Vistra Strengthens Commitment to Provide Laptops to Low-Income Students

Vistra-led summer campaign totals $230,000 in donations to fund nearly 2,000 computers for the 2020-2021 school year

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Sep 08, 2020, 10:00 ET

IRVING, Texas, Sept. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Vistra (NYSE: VST) today announced that it has capped-off a summer giving campaign to provide laptops to low-income students ahead of the 2020-21 school year. The company has partnered with Comp-U-Dopt, a non-profit organization that provides technology access and education to underserved youth. Vistra's $230,000 donation, through its retail electric brands TXU Energy and Dynegy, supports Comp-U-Dopt programs in Chicago, Dallas, and Fort Worth, with the funds going directly to the purchase of nearly 2,000 refurbished, free-of-charge laptops for families without a computer in the home.

"We understand that this school year is different than any other," said Curt Morgan, Vistra's president and chief executive officer. "We also recognize that the pandemic has disproportionately impacted low-income Americans, including those with school-age children for whom buying the bare essentials is challenging enough – to say nothing of bridging the digital divide. The need to do so is pressing: students without a computer are at risk of losing months of educational opportunity compared to peers with the proper equipment. Comp-U-Dopt's innovative program helps ensure those children do not fall behind and are positioned for success despite the obstacles. We're proud to support their work and look forward to continuing to do so well into the future."

Vistra's commitment to the Comp-U-Dopt program is part of its previously-announced $2 million donation to non-profits and social service agencies that provide direct relief for people with critical needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in the communities it serves. This effort to equip students with the technology they need to navigate online learning is consistent with key focus areas of the company's giving policy – to enhance educational opportunities and support community welfare.

"The COVID-19 outbreak and school closures has magnified the need to get more computers to students and families without access at home," added Megan Steckly, Comp-U-Dopt's chief executive officer. "Vistra's support directly advances that goal and allows us to significantly increase our inventory at the most pressing time of the year. We are immensely grateful for their support, advocacy, and belief in our mission."

According to the Pew Research Institute, 46% of low-income families lack access to a computer at home. With supply chain delays and the global demand for devices at an all-time high, Comp-U-Dopt's mission to provide technology access and education to underserved youth is needed now, more than ever.

"Doing business the right way means looking beyond our four walls to take care of the communities where our customers and employees live and work," Morgan continued. "All students deserve to be equipped with the tools they need to be successful, and we're optimistic that these computers will provide them the confidence to tackle the school year."

Media
Meranda Cohn
[email protected]
214-875-8004

About Vistra
Vistra (NYSE: VST) is a premier, integrated, Fortune 275 energy company based in Irving, Texas, providing essential resources for customers, commerce, and communities. Vistra combines an innovative, customer-centric approach to retail with safe, reliable, diverse, and efficient power generation. The company brings its products and services to market in 20 states and the District of Columbia, including six of the seven competitive wholesale markets in the U.S. and markets in Canada and Japan, as well. Serving nearly 5 million residential, commercial, and industrial retail customers with electricity and natural gas, Vistra is the largest competitive residential electricity provider in the country and offers over 40 renewable energy plans. The company is also the largest competitive power generator in the U.S. with a capacity of approximately 39,000 megawatts powered by a diverse portfolio, including natural gas, nuclear, solar, and battery energy storage facilities. In addition, the company is a large purchaser of wind power. The company is currently constructing a 400-MW/1,600-MWh battery energy storage system in Moss Landing, California, which will be the largest of its kind in the world when it comes online. Vistra is guided by four core principles: we do business the right way, we work as a team, we compete to win, and we care about our stakeholders, including our customers, our communities where we work and live, our employees, and our investors. Learn more about our environmental, social, and governance efforts and read the company's sustainability report at https://www.vistracorp.com/sustainability/.

SOURCE Vistra