Author: sHq_LoGiNz

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Piedmont Advantage Credit Union announced today that its charitable affiliate, the PACU Foundation, gifted $42,000 to seven North Carolina charities on Giving Tuesday, strengthening each organization’s ability to assist area residents overcoming financial hardship.

Giving Tuesday was established in 2012 to promote giving back. Since then, it has evolved into a worldwide movement that inspires millions to donate and celebrate generosity annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

“We at the PACU Foundation believed this day is important to take part in,” said PACU Foundation President Jean Golden-Rumer, adding, “This is why this is the fourth year we’ve held our annual check presentation on this day to honor the spirit of Giving Tuesday.”

Since its formation in 2020, the PACU Foundation has donated over $100,000 to local charities. The foundation’s ability to provide these funds comes from its generous corporate sponsors, fundraising event participants, and the dedication of Piedmont Advantage Credit Union employees and members.

Joining Golden-Rumer in the presentation were the PACU Foundation’s Board Chair, Mary Vitale, and Gifting Committee Chairman, James Moore.

This year, the PACU Foundation gifted $6,000 to seven local organizations:

• Education Over Debt Foundation: Provides scholarships for African American high school students in Mecklenburg County pursuing high education and supports undocumented high school students of color seeking citizenship and continued education.
• Help, Incorporated’s Square One Family Justice Center: Offers resources for financial safety to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse and human trafficking at the newly constructed SquareOne facility in Rockingham County.
• Mooresville Area Christian Mission: Addresses intergenerational poverty through crisis assistance, case management, and educational programming, serving Iredell County.
• A Storehouse for Jesus: As a volunteer-led distribution and medical ministry, assists residents in need due to financial constraints, illness, domestic violence and homelessness by providing clothing, food, and household care in Davie County and surrounding areas.
• Winston-Salem Rescue Mission: Supports Winston-Salem through recovery programs for men seeking life changes. It provides food and clothing to families in need, as well as on-site medical and dental care.
• Winston-Salem Street School: A private alternative high school for at-risk youth in the Winston-Salem area, provides a holistic approach to education, focusing on strengthening students academically, socially, physically and spiritually to help them earn a state-recognized diploma.
• The Women’s Resource Center of Greensboro: Promotes women’s self-reliance through needs assessment, resource coordination and access to essential community resources.

“It is an honor and privilege to contribute to the excellent work these area charities are doing in our communities, from supporting residents facing financial hardship to funding educational programs,” Golden-Rumer said. “The PACU Foundation couldn’t be prouder of the amount of money we’ve raised this year, thanks to the compassion of our donors. We’re excited to keep the momentum going next year.”

About PACU Foundation
A 501(c)(3) charitable organization, the PACU Foundation advances charitable giving to support access to financial literacy, education and training and disaster and emergency assistance for residents overcoming financial hardship throughout the Triad and Charlotte communities.

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SOURCE Piedmont Advantage Credit Union

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — For an unprecedented 20th year in a row, San Diego Gas & Electric^® (SDG&E) has been awarded the ReliabilityOne^® Award for Outstanding Reliability Performance in the Western Region by PA Consulting. This milestone achievement underscores the company’s long-term commitment to critical investments that enhance grid resilience and reliability for millions of consumers.

SDG&E’s reliability performance has outpaced that of its western peers, thanks to decades of strategic investments and forward-thinking initiatives. From modernizing infrastructure with advanced technologies to deploying predictive analytics that anticipate and help prevent outages, SDG&E has been a leader in reliability in the region. These efforts include implementing robust safety programs, upgrading transmission and distribution systems, and integrating smart-grid capabilities, all designed to help customers experience fewer and shorter interruptions.

Delivering reliable service 24/7, 365 days a year requires more than technology. It demands a highly skilled workforce, a resilient supply chain, and trusted contractor partnerships. SDG&E’s dedicated crews work around the clock to maintain and restore service quickly, supported by a network of suppliers and contractors who deliver critical materials and resources when needed. This collaborative approach, combined with rigorous planning and operational excellence, has enabled SDG&E to keep homes and businesses powered safely and reliably, no matter the challenge.

“This award is a reflection of our commitment to providing exceptional reliability and service to our customers and communities,” said Scott Crider, President of SDG&E. “We’re integrating new technologies and improving infrastructure while being mindful of how energy costs impact families and businesses. I’m proud of our 4,300 employees for turning innovation into action and developing a more sustainable energy system for the future.”

Delivering Excellence for Customers: A Journey of Strategic Investment
SDG&E’s 20-year reliability journey is marked by first-of-their-kind investments and the deployment of cutting-edge technology to create a safer, more resilient and reliable energy system for 3.4 million consumers.

• Grid Enhancements: Strengthened reliability by replacing older underground cables and overhead lines, adding smart switches that help limit outages, and improving restoration processes to restore power faster. The company has also enhanced the customer experience with real-time outage updates and an easy-to-use online tracking tool. SDG&E’s modernized data systems make quicker, data-driven decisions and analyze outages more effectively, helping keep service dependable for the communities it serves.
• Deploy Predictive and Automated Technology: Integrated a suite of advanced technologies, including a network of high-definition cameras and artificial intelligence for early fire detection. Advanced sectionalizing devices allow the grid to automatically isolate and contain outages, preventing more widespread power losses.
• Culture of Safety: California’s first utility to earn Cal/OSHA’s elite VPP safety certification for one of its facilities, exceeding industry standards for operational excellence. This recognition highlights SDG&E’s focus on workplace safety and innovation – reinforcing its commitment to protecting employees and delivering safe, resilient energy infrastructure.

“Utilities such as SDG&E are committed to delivering reliable service, enhancing resiliency, and maintaining affordability for their customers,” said PA’s ReliabilityOne^® Program Director Derek HasBrouck. “Increasingly, technology is being used to augment existing capabilities and improve overall system efficiency. These advancements include more accurate estimated restoration times, the implementation of advanced control systems that allow operators to manage infrastructure through a single user interface, and the integration of hardware and software to streamline restoration efforts. At the same time, utilities are continuing to refine and leverage technology to keep rates affordable and accessible for all customers. At PA, we’re proud to be working with utilities that are embracing this kind of innovation to meet evolving customer expectations.”

To learn more about SDG&E and its initiatives, visit SDGEtoday.com.

About PA Consulting
PA Consulting’s ReliabilityOne^® awards are presented to electric utilities providing their customers with the highest levels of reliability in the industry. PA Consulting’s ReliabilityOne^® study is based on standard industry reliability statistics that measure the frequency and duration of electric power outages. ReliabilityOne^® participants on average experienced 55% fewer sustained outages, and outages were 70% shorter than the average US investor-owned utility. PA Consulting has been analyzing electric-utility performance since 1987.

About SDG&E
SDG&E is an innovative, energy-delivery company that provides clean, safe, and reliable energy to better the lives of the people it serves in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The company is committed to creating a sustainable future by increasing energy delivered from low- or zero-carbon sources; accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles; and investing in innovative technologies to ensure the reliable operation of the region’s infrastructure for generations to come. SDG&E is a recognized leader in its industry and community, as demonstrated by being named Corporate Partner of the Year at the San Diego Business Journal’s Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards and receiving PA Consulting’s ReliabilityOne^® Award for Outstanding Reliability Performance for 20 consecutive years. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), a leading North American energy-infrastructure company. For more information, visit SDGEtoday.com or connect with SDG&E on social media @SDGE.

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SOURCE San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)

LONDON, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Yesterday, the Sustainable Markets Initiative hosted a gathering of Heads of States and Government, the Presidents of major multilateral development banks and leading development finance institutions, and chief executives from the world’s most influential banks, asset owners, insurers, alongside energy and infrastructure companies.

The shared mission is clear and urgent: to turn the transition to a sustainable global economy into the largest, most inclusive growth story of the 21st century by unleashing trillions of dollars of private capital into emerging and developing economies at speed and at scale.

This closed-door, delivery-oriented roundtable marks a decisive turning point. The models that work – guarantees at scale, originate-to-distribute, debt-for-Nature and transition swaps, blended first-loss structures and replicable blueprints – already exist and are proven.

Following the roundtable, participants attended a report back session with His Majesty The King, sharing their plans for action and the commitments they had made.

The Sustainable Markets Initiative is committed to supporting:

• Ambitious private capital mobilization ratios, scorecards and disclosure – transforming every public dollar into a powerful multiplier for private investment.
• A step-change in the scale of guarantees, political risk insurance and FX solutions, backed by deeper partnership with the global reinsurance industry.
• A predictable, securitization pipeline that the world’s largest asset owners can access.
• Rapid replication of Debt-for-Nature and Debt-for-Transition swaps, with a bold new “Debt-for-Transition Accelerator” to be launched at the SMI Annual Flagship CEO Summit in March 2026.
• Standardization of approaches and blueprints so private capital can move faster and with greater confidence than ever before.
• Tech-neutral blended finance that accelerates clean energy abundance – from renewables and nuclear to grids, storage and responsible fossil fuel transition – while creating millions of new jobs and new industries.
• The systematic use of government procurement and cutting-edge AI, data and space-based monitoring to slash perceived risk and make projects bankable..
• Country transition, adaptation and resilience through our government training programme and project training toolkit.

Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, M.V.O., CEO of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, said: “The transition to a sustainable future is not a cost – it is in fact the world’s greatest economic opportunity. Today we are moving decisively from billions to trillions, from pilots to systemic scale, and from talk to delivery.  The private sector has already committed, and is delivering, trillions for transition by 2030.  Emerging and developing economies will not be left behind – they will lead the most exciting growth story of our time, powered by  private capital, AI empowered solutions, innovation and jobs.”

This convening sends an unmistakable signal to markets worldwide: the era of incremental progress is over. The world’s leading public and private institutions are now aligned and accelerating together. The outcomes agreed yesterday will be translated into major new commitments and initiatives at the SMI’s Annual Flagship Global CEO Summit from 11-12 March 2026, heralding a new age of prosperity built on clean energy, advanced technologies, resilient infrastructure and restored Nature.

The sustainable transition is no longer a distant hope – it is the defining growth engine of the coming decade.

About the Sustainable Markets Initiative

Founded by His Majesty King Charles III, the SMI is the world’s pre-eminent CEO-led coalition accelerating the transition to a sustainable future. www.sustainable-markets.org

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2836919/SMI.jpg

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SOURCE Sustainable Markets Initiative

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Opus Water, an engineered products water company backed by XPV Water Partners, has acquired Yeary Controls, an innovative provider of control valves, actuators, and flow control accessories based in Chicago, Illinois. The move further expands Opus Water’s growing portfolio of engineered solutions serving the water, wastewater, and industrial process fluid industries.

For more than 20 years, Yeary Controls has delivered durable, precision-engineered valve technologies that perform under demanding conditions. The Sharktooth™ Control Valve provides customers with superior cavitation and noise performance relative to traditional butterfly valves and is a more cost-effective solution relative to traditional control valves. Customers across applications such as water, wastewater, power generation, pulp & paper, steel, and mining appreciate the increased uptime and extended asset life the Sharktooth™ Control Valve delivers often outperforming alternatives by a factor of four or more. The Yeary Controls products complement Opus Water’s existing offerings, enabling the platform to offer a broader suite of solutions for complex fluid handling challenges.

“Yeary Controls brings exceptional engineering capabilities and a reputation for solving tough flow-control problems,” said John DeYarman, CEO of Opus Water. “Their offerings and expertise fit perfectly with our core purpose to provide innovative, reliable engineered products and solutions that deliver water safely even in the harshest applications.”

“We’re excited to join Opus Water with the team, scale, and resources they provide,” said Art Yeary, Founder and CEO of Yeary Controls. “This combination allows us to better serve our customers, accelerate innovation, and bring our valve technologies to new markets.”

The addition of Yeary Controls follows Opus Water’s earlier acquisitions and underscores the company’s commitment to building a best-in-class portfolio of engineered flow control solutions across water applications that share a focus on quality, innovation, and customer service.

“We’re honored to build upon the legacy Art created at Yeary Controls,” added DeYarman. “Opus Water is the right home for the customers, vendors, and employees of Yeary Controls and we look forward to growing together.”

About Opus Water

Opus Water is a growing water infrastructure solutions platform, dedicated to acquiring and accelerating the development of engineered product manufacturers serving the water, wastewater, and industrial process fluids industries. The company delivers innovative, reliable solutions designed to ensure safe and efficient water management across a wide range of applications—from municipal systems to complex industrial processes. With a focus on reliability, engineering excellence, and outstanding customer experience, Opus Water helps customers manage water challenges with confidence. Learn more at opuswaterinc.com.

About XPV Water Partners

XPV Water Partners is a team of experienced growth investors and business builders committed to making a difference in water. With more than US $1 billion in AUM, XPV leverages exceptional talent, deep industry knowledge, and a proven growth platform to rapidly scale businesses, generate superior returns for all stakeholders, and meaningfully contribute to a water-secure future. For more information, visit www.xpvwaterpartners.com.

Media Contact:

Ashley Schumann, The Vertical Solution
(808) 224-5773
405818@email4pr.com

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SOURCE Opus Water

MOAB, Utah, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — This December, the Moab Office of Tourism debuts a new holiday tradition — one that honors the season in harmony with the land. In quiet contrast to the towering conifers and dazzling city light shows found elsewhere, Moab’s festive tree offers a celebration rooted in stillness, stars, and the rhythm of the high desert.

A roughly 200-year-old wild Utah Pinyon pine tree, nestled in the Sand Flats Recreation Area, will be gently lit with solar-powered lights from early December through early January. The tree’s soft glow invites visitors to slow down, look up, and embrace a more contemplative way to welcome winter. It is a reminder that wonder doesn’t always require wattage — sometimes it’s found under an open sky, carried by quiet, and shared with the land.

According to Sand Flats Recreation Area Director Andrea Brand, the festive tree underscores both a deeper appreciation for Moab’s native trees and stewardship.

“This is a new way to celebrate the season, but it’s more than just that,” Brand said. “It’s an opportunity to draw attention to the incredible age, resilience, and beauty of the living trees that define this landscape. Many visitors don’t realize that even a 10- or 15-foot juniper or pinyon tree can be centuries old.”

Brand added that the goal is to celebrate a living tree in its native setting — and to inspire visitors to appreciate the area and their role in protecting it.

This festive tree is a tribute to everything that makes Moab special: its dark skies, its deep sense of place, and a community that values true connection. Unlike the trees felled, shipped, and staged in big cities, Moab’s festive tree has never been moved or altered. It has stood in this spot for centuries — an enduring symbol of the region’s timeless relationship with the land and a gentle call to celebrate in a way that respects it.

To support Moab’s commitment to low-impact celebration, the festive tree is illuminated using a Goal Zero power bank and solar panel — equipment generously provided by Goal Zero to help ensure the project leaves no trace beyond its gentle glow.

Festive Tree Details

• Location: Sand Flats Recreation Area, Moab, Utah
• Tree: A wild, centuries-old Utah Pinyon pine
• Lighting Dates: December 2025 – early January 2026
• Lighting Hours: 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. daily (subject to change)
• Power Source: 100% solar-powered; Dark Sky compliant

Please respect Moab’s festive tree and surrounding lands. Stay on trail and rock surfaces to protect fragile desert soil. Please refrain from adding decorations or leaving items behind, and treat the area with care to preserve its natural beauty for future generations.

Moab Holiday Lights
Moab will also debut new holiday lights at Lions Park and host its annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at Swanny City Park.

The bridge lighting will occur on Thursday, December 4:

• The official bridge lighting begins at 6:00 p.m., bathing the Colorado River corridor in a warm holiday glow and marking the start of Moab’s seasonal celebrations.
• Families arriving for photos with Santa should plan to be at the lower parking lot at Lions Park by 5:30 p.m., where hot chocolate and cookies will be served. Santa photos will begin immediately following the bridge lighting at 6:00 p.m.

Tree Lighting Ceremony at Swanny City Park on Friday, December 5:

• The official Swanny Park tree lighting begins at 5 p.m. Santa will make another appearance, along with carolers.

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SOURCE Moab Office of Tourism