AVANGRID Earns Well Health-Safety Rating for 17 Workspaces

• Company’s WELL Health-Safety Rated workspaces cover more than 80% of employees
• Ratings demonstrate AVANGRID’s commitment to health and safety and establishing safe re-entry procedures for its workforce during the pandemic

AVANGRID, Inc., a leading sustainable energy company, has met a major milestone in the pursuit of building safe and healthy workplaces for its employees. The company is now WELL Health-Safety Rated across 17 of its workplaces, covering more than 80% of its employees. This achievement marks AVANGRID’s ongoing efforts to support healthy workspaces and create safer re-entry for its workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic. The evidence-based, third-party-verified rating focuses on operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans.

Last year, AVANGRID became the first energy company to earn the WELL Health-Safety Rating through the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) for AVANGRID’s headquarters in Orange, Connecticut, and the new Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) headquarters space in Rochester, New York. AVANGRID has now received the WELL Health-Safety Rating across 15 additional workplaces: nine RG&E and New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) workspaces in New York, three Central Maine Power (CMP) workspaces in Maine, one Berkshire Gas workplace in Massachusetts and two workspaces in Connecticut, including one for Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG) and one for United Illuminating (UI).

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The WELL Health-Safety Rating includes thorough review of areas such as cleaning and sanitization procedures; emergency preparedness; health service resources; operational management and stakeholder engagement.

“As we continue to plan for responsible re-entry to bring us all back together, it is critical to create sustainable and healthy spaces where employees feel safe,” said AVANGRID Vice President of General Services Miguel Angel Garcia Tamargo. “The WELL Health-Safety Rating truly demonstrates our commitment to following the guidance of health experts and taking meaningful steps to create safe environments for our workforce.”

“We have seen an enormous uptake in the WELL Health-Safety Rating, with over 2 billion square feet of real estate enrolled globally,” said Jessica Cooper, chief commercial officer at IWBI. “AVANGRID’s continued adoption of the rating across its portfolio demonstrates leadership in the energy sector, as well as a continued commitment to employee health and well-being.”

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The WELL Health-Safety Rating serves as a centralized source and governing body to validate efforts made by owners and operators. It leverages insights drawn from the IWBI Task Force on COVID-19, in addition to guidance on the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as global disease control and prevention centers and emergency management agencies. Guidance from recognized standard-making associations such as ASTM International¹ and ASHRAE², and leading academic and research institutions, as well as core principles already established by IWBI’s WELL Building Standard, also contribute to this premier framework for advancing health in buildings and spaces of all kinds.