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The Puget Sound Energy Foundation today announced that it will distribute more than $600,000 to local charitable organizations in Washington this year, directing $120,000 this month to 24 organizations throughout the state as part of the foundation�s second round of 2008 grants. �During these times of economic hardship, the Puget Sound Energy Foundation is pleased to be able to offer another round of grants this year, particularly to organizations that serve those in need,� said Phil Bussey, chairman of the Puget Sound Energy Foundation and senior vice president of Corporate Affairs for Puget Sound Energy. This round of funding, the fifth since the foundation�s inception in 2006, supports community programs in environmental stewardship, education, the arts and culture, with a particular emphasis on human services. Half of the grants in this round are allocated to organizations that respond to the needs of vulnerable populations. Grants totaling $60,000 are being given to organizations to help fund their programs. Another $60,000 will contribute to the construction and building of institutions. Ranging in size from $1,000 to $30,000, the grants are awarded based on a competitive review process to qualifying 501(c)(3) charitable organizations in Puget Sound Energy�s 11-county service and broader operations area. The Puget Sound Energy Foundation�s first round of 2008 funding distributed nearly $130,000 in charitable grants to more than 30 local organizations in Washington. Another $59,000 was disbursed this year as grants made outside the funding rounds to meet requests for immediate needs. Funding from the foundation also went to support PSE�s United Way and ArtsFund campaigns and employee matching program. Puget Energy, the parent company of PSE, created the foundation in 2006 with a $15 million endowment to ensure that the utility�s support of community initiatives remains strong regardless of business or economic conditions, and that its history of community involvement will continue for generations. None of the foundation�s funds come from PSE�s utility customers. The 2008 second-round Puget Sound Energy Foundation grant recipients include: Columbia County: Blue Mountain Heritage/Columbia County Veteran�s of Foreign Wars Memorial Island County: Senior Services of Island County Whidbey Island Center for the Arts Jefferson County: Jefferson Land Trust Peninsula College Foundation King County: Eastside Domestic Violence Program First Place Friends of Youth Maple Valley Food Bank & Emergency Services Medical Teams International National Parks Conservation Association Northwest Burn Foundation Northwest Harvest Rotary First Harvest Washington Trails Association Kitsap County: Society of St. Vincent De Paul St. Olaf & St. Peter's Churches Kittitas County: Central Washington University Foundation Pierce County: Helping Hand House Resource Distribution Council Urban Waters Skagit County: Page Ahead Children�s Literacy Program Skagit Land Trust Snohomish County: St. Vincent de Paul of Snohomish County Thurston County: ROOF Community Services For additional information on PSE�s community investment and programs, visit PSE.com. About the Puget Sound Energy Foundation Puget Energy, the parent company of Puget Sound Energy, created the Puget Sound Energy Foundation in 2006 to continue its legacy of leadership and support of worthy, community-based programs. The foundation makes charitable contributions to qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofits to help support a broad range of community programs, with a special focus on initiatives that promote economic and environmental sustainability within PSE�s service territory and in other areas where the utility produces or purchases energy in the Pacific Northwest. None of the Puget Sound Energy Foundation funds come from utility customers. Visit PSEFoundation.org for more information. About Puget Sound Energy Washington state�s oldest and largest energy utility, with a 6,000-square-mile service area stretching across 11 counties, Puget Sound Energy serves more than 1 million electric customers and nearly 750,000 natural gas customers. PSE, a subsidiary of Puget Energy (NYSE:PSD), meets the energy needs of its growing customer base primarily in Western Washington through incremental, cost-effective energy conservation, procurement of sustainable energy resources, and far-sighted investment in the energy-delivery infrastructure. PSE employees are dedicated to providing great customer service to deliver energy that is safe, reliable, reasonably priced, and environmentally responsible. For more information, visit PSE.com.