Press release
Avangrid Deploys 73 Line Crews to Support Hurricane Helene Recovery Efforts
Avangrid’s electric utilities in New York, Connecticut, and Maine responded to assistance requests after hurricane left millions without power across the Southeast
Crews are being sent to communities in Virginia and North Carolina to help clean up damage and restore power to customers
B/Roll of crews departing to support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts can be viewed HERE
ORANGE, Conn. — September 28, 2024 — Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), a leading sustainable energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, announced today that its electric utility companies in New York, Connecticut, and Maine will deploy lineworkers and damage assessment teams to support electric power recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The Category 4 hurricane left millions without power across the Southeast.
Avangrid crews will depart for cities and towns in Virginia and North Carolina on Saturday, and they expect to get to work restoring power as soon as they arrive. The formal request for assistance was made through the North Atlantic Mutual Assistance Group.
“We are committed to restoring power whenever and wherever help is needed,” said Pedro Azagra, Avangrid CEO. “Mutual assistance is an essential part of any wide-scale power restoration effort. Our line crews are some of the best in the industry, and I know they are eager to get to work to support the millions of Americans affected by this storm. I am proud of the work we continue to do both at home and across the region to ensure all communities are safe after a major weather event."
Restoring electricity after a major storm is a complex task, and a safe and efficient restoration process requires significant logistical expertise, skilled lineworkers, and specialized equipment. Electric companies affected by significant outages often turn to the industry’s mutual assistance network – a voluntary partnership of electric companies from across the United States and Canada – to help speed restoration. For example, Avangrid companies sent crews to assist in storm recovery efforts after Hurricane Fiona devastated Nova Scotia in 2022.
In total, 198 internal line workers, damage assessors, and support staff will be supporting recovery efforts. Each line crew consists of a team of two lineworkers.
- In New York, NYSEG & RG&E will be sending 25 crews.
- In Connecticut, United Illuminating will be sending 28 crews.
- In Maine, Central Maine Power will be sending 20 crews.
B/Roll of Avangrid crews departing to support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts. News media has rights-free permission to use this content.
Most large electric utility companies rely on an established network of crews to restore power in their service areas following large-scale outages. Before releasing any crews to work with other utilities, Avangrid evaluates the needs of its own service area and customers, and the likelihood of any forecasted severe weather events. In the event of an emergency, crews can be recalled.
Media Contact
For media inquiries, email: corporatecommunications@avangrid.com
About Avangrid: Avangrid, Inc. is a leading U.S. energy company investing in grid infrastructure and power generation projects to deliver reliable energy and meet growing electricity demand. With approximately $50 billion in assets and operations across 25 states, Avangrid is helping modernize the U.S. electric grid, improve system resiliency, and support economic growth for the customers and communities it serves.
Avangrid owns and operates seven electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.4 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid also has nearly 100 energy generation facilities across the United States and more than 11 gigawatts of installed capacity. Avangrid has more than 8,300 employees and was named among the World's Most Ethical Companies in 2026 for the eighth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the Iberdrola Group.
About Iberdrola: With a market capitalization of more than €140 billion, Iberdrola is the largest electricity company in Europe and one of the two largest in the world. The Group serves more than 100 million people around the world and has a workforce of 45,400 employees and assets of €165 billion. In 2025, Iberdrola posted a record net profit of €6.3 billion. The company contributes close to €10.4 billion in taxes in the countries where it operates and supports more than 500,000 jobs throughout its supply chain, thanks to €13.2 billion in purchases from tens of thousands of suppliers.
Since 2001, Iberdrola has invested more than €175 billion in electricity networks, renewable energy and energy storage to help create an energy model based on electrification. The company has close to 1.4 million km of electricity networks in the United States (the states of New York, Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts), the United Kingdom (Scotland, England and Wales), Brazil (the states of Bahia, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul, as well as Brasilia) and Spain, as well as 57,000 MW of capacity worldwide, of which more than 46,000 MW is renewable.
