As Earth Day Nears, AVANGRID Brings Clean Energy to CT
ORANGE, Conn. — April 20, 2017 — As the nation prepares to observe Earth Day this Saturday, AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) announced that its five new clean energy facilities in Connecticut are now generating enough clean energy to power thousands of homes, while helping the state reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and contribution to global warming.
AVANGRID subsidiary United Illuminating has now completed its commitment under Connecticut’s Renewable Connections Program, building clean energy facilities capable of contributing 10 megawatts of renewable energy to the state’s power grid. These include fuel cells in New Haven, Bridgeport and Woodbridge, along with a solar array in Bridgeport. Another AVANGRID fuel cell project in Glastonbury, which is not part of the RCP program, is also now in service, generating up to 3.4 megawatts of renewable power.
Since the first UI facility went online in New Haven two years ago, the plants have cranked out a cumulative total of 101,575 megawatt-hours of electricity. Their annual output is equivalent to the annual power needs of about 10,000 typical homes in the region. The facilities have also offset the equivalent of 71,384 metric tons of carbon dioxide that would have been emitted by burning fossil fuels to produce the same amount of energy. That’s about what you’d save by taking 15,000 automobiles off the road for a year.
“Earth Day serves as an annual reminder that we all have an obligation to the environment and communities that we live in,” said Anthony Marone III, President & CEO of AVANGRID’s Connecticut subsidiaries, including United Illuminating, Southern Connecticut Gas and Connecticut Natural Gas. “Providing clean energy from sustainable sources is a key part of AVANGRID’s vision as a next-generation energy company. As one of the nation’s leading producers of wind energy, AVANGRID is bringing the benefits of clean energy to customers across the United States.”
At a national level, the Orange, Conn.-based energy company’s Avangrid Renewables subsidiary added 280 megawatts of new wind generation in 2017, with another 536 megawatts of new wind projects and 66 megawatts of new solar projects under construction. In March, the federal government preliminarily accepted Avangrid Renewables’ bid to develop the Kitty Hawk offshore wind farm off the coast of North Carolina. Avangrid Renewables operates 6.3 gigawatts of generation capacity, primarily through nearly 60 wind farms in 20 states, which makes it one of the country's leading producers of clean wind energy.
Connecticut residents interested in learning about the connection between energy and the environment are encouraged to join us Saturday, April 29 for an Earth Day celebration at the Energize Connecticut Center in North Haven. The family-friendly event features fun, hands-on activities designed to teach and inspire learners of all ages. For information, visit www.energizect.com/earth-day-2017 or call 203.799.0460. The Energize Connecticut Center, at 122 Universal Drive North, North Haven, is an initiative of the State of Connecticut, the Connecticut Green Bank, Eversource, United Illuminating, Southern Connecticut Gas and Connecticut Natural Gas, with funding from a charge on customer energy bills.
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About AVANGRID:
AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) is a diversified energy and utility company with more than $31 billion in assets and operations in 27 U.S. states. The company owns regulated utilities and electricity generation assets through two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks comprises eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving approximately 3.2 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables operates 6.5 gigawatts of electricity capacity, primarily through wind power, across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 7,000 people. Iberdrola S.A. (Madrid: IBE), a worldwide leader in the energy industry, owns 81.5% of the outstanding shares of AVANGRID common stock. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.