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For a large majority of teenagers who are currently attending school, summer is primetime for ‘R & R’ – rest and relaxation before heading back to school this fall; however, for 18 young adults, this summer was extra special as they made up El Paso Electric’s (EPE) 2019 Summer Internship Program cohort.

“My internship with El Paso Electric has taught me more than I could have imagined,” reflects Katya Marquez, 2019 EPE summer college intern. “This experience is preparing me in a number of ways from public speaking, to working with deadlines, to gaining knowledge from hands on training. I am very thankful for this opportunity to make an impact in our community with the Corporate Social Responsibility project while getting closer to my goal of becoming an electrical engineer.”

At a reception held Friday, August 2, at the Utility’s headquarters in Downtown El Paso, EPE employees along with friends and family of this year’s high school and college interns celebrated the completion of the 7th year of the program and all of their accomplishments.

“For high school students, the transition from the junior year to senior year is incredibly pivotal in the educational journey for any student, so having access to internships of this type can be a unique experience in determining what trajectory they choose to take,” shares interim CEO of EPE Adrian J. Rodriguez.

“Each student – both high school and college – will become a vital part of the team gaining insight to the Utility while experiencing integral partnerships built by a local company.”

One of the major components to the EPE summer internship is the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Project, an annual initiative in which the students identify a need within the community and find creative ways to help address it.

This year, the EPE intern cohort built a STEAM Lab at the El Paso Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) and unveiled it on July 30, 2019, that included a donation of $2,000 to help maintain the Lab through the year.

“Giving back to those in need is very important because here in El Paso we need to grow together,” said Javier Villalba, intern with EPE Human Resources Department. “This year’s CSR project has helped impact the lives of children at the ASYMCA, as well as offer me insight on leadership, organization and even presentation skills.”

EPE’s Summer Internship Program provides students with opportunities to develop leadership and teamwork skills through various group projects and work assignments.

Each student is placed with an EPE department to learn work skills related to their future educational and/or career goals. The internship included a learning curriculum that covers the fundamentals of power generation, transmission, and distribution.

Students also participated in trainings that teach about business, finance, leadership and management skills.

On Monday, El Paso Electric‘s CEO Mary Kipp announced the purchase of El Paso Electric by Infrastructure Investments Fund (IIF), an investment vehicle advised by J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc.

Via their social media channels, Kipp shared that “On June 3, 2019 we announced a significant, long-term investment in our service area. Infrastructure Investments Fund (IIF), an investment vehicle advised by J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc., has agreed to acquire EPE.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, the deal is worth an estimated $2.79 billion dollars.

“As we look to the future and the long-term investment needed to meet the growing energy needs of our communities, this is a major step in EPE’s ongoing commitment to providing safe, clean, affordable and reliable energy to you, our customers,” Kipp went on to say.

Kipp’s statement shares that IIF is responsible for investing and growing the retirement funds of more than 40 million families, including 2 million people across Texas and New Mexico who will be invested in EPE.

“The IIF family of companies includes a number of other utilities. They are a leading investor in renewable energy and have a track record of delivering for the communities they partner with, Kipp’s statement continued. “Let me assure you that now and in the future, we will continue providing you with safe and reliable service. We also are committed to communicating with our customers, employees and communities with transparency and respect.”

The sale to IIF is subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions; EPE officials add they expect to complete the closing in the first half of 2020.

EPE and IIF have agreed to a number of customer, employee and community commitments, which will take effect upon closing and include:

• Electric Bill Credit for Customers: EPE and IIF have committed to provide a credit on customer electric bills in the amount of $21 million over 36 months.
• Continuity of Local Workforce: IIF has made real commitments to ensure EPE’s workforce, including union and non-union employees and management, will remain in place.
• Community Contributions: EPE and IIF remain committed to $1.2 million in annual charitable contributions in our service area under the existing Community Partner Program, which provides employee engagement with and financial support to the many local organizations that positively impact the well-being of our communities.
• Community Economic Sustainability Fund: EPE and IIF commit to establishing a Community Economic Sustainability Fund to invest $100 million over 20 years to fund growth and economic development in our service area.
• Maintain Local Presence: EPE’s headquarters will remain in El Paso, Texas.

“This agreement will better position EPE to meet the future energy needs of our service area. The partnership with IIF will enhance our ability to fulfill commitments to you – our customers – and the communities we serve, including investment in more renewable energy resources, local generation and other infrastructure needs,” Kipp added.

As far as their local ties and community contributions, Eddie Gutierrez, Vice President of Communications, Customer and Community Engagement, explained what the sale would mean to their community partners.

Officials with El Paso Electric (EPE) say they have seen an increase in the number of scam calls targeting customers, with over 60 reported just this month.

Via a news release officials shared, “Scammers are masking calls to make it appear as if it was originated by EPE as well as resembling the customer service phone number. Each scam reported involve the threat to disconnect service if payment is not made immediately.”

Customers are being directed to purchase a prepaid debit card to handle payment, and then provided with either a “1-800” or “1-877” non-affiliated EPE phone number to call back to make the payment over the phone.

“As these scams become more sophisticated, customers should hang up and call an El Paso Electric phone number to report the call or inquire about the status of their account,” officials added.

EPE will never ask customers to purchase a prepaid debit card to make a payment over the phone. EPE officials recommend the following tips to protect customers from potential scams:

• Be suspicious of any call asking for payment, especially if they require payment with a prepaid debit card. EPE has various payment methods through authorized payment options.
• EPE will never direct customers to an exclusive location to handle payment with a prepaid debit card.
• If there are any questions regarding the authenticity of the caller claiming to represent EPE, report the issue at (915) 543-5970, (575) 526-5555 or call toll free at (800) 592-1634.
• Do not offer any confidential information unless the customer initiated the contact with EPE customer service at one of the above numbers.

For a complete list of EPE authorized payment options or more more information, customers can visit their website.

According to El Paso Electric (EPE) officials, the month of August has seen an increase in the number of scam calls reported to their offices.

The scams involve the threat to disconnect service, if payment is not made immediately. Customers are asked to purchase a prepaid debit card and are provided with a number to call back to make the payment over the phone.

The phone number used to call back for payment is not an EPE-associated phone number.  EPE officials remind customers that they will never ask customers to purchase a prepaid debit card to make a payment over the phone.

As these scams become more sophisticated, customers should hang up and call an El Paso Electric phone number to report the call or inquire about the current status of their account.

EPE Officials said, “Scammers can mask a call to make it appear the call was originated by EPE.”  They advise customers that have any doubt about the authenticity of a caller, to hang up and call EPE directly at one of the numbers below.

• (915) 543-5970
• (575) 526-5555
• Toll-free at 1-800-592-1634

EPE recommends the following tips to protect customers from potential scams:

• Be suspicious of callers asking for payment, especially if they require payment with a prepaid debit card. EPE has various payment methods through authorized payment options.
• If there are any questions regarding the authenticity of the caller claiming to represent EPE, report the issue at (915) 543-5970, (575) 526-5555 or call toll free at (800) 351-1621.
• Do not offer any confidential information unless the customer initiated the contact with EPE customer service at one of the above numbers.

For a complete list of EPE authorized payment options or for financial assistance, please visit www.epelectric.com.

El Paso Electric (EPE) is now accepting applications for the 2018 Summer High School Internship Program. In its seventh year, this paid internship opportunity is open to all high school juniors in EPE’s service area.

During Tuesday’s kick off event, EPE announced the opening of the application period to over 300 Bowie High School juniors, and detailed the purpose and positive impact of this opportunity.

Through the course of the summer, students obtain leadership and teamwork skills through various work assignments and group projects, and participate in a learning curriculum which includes lessons on the fundamentals of power generation, transmission, and distribution. Students will also participate in trainings that teach them about engineering, business, finance, and leadership and management skills.

EPE Officials said, “One important component of the summer internship is the Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative, an annual task the students undertake which identifies a need within the community and attempts to find creative ways to give back.”

Parent and student information sessions will be provided at EPE headquarters located in downtown El Paso at 100 North Stanton. The dates of these information sessions are as follows:

• Tuesday, October 3, 6:00 p.m.
• Thursday, October 12, 6:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 18, 6:00 p.m.
• Saturday, October 21, 10:00 a.m.
• Wednesday, October 25, 6:00 p.m.
• Thursday, November 2, 6:00 p.m.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled as a high school junior in an accredited high school within the EPE service area
• Must be classified as a high school junior for the 2017-2018 academic school year and entering your senior year beginning August 2018
• Must have an overall high school G.P.A. of a 3.0 or above
• Must be eligible to work in the U.S. without requiring sponsorship for an immigration related employment benefit
• Must be available to work Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. from Monday, June 11 2018- Friday, August 3, 2018

The closing date for this application is December 31, 2017. For more information on the Summer Internship Program, or other EPE internship opportunities, click here.