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July 14, 2020 Leadership In A Time of Crisis

National Grid

 

We’ve been through a lot together.

Whether it’s been blizzards, thunderstorms, Nor’easters or hurricanes that sweep across Massachusetts, leaving infrastructure damage in their wake, our dedicated employees have worked hard to keep the lights on and the gas flowing. It’s what we do.

More recently, the challenges we’ve been facing together have had nothing to do with weather, but nonetheless have had a profound impact on our employees, our customers and the communities we serve.

Of course, I’m referencing the unprecedented challenge of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. But, I’d be remiss if I didn’t also address another challenge, one that sadly isn’t new at all, as the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and so many others, have shone new light on the ongoing issues of systemic racism that still needs to change in our country.

I want our customers to know that one of our core values at National Grid is Doing the Right Thing. That means we’re committed to Inclusion & Diversity of all by creating a safe workplace for our employees regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. It also means we will always stand on the side of equal justice and lasting change to help combat the racism and discrimination that currently divides our nation. You have my personal commitment on that.

Doing the Right thing has also been our North Star as we’ve navigated through this pandemic. In the early days of the COVID-19 crisis we suspended any collections-related activities, including service disconnections, to lessen any financial hardship from the pandemic. And, with so many working from home, we have limited any scheduled interruptions to ensure that services are always available to our more than 2.2 million gas and electric customers across Massachusetts.

We’re also doing our part to help those most impacted by this pandemic, having donated more than $1.2 million across Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York to various community organizations, by providing Personal Protective Equipment to medical facilities, and by working with city and state officials to provide the power infrastructure needed to establish field hospitals. We have also matched our employees’ own contributions throughout the pandemic and supported those who are volunteering in their cities and towns.

With safety always our number one priority, we have also taken several steps to ensure the health and wellbeing of our employees. Within a few days of the pandemic, we broadened the use of technology to enable nearly 8,000 of our employees (company-wide) to work from home, a scenario we anticipate will remain in place for at least several more months. We have instituted new guidelines and procedures for our field force, who remain active operating our control centers, repairing distribution lines and checking for gas leaks. Meanwhile, we’ve implemented travel restrictions and have established an employee health monitoring and tracing program.

As we continue to strive to Do the Right thing for our customers, we encourage you to reach out to us for assistance. We recognize the last few months have not been easy. We want you to know:

  • The electricity and gas will remain flowing
  • We are providing bill flexibility, both during the crisis and after it is over
  • We are taking safety precautions for the benefit of customers, employees and the public
  • Our employees are being protected and supported

There is certainly much work ahead as we continue to strive to Do the Right Thing through these challenging and quickly changing times.

But one thing that will not change is our commitment to serving our customers and communities. We will be here with you in the days and months ahead, delivering vital services in ways that protect life and health. Please support one another and stay safe.

Marcy Reed
President, Massachusetts and
Executive Vice President of Policy & Social Impact

For more information, please visit ngrid.com/covid-19.

National Grid

nationalgrid.com