Avangrid Breaks Ground on National Training Center

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03/04/2024 - 04:15 PM

National Training Center (NTC) will be a world-class training facility providing hands-on training to employees across wind and solar technologies

Site will feature a 3-story tower to train employees working at heights on wind turbines (image found here)

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), a leading sustainable energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, today announced that it has begun construction on its National Training Center (NTC). Located near Moro, Ore., close to several wind farms owned and operated by the company, the NTC will be a world-class facility capable of training and upskilling Avangrid technicians across a variety of wind and solar technologies.

“We are incredibly proud to see this project come to life and take our training capabilities to the next level,” said Pedro Azagra, Avangrid CEO. “This facility will be a differentiator for our company by speeding up the training and onboarding of our new hires while boosting the proficiency of current employees. A well-trained staff is key to ensuring our wind and solar farms produce the power that will accelerate a clean energy transition in the U.S. to address climate change.”

The facility will include several innovative features, such as:

Fully-immersive training: Using virtual reality and mixed reality, technicians will become familiar with a variety of machines and experience working through challenges in a simulated environment.
Fall protection tower: A 30-foot tower on site will teach technicians how to handle emergencies while working at heights on a turbine. Addressing one of the biggest risks in the wind industry, this enables trainees to master proper safety protocols in a safe place before working on a turbine.
Hands-on experience: The NTC will feature a completely intact nacelle (top of the wind turbine), providing the hands-on opportunity for technicians to practice maintenance and troubleshooting on real-world equipment.

“All of us who call Sherman County home know Sherman County is unique. Avangrid is adding to this uniqueness with the development of and investment in the NTC,” said Joe Dabulskis, Sherman County Judge. “We understand this will be the first of its kind in the country, Avangrid is taking its long history and commitment in Sherman County one step further. It will be great to have this world-class training center along with the several wind farms operated and managed by Avangrid here in Sherman County.”

Avangrid will seek certification from the Global Wind Organisation (GWO) to ensure technicians are meeting global industry safety standards. Additionally, technicians will gain practical and realistic training with the latest wind and solar technologies across all major equipment manufacturers used in Avangrid’s utility-scale projects.

Construction is now underway at the NTC. It is expected to be complete this Spring.

About Avangrid: Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $44 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, Avangrid has two primary lines of business: networks and renewables. Through its networks business, Avangrid owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Through its renewables business, Avangrid owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. Avangrid employs approximately 8,000 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens. In 2024, Avangrid ranked first among utilities and 12 overall. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2024 for the sixth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com