Press Releases
10/11/2019
ELECTRIC VEHICLE FAIR - UI | SCG | CNG
ELECTRIC VEHICLE FAIR - UI | SCG | CNG
AVANGRID’s summer of EVs continues to roll on, with hundreds of employees across two states learning first-hand how the ultra-efficient vehicles boost the company’s carbon neutrality goals and save costs.
The EV Fair stopped at AVANGRID Headquarters in Orange, Connecticut on Tuesday, Aug. 7 and was attended by approximately 450 employees. The sun was out, the grills were sizzling and the Chevrolet Bolts were in and out of the parking lot all afternoon with smiling employees behind the wheel and in the passenger seats.
Jim Torgerson, CEO, AVANGRID opened the event with remarks that noted the important role AVANGRID plays in facilitating EV use by customers and employees. “Employees can be advocates for electric vehicles,” he said.
Michael Burnham, manager, Health & Safety, AVANGRID, delivered the safety message, with an emphasis on vehicle and parking lot safety. He and Carol Topitzer, specialist, H&S, AVANGRID then donned safety vests and directed traffic. In addition the gourmet BBQ lunch served on recyclable materials, and upbeat music, there were many other attractions to engage employees in AVANGRID’s culture of sustainability.
United Illuminating's very first electric-powered bucket truck
Special guests included the Connecticut and New England Electric Car clubs, Zane’s Bikes, Courtney Honda and Milford Chevrolet, and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). Employees also got to talk to last year’s winners of the Smart Commute EV contest James Dormon and Andy Kasznay, who had their vehicles there on site, as well other AVANGRID employees who own their own personal electric vehicles (including a Tesla). United Illuminating brought over its first electric bucket lift truck, giving employees a preview of what the near future holds for bucket trucks within the energy industry.
The AVANGRID Sustainability Team hosted the event, assisting first-time drivers and served as ambassadors for AVANGRID’s efforts to be carbon neutral by 2035. “We’re thrilled that so many employees were enthusiastic about driving an EV. It was a great day,” said Sustainability Team Leader Cliff Cronan, engineer, UI. The five Bolts were in Connecticut for a few weeks and employees got the opportunity to use them for company business.
About Avangrid: Avangrid, Inc. is a leading energy company in the United States working to meet the growing demand for energy for homes and businesses across the nation through service, innovation, and continued investments by expanding grid infrastructure and energy generation projects. Avangrid has offices in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Maine and Oregon, including operations in 24 states with approximately $47 billion in assets, and has two primary lines of business: networks and renewables. Through its networks business, Avangrid owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England and in 2024. Through its renewables business, Avangrid owns and operates more than 75 energy generation facilities across the United States producing over 9GW of power for over 2.2 million customers. Avangrid employs approximately 8,000 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens in 2025 for the fifth consecutive year. The company was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2024 for the sixth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.
About Iberdrola: Iberdrola is one of the world's biggest energy companies and a leader in renewables, spearheading the energy transition to a low carbon economy. The group supplies energy to almost 100 million people in dozens of countries. With a focus on renewable energy, smart networks and smart solutions for customers, Iberdrola’s main markets include Europe (Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Greece), the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. The company is also present in growth markets such as Japan, Taiwan, Ireland, Sweden and Poland, among others.
With a workforce of nearly 40,000 and assets in excess of €141.7 billion, across the world, Iberdrola helps to support 400,000 jobs across its supply chain, with annual procurement of €12.2 billion. A benchmark in the fight against climate change, Iberdrola has invested more than €130 billion over the past two decades to help build a sustainable energy model, based on sound environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles.
