NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – The sponsors of Energize Connecticut℠, Eversource and AVANGRID, Inc. subsidiaries United Illuminating, Southern Connecticut Gas and Connecticut Natural Gas, are proud to announce that they have received the 2022 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. This is the seventh time the sponsors have been recognized for their joint efforts, continued leadership and commitment to promoting the ENERGY STAR program in Connecticut.
The Sustained Excellence award is the highest honor bestowed by the ENERGY STAR program. Winners in this distinguished group have made a long-term commitment to fighting climate change, protecting public health through energy efficiency and are continuing to increase adoption and implementation of energy efficiency measures. They are among the nation’s leaders in driving value for the environment, the economy and the American people.
“Energy efficiency is the most valuable tool we have to help all customers save money and reduce their energy use, and we applaud Connecticut’s leadership in clean energy and their support of these critical programs.”, said Eversource Executive Vice President of Customer Experience and Energy Strategy Penni Conner. “We’re proud to be recognized again this year by the EPA and DOE with the Sustained Excellence Award, and we look forward to continued collaboration with the ENERGY STAR® program, our states and communities, our small business partners, and our customers on energy efficiency initiatives that mitigate the effects of climate change.”
“At UI, SCG and CNG we are proud to be a part of EnergizeCT and receive the 2022 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy,” said Frank Reynolds, President & CEO of UI, SCG and CNG. “For seven years in a row, our efforts with industry partners in the EnergizeCT program have proven to find more efficiencies in everyday energy use while making a positive impact on our environment.”
“We know it’s going to take all of us working together to tackle the climate crisis, and the 2022 ENERGY STAR award-winning partners are demonstrating what it takes to build a more sustainable future,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “These companies are showing once again that taking action in support of a clean energy economy can be good not only for the environment, but also for business and customers.”
Each year, the ENERGY STAR program honors a group of businesses and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy achievements. In 2021, Eversource and the AVANGRID subsidiaries accomplished the following:
· Provided energy-efficiency programs and rebates to businesses and residents in 169 cities and towns throughout Connecticut.
· Tracked 994,368 instances of participation in programs and rebates delivering lifetime energy savings equivalent to 2.9 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, 95.3 million ccf (one ccf equals 100 cubic feet) of natural gas, and 55.6 million gallons of fuel oil and propane.
· Helped customers across the state save $62.1 million on their energy bills.
· In conjunction with the Connecticut Green Bank, delivered $6.2 billion to the state’s gross state product (GSP) and supported 41,487 jobs in the HVAC, electrical, manufacturing, insulation, weatherization and solar industries.
· Reduced carbon dioxide emissions by more than 160,000 tons resulting in $5.5 million saved in public health costs.
· Developed a new Census Tract tool that will allow communities, municipalities, and vendors to reduce program participation barriers for residents in underserved communities.
· Led educational initiatives that reached over 8,000 teachers and students in grades K-12.
· Collaborated with the Connecticut Green Bank and other financial institutions to promote financing and clean energy programs, such as C-PACE and Smart-E loans.
Winners are selected from a network of thousands of ENERGY STAR partners. For a complete list of 2022 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR’s awards program, visit energystar.gov/awardwinners.
About Energize ConnecticutEnergize Connecticut is an initiative dedicated to empowering Connecticut to make smart energy choices, now and in the future. We provide Connecticut consumers, businesses, and communities the resources and information they need to make it easy to save energy and build a clean energy future for everyone in the state. It is an initiative of the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund, the Connecticut Green Bank, the State, and your local electric and gas utilities. The initiative has funding support from a charge on customer energy bills.
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including more than 40 percent of the Fortune 500®—rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped American families and businesses avoid more than $500 billion in energy costs and achieve more than 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. More background information about ENERGY STAR’s impacts can be found at www.energystar.gov/impacts and state-level information can be found at www.energystar.gov/statefacts.
This press release was made possible by:
