanted to demonstrate our support for the San Antonio community," said Marina Donovan, vice president of global marketing at Itron. "Giving back to the community where our conference takes place – through a service project, donation, or other activity – is an important part of Itron Utility Week. We recognize the important work that the Residential Energy Assistance Partnership does to provide financial assistance and education for energy services to thousands of families, especially during these challenging times."

Giving to REAP is easy. Customers can add a few dollars to their utility payment and indicate that amount, whether paying online or by paper. Or use the "Donate to REAP" link on the website to donate by debit or credit card, PayPal or Apple Pay. You can also make a mobile donation by texting "REAPSATX" to 41444.

To help customers during this pandemic, CPS Energy is actively making phone calls to customers to share bill assistance and REAP information with them. However, you can call 210-353-2222 directly or visit cpsenergy.com/assistance.

About CPS Energy

Established in 1860, CPS Energy is the nation's largest public power, natural gas, and electric company, providing safe, reliable, and competitively-priced service to 860,934 electric and 358,495 natural gas customers in San Antonio and portions of seven adjoining counties. Our customers' combined energy bills rank among the lowest of the nation's 20 largest cities – while generating $8 billion in revenue for the City of San Antonio for more than seven decades. As a trusted and strong community partner, we continuously focus on job creation, economic development, and educational investment. True to our People First philosophy, we are powered by our skilled workforce, whose commitment to the community is demonstrated through our employees' volunteerism in giving back to our city and programs aimed at bringing value to our customers. CPS Energy is among the top public power wind energy buyers in the nation and number one in Texas for solar generation.

About Itron

Itron enables utilities and cities to safely, securely and reliably deliver critical infrastructure solutions to communities in more than 100 countries. Our portfolio of smart networks, software, services, meters and sensors helps our customers better manage electricity, gas and water resources for the people they serve. By working with our customers to ensure their success, we help improve the quality of life, ensure the safety and promote the well-being of millions of people around the globe. Itron is dedicated to creating a more resourceful world.

SOURCE CPS Energy