AVANGRID, Avangrid Renewables, and the Avangrid Foundation believe that a sustainable clean energy future for all is necessary, and that taking action against climate change is critical. We do this through investment in climate research, direct interventions, advocacy, education and community engagement for the environment. We are also committed to connecting people to the environment as a matter of health and equity, as well as protecting biodiversity and habitat conservation. We continue to partner with scientists, educators, civic leaders, and wildlife and environmental organizations to realize greater impact in our work.
In honor of Climate Week 2020, see how we’re helping to fight climate change in our communities and beyond in the stories below, or click here to view our full Sustainability Report.
It’s easy to take energy for granted.
But the truth is that the reliability we have all come to expect is the result of over a century of innovation and work. Reliable, affordable electricity has enabled the modern, high-tech life we all enjoy, but we now know that we must find more sustainable ways to reliably generate and deliver power.
Based in Minneapolis, MN, Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy is a leading national nonprofit, dedicated to climate literacy, climate change education, youth leadership and citizen engagement for innovative climate change solutions. Climate Generation is inspired by Will Steger’s legacy as an iconic explorer who helped inspire generations to explore and discover the natural world. While in partnership with the Avangrid Foundation since 2016, the AVANGRID family of companies was an early supporter through Avangrid Renewables, and was instrumental in helping the organization build capacity and establish its reputation.
The electric power industry is in the middle of a clean energy evolution. Innovation and new technologies are constantly emerging and becoming more common—from expansion of electric vehicles to grid automation and increased use of heat pumps. AVANGRID is at the forefront of this change and is helping to unlock the clean energy economy within our service areas.
So what does this mean for our customers?
As part of our commitment to provide safe and reliable service to our customers, Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E), an AVANGRID company, is making a significant investment to upgrade the electricity transmission system in the Rochester region. The project, known as the Rochester Area Reliability Project (RARP), sprawls about 27.6 miles across western New York through the towns of Chili, Gates and Henrietta, as well as the City of Rochester.
AVANGRID has pledged to integrate Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) and Electric Vehicles (EV) into the fleet to assess their capabilities in different vocations and geographical regions. In 2019, AVANGRID integrated two new PHEVs and eight new EVs from various vehicle manufacturers, with more planned for this year.
In one of our first projects last year, AVANGRID introduced bucket trucks with hybrid electric and/or idle mitigation technology, which enables the aerial device and other ancillary items to operate off stored electricity without requiring the truck engine to idle.
For years, dozens of food trucks lined Long Wharf Drive in New Haven, Conn., serving more than tasty tacos and hot dogs. The food trucks, while catering to hungry patrons, were pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere all day and well into the night. Each truck used a gasoline-powered generator to power the grills and fryers. The generators were noisy, smelly and spewed pollutants – not the kind of thing the City of New Haven wanted for a waterfront street it dubbed “Food Truck Paradise.”
The Portland-based Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) is a global leader in marine and climate research, a national innovator in citizen science for education and an essential contributor to science-based, engaged fisheries management in the region. A five-year, $250,000 partnership with the Avangrid Foundation to advance regional climate science will provide support for GMRI scientists focused on issues of climate resilience in fisheries and other coastal industries around the Gulf of Maine.