Peter Schorsch
Tampa Electric, one of Florida’s largest investor-owned electric utilities and Peoples Gas, Florida’s largest natural gas distribution utility, revealed this week their plans to invest $1.5 million to advance inclusion and diversity initiatives in Florida over the next five years.
And right off the bat, Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas made its first contribution to the Tampa Bay History Center. A $250,000 investment in the utilities’ long-standing community partner will go toward promoting inclusion and diversity.
“Tampa has a rich and diverse cultural history, and those roots built the foundation for the Florida of today,” said Laura Crouch, vice president of external affairs for Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas. “TECO has a shared history, having been part of the fabric of this community since the 1890s. We are proud to make meaningful contributions to this community that help raise awareness of Black history.”
With the TECO investment, the Tampa Bay History Center plans to replace a portion of the center’s permanent gallery space and expand the exhibit featuring Black history in the Tampa Bay region.
Founded in 1989, the Tampa Bay History Center’s is home to three floors of permanent and temporary exhibition galleries that highlight the 12,000 years of Florida’s history, heritage and culture.
The recently announced grant is part of a broader initiative set up by the utilities’ parent company, Emera. The Emera Inclusion and Diversity Fund was established earlier this year to invest at least $5 million by 2026 to support efforts advancing inclusion and diversity in communities.
Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas will continue to work with organizations across their territories to identify other investment opportunities that will promote inclusion and diversity in the Sunshine State.
