There are an estimated 6.7 million Hispanic customers in Southern California Edison (SCE)’s service territory, which makes up about 46 percent of the utility’s 14.4 million customers.

Recently, SCE held its third annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration and recognized Latino businesses, community leaders and non-profit organizations for their contributions to environmental conservation, cultural enrichment and corporate diversity within the SCE service territory.

The “Celebrating Business and Community Partnerships” event held at SCE’s Energy Education Center in Irwindale recently recognized the entrepreneurial spirit of Hispanic businesses in Southern California, as well as their measurable impact in conserving energy.  

“This event salutes and celebrates the importance of Hispanic contributions to Southern California, and recognizes the importance of incorporating diversity into all aspects of our business,” said Lisa Cagnolatti, SCE’s vice president, Business Customer Division.

The celebration also recognized the accomplishments of Hispanic businesses, community partners and suppliers who have successfully participated in various SCE energy and supplier diversity programs, said Cagnolatti. 

SCE recognized Los Altos Food Products Inc. and El Super with Energy Efficiency Participation Awards for saving nearly one-million kilowatt hours through energy efficiency upgrades. A Community Partnership Award was also presented to AltaMed Health Services Corporation for delivering health care with a team of multicultural and bilingual physicians and healthcare professionals. 

This year, a First Responder Award category was included in SCE’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. Luis Hernandez of the Los Angeles County Bomberos Association received the award. The nonprofit is dedicated to improving the quality of emergency response as well as providing training and education to firefighters in Latin America.

To learn more about SCE’s diversity, cultural awareness and outreach, visit www.sce.com/diversity