NYSEG and RG&E’s Project SHARE Heating Fund Receives Boost from the AVANGRID Foundation, Dominion

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Fund Helps Those Facing Emergencies Who Have Exhausted Other Options

Rochester, NY – NYSEG and RG&E, subsidiaries of AVANGRID, have received an infusion of cash for the companies’ Project SHARE Heating Fund from the AVANGRID Foundation, Inc. ($400,000) and Dominion Transmission ($10,000). These funds supplement contributions of more than $175,000 from NYSEG and RG&E customers and employees over the last year.

The AVANGRID Foundation is a private foundation that receives funding from AVANGRID companies, such as NYSEG and RG&E. Dominion Transmission is an interstate pipeline company that provides natural gas to parts of the NYSEG and RG&E service areas.

“We are pleased to support the Project SHARE Heating Fund on behalf of NYSEG and RG&E,” said Robert Kump, president of the AVANGRID Foundation. “For more than 150 years NYSEG and RG&E have been proud to support cultural and educational events in our communities, as well as the essential services provided by organizations like the heating fund.”

“During the winter months when the demand for heating assistance peaks, we welcome these generous contributions from Dominion Transmission and the AVANGRID Foundation to the Project SHARE Heating Fund,” said Mark S. Lynch, president and CEO of NYSEG and RG&E. “We are also grateful for our partnership with HeartShare Human Services of New York, the administrator of the heating fund.”

“Dominion Transmission, through the Dominion Foundation, is once again proud to support the Project SHARE Heating Fund,” said Stan J. Ossowski, manager, gas operations, Dominion Transmission. “This program truly makes a difference to more than a thousand households annually to ensure they have the necessary heating assistance.”

"HeartShare's Energy Assistance Programs, in partnership with utility companies like NYSEG and RG&E, may reach a New Yorker who earns no more than $2,244 per month and in turn, must choose between utilities and other essentials like food, rent or medicine," said Joseph Guarinello, HeartShare vice president of energy programs. "With this generous donation from Dominion Transmission, we can reach even more vulnerable people facing energy emergencies during this long, brutal winter."

The Project SHARE Heating Fund assists NYSEG and RG&E customers who are facing an energy emergency and have exhausted all other funding options. Active members of the military and veterans who have been honorably or generally discharged from the military receive special consideration for Project SHARE grants.

In 2015, approximately 1,400 individuals or families benefited from Project SHARE grants:

856 NYSEG households received $292,700 in grants.
365 RG&E households received $125,600 in grants.
161 other fuel suppliers of NYSEG and RG&E households received grants totaling $56,300.

To make a contribution to the fund, NYSEG and RG&E ask employees and customers to consider:

Automatic Giving – adding a whole dollar amount to future bills.
Adding exactly $1, $2 or $5 to any NYSEG or RG&E bill payment.

To learn more about the Project SHARE Heating Fund, Automatic Giving and eligibility for grants:

Project SHARE

About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE:AGR) is a diversified energy and utility company with $30 billion in assets and operations in 25 states. The company operates regulated utilities, electricity generation, and natural gas storage through three primary lines of business. Iberdrola USA Networks includes eight electric and natural gas utilities serving 3.1 million customers in New York and New England. Iberdrola Renewables operates 6.3 gigawatts of electricity capacity, primarily through wind power, in states across the U.S. Iberdrola Energy Holdings operates 120 Bcf of owned or contracted natural gas storage and hub service facilities in the South and West. AVANGRID employs 7,000 people. The company was formed as a business combination between Iberdrola USA and UIL Holdings in 2015. AVANGRID remains an affiliate of the Iberdrola Group, a worldwide leader in the energy industry.

About NYSEG and RG&E: NYSEG and RG&E are subsidiaries of AVANGRID. NYSEG serves 883,000 electricity customers and 264,000 natural gas customers across more than 40% of upstate New York. RG&E serves 371,000 electricity customers and 307,000 natural gas customers in a nine-county region centered on the City of Rochester. For more information, visit www.nyseg.com and www.rge.com

About The AVANGRID Foundation: The AVANGRID Foundation is committed to carrying out initiatives that improve the quality of people’s lives by supporting training and research; promoting energy sustainability; protecting biodiversity; and supporting arts, culture, cooperation and solidarity projects..

About HeartShare Human Services of New York: HeartShare Human Services of New York nurtures and empowers children and adults diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders, through educational, life skills and vocational training, residential, case management, recreational, family support and health care services. HeartShare affiliates include The HeartShare School, which offers quality education and therapies to children with autism, HeartShare Wellness, which provides critical health services to those with developmental disabilities, and HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services (HSVS), which supports children, adults and families living in crisis due to experiences with poverty. Since its founding in 1914, HeartShare has expanded its reach to over 100 program sites in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, as well as to 60 of the 62 New York counties through energy grants to low-income families. HeartShare is proud that 90% of all revenue goes directly to its programs and services. HeartShare is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children and is a Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity. For more information, visit http://www.heartshare.org/. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @heartshare and like us on Facebook.

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