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National Grid receives Edison Electric Institute’s Emergency Assistance Award

BUFFALO, NY — National Grid has been named the recipient of Edison Electric Institute’s

Emergency Assistance Award for the company’s exceptional performance in restoring power after Winter Storm Quiana — with wind speeds of up to 75 mph — impacted 180,000 customers across upstate New York.

The EEI award recognizes select companies’ efforts in power restoration after service disruptions caused by severe weather conditions or other natural events. Following an international nomination process, a panel of judges selects the winners. This is National Grid’s 21st emergency response award from EEI, an association that represents U.S. investor-owned utilities.

“We are honored and grateful to have our restoration work recognized by Edison Electric

Institute,” said John Bruckner, National Grid’s New York President. “It’s testimony to the tremendous efforts by the women and men on National Grid’s upstate New York team who are committed to excellence and to serving our customers.”

Powerful wind gusts that began in western New York on Feb. 23 lasted nearly two full days, moved eastward and paralyzed portions of National Grid’s 25,000-square-mile upstate New York service area. A field force of nearly 3,600 workers cleared away hazards including thousands of fallen trees and broken branches to gain access to downed power lines and damaged equipment that needed repair. All total, more than 200 broken utility poles and 80 transformers were replaced.

Meanwhile, hundreds of workers behind the scenes responded to customer calls and assisted in several areas including working closely with stakeholders, municipal leaders, logistics, procurement, and informational outreach via social media and traditional media.

“National Grid is deserving of this award for its efforts to restore service quickly and safely in the Northeast after Winter Storm Quiana,” said EEI President Tom Kuhn. “The dedication of National Grid’s crews reflects our industry’s commitment to our customers, and I thank them for their tireless work.”

EEI is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Our members provide electricity for 220 million Americans, and operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. As a whole, the electric power industry supports more than seven-million jobs in communities across the United States. In addition to our U.S. members, EEI has more than 60 international electric companies as International Members, and hundreds of industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members.

National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. We are the largest distributor of natural gas in the Northeast. National Grid also operates the systems that deliver gas and electricity across Great Britain.

National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Our Northeast 80×50 Pathway is an industry-leading analysis for how to reach that goal in the states we serve, focusing on the power generation, heat, and transportation sectors.

Read more about the innovative projects across our footprint in The Democratization of Energy, an eBook written by National Grid’s U.S. president, Dean Seavers. For more information, please visit our website, follow us on Twitter, watch us on YouTube, like us on Facebook and find our photos on Instagram.

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