National Grid today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized the company with two honors, the Excellence in ENERGY STAR Outreach 2006 Award and the ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence 2006 Award for its continued leadership and outstanding contributions to environmental protection through energy efficiency. National Grid’s accomplishments will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 21, 2006.
National Grid, an ENERGY STAR partner since 1997, is being honored for its comprehensive consumer education campaigns promoting ENERGY STAR qualified products. For example, last fall National Grid conducted a multi-faceted campaign that included transit posters and customer newsletters, around the Change-A-Light, Change-The-World program for its customers in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
More than 700,000 of National Grid’s residential customers participated in its ENERGY STAR Lighting and Appliance programs during 2005. As a result, these customers reduced their energy usage by more than 138 million kilowatt hours – a savings that avoided nearly 97 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions – the equivalent of removing 8,385 cars from the road.
“National Grid has a long history of promoting energy efficiency and the ENERGY STAR label. This award affirms our commitment to energy savings and environmental stewardship,” said Cheryl LaFleur, president of New England distribution for National Grid. “Through the use of ENERGY STAR lighting and appliances, customers can save money on their electric bills – extremely important during this time of rising energy costs – and contribute to creating a healthy environment. We are pleased so many of our customers have chosen Energy Star products.”
"Partners such as National Grid are spreading the word about the importance of energy efficiency in all aspects of our lives,” said Kathleen Hogan, director of EPA’s Climate Protection Partnerships Division. “They are doing an outstanding job of promoting products, services, homes and programs that help consumers save money and importantly, help protect our environment.”
National Grid is a member of a regional initiative that promotes ENERGY STAR qualified lighting and appliances to residences throughout the northeast. This is the first year that National Grid was recognized for its individual efforts and the seventh consecutive year that the regional group, the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc. has won an award from ENERGY STAR. Individuals can learn about promotions in their area by logging on to Energy Star Website.
The Excellence in ENERGY STAR Outreach is given to a variety of organizations to recognize their efforts to improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution, resulting in significant cost savings. Award winners are selected from over 8,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.
About National Grid
National Grid is an international energy delivery business with principal activities in the regulated electricity and natural gas industries. In the U.S., National Grid transmits and distributes electricity and natural gas to nearly 4 million customers across 29,000 square miles of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island.
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the program offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 8,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).