MONTEREY, CA – Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation today announced that the utility has given a grant to help create an interactive, state-of-the-art exhibit at a marine sanctuary facility to be built in Santa Cruz, Calif.

PG&E’s $10,000 grant is for bilingual educational exhibits at the new Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center. An estimated 150,000 people are expected to visit the Exploration Center each year — free of charge — and engage in a unique, hands-on introduction to the diverse ecosystems of California’s Central Coast. The Exploration Center has a prime location on waterfront property next to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Groundbreaking is scheduled for the summer of 2010.

“PG&E is honored to partner with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in making this important project a reality,” said Diane Ross-leech, PG&E’s director of environmental stewardship. “Supporting and advancing programs like these will encourage environmental awareness and conservation among the communities we serve.”

“The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is grateful to PG&E for their contribution in support of the Exploration Center,” said Mark DiOrio, campaign director for the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. “We depend on the generosity of the local businesses and community members to help us achieve our campaign goals.” The funds were contributed as part of the Foundation’s Sea Beyond the Beach capital campaign. “All private funding being raised will be used solely for the educational exhibits within the Exploration Center,” said DiOrio.

In order to complement other regional marine facilities, the Exploration Center’s exhibits will focus on ecosystems and large themes—watersheds and water quality; sanctuary geology and current research on the Davidson Seamount; critical ecosystems like rocky shores, the intertidal zone, and kelp forests; migratory species; deep-sea creatures and habitat; and conservation issues such as the role of marine protected areas.

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) is a federally protected marine area offshore of California’s central coast and part of NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary System. Stretching from Marin to Cambria, the MBNMS encompasses a shoreline length of 276 miles and 6,094 square miles of ocean. For more information about the sanctuary, the Exploration Center and how to make a donation to support the capital campaign, visit www.montereybay.noaa.gov.

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is the private, non-profit partner to NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. The Foundation supports efforts to educate and motivate people on ways they can help preserve, protect and promote our nationwide network of marine sanctuaries for future generations to enjoy. Visit www.nmsfocean.org.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 15 million people in northern and central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/about/.