Press release
Avangrid Foundation and Central Maine Power join Kennebec Valley Community College to Celebrate Lineworker Program Milestone
KVCC unveiled new Derrick Digger Truck, specialized equipment for essential workforce development
FAIRFIELD, ME — April 25, 2025 — The Avangrid Foundation, the philanthropic arm of leading energy company Avangrid Inc., a member of the Iberdrola Group, and Central Maine Power (CMP) joined Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their Electrical Lineworker Technology Program. KVCC unveiled their new Derrick Digger Truck, a state-of-the-art addition to the program’s training resources.
The Avangrid Foundation provided $100,000 for the new vehicle that will provide essential training opportunities. Digger trucks are used by lineworkers to set utility poles and perform earthwork. KVCC’s Electrical Lineworker Technology Program, the only such program in Maine, prepares students with the necessary skills in maintaining and advancing the state’s energy grid.
“I’m incredibly proud of the Avangrid Foundation’s meaningful work supporting education and fostering thriving communities across the country,” said Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra. “Investing in electrical lineworker education at Kennebec Valley Community College is crucial for grid resiliency, energy security, and economic growth. Today’s celebration underscores Avangrid’s commitment to modernizing U.S. grid infrastructure and bolstering our future workforce.”
“The Avangrid Foundation is proud to support Kennebec Valley Community College in providing a top-tier and hands-on education for our nation’s future lineworkers. Preparing the next generation of infrastructure workforce with new state-of-the-art resources is essential to maintaining and enhancing grid reliability and resiliency. I applaud KVCC on their commitment to Maine’s energy future,” said Pablo Colón, Executive Director of Avangrid Foundation and Director of Corporate Citizenship at Avangrid.
"This investment represents more than just cutting-edge equipment for the Lineworker Program. It’s a powerful symbol of our commitment to prepare students for critical roles in Maine’s energy future,” said KVCC President Karen Normandin. “We’re deeply grateful to Avangrid Foundation, Central Maine Power, the Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges, and an anonymous donor for their generous support, which ensures our graduates are job-ready and positioned to keep our communities connected."
The Avangrid Foundation and Central Maine Power have a long history of supporting KVCC’s Electrical Lineworker Technology program with funding, equipment, and expertise. The Avangrid Foundation contributed to the initial renovation of the Nutter Field House into the classroom space that hosts the program with $250,000 in grants. The Foundation also most recently provided $10,000 in scholarship funds for students enrolled in the Lineworker Technology Program, or students pursuing specialties in the Trades and Technology Department.
In 2024, CMP hired multiple lineworker apprentices who were graduates from the KVCC program, continuing a partnership that is now more than six years old. CMP has proudly trained lineworkers in central Maine for generations, offering competitive wages and lifelong careers over the company’s 125-year history.
Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) is a two-year comprehensive community college in mid-Maine serving students from Somerset, Kennebec, and Knox counties and well beyond. KVCC has two campuses in the heart of Central Maine—our 70-acre Fairfield Campus, which is readily accessible by I-95, and our 600-acre Harold Alfond Campus, just seven miles north. KVCC offers 30 degree programs between these two campuses, ranging from Nursing to Allied Health to Trades and Technology, and credentials in Mental Health, Liberal Studies, Business Administration, Early Childhood Education, Biology, General Studies, and Psychology. In addition to certificate and associate degree programs, KVCC’s Workforce Training and Professional Development office provides a wealth of short-term training programs for business, industry, and professional development. KVCC is a collegial environment emphasizing student success and respect for a diverse population of employees, students, and community members.
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.
