AVANGRID Becomes 3rd Largest US Wind Operator, Added 831 MW 2019

AVANGRID has reported that it is the third-largest US wind operator as it commissioned 831 MW of new wind projects in 2019.

AVANGRID, inc recently released its 2019 Sustainability Report as it pledged to intensify its investments in a smarter, cleaner energy future throughout the pandemic crisis and beyond. The company reported that it is the third-largest US wind operator as it commissioned 831 MW of new wind projects in 2019.

The 2019 Sustainability Report, titled “Working Together for a Clean Energy Future,” tracks the firms’ sustainability performance across economic, environmental, social, and governance perspectives. The firm has been named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere in 2019 and 2020, and is among the cleanest US energy companies, operating one of the nation’s largest renewable fleets with 90 percent of emissions-free generation capacity.

Among the 2019 achievements highlighted in the report:

• The firm commissioned 831 MW of new wind projects and prepared for the construction of 700 MW of onshore wind and 366 MW of wind repowering projects in 2020.
• The 17,479 gigawatt-hours of electricity produced by the company’s wind and solar facilities allowed customers to avoid 12.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions — roughly equivalent to emissions avoided by removing 2.6 million cars from the road for a year.
• The company achieved emissions intensity in 2019 of 73 grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour of electricity produced six times lower than the 2019 U.S. utility average. The firm has a goal to reduce CO2 emissions intensity from its electric generation 25 percent by the end of 2020, compared with a 2015 baseline, and to be carbon neutral by the end of 2035.
• The firm consolidated its leadership in the emerging offshore wind industry. Vineyard Wind’s permitting process continued to move forward and Park City Wind, an 804-MW project also in a joint venture with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, was selected in Connecticut’s first offshore RFP.

While COVID-19 has upended lives and created business uncertainty, CEO James P. Torgerson said AVANGRID remains committed to its purpose of working together to deliver a more accessible clean energy model that promotes healthier, more sustainable communities every day.

“I see a reason for optimism,” Torgerson said. “Although our world is changing, we remain committed to our vision of building a cleaner, smarter energy future. From Fortune 500 companies pledging to go carbon-neutral to families seeking to take control over their energy use, our customers understand what’s at stake — and they’re not waiting for policymakers to set the rules and boundaries. They expect us to lead the way.”