FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Courtney Quatrino

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Courtney Quatrino March 2, 2010 National Grid 315.428.5891

Kimberly Court Onondaga Community College 978.404.9582

ONONDAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND NATIONAL GRID TEAM UP TO TRAIN NEW GENERATION OF UTILITY WORKERS

New Program to Replenish Workforce and Enhance Math and Science Skills Gains State Approval; Joins National Grid Engineering Our Future Initiative

SYRACUSE, N.Y., March 2, 2010 – A newly approved certificate program developed by Onondaga Community College and National Grid will prepare the next generation of utility workers and help address the utility industry’s need to replenish its workforce. The curriculum also encourages students to achieve higher levels of education following their certification. The program was approved last month by the New York State Department of Education. ““The Utility Worker Certificate program provides specialized, hands-on training to prepare workers for high-demand jobs in the rapidly changing energy industry,” said Cathleen McColgin, Ph.D, Onondaga Community College senior vice president and provost. “We are pleased to offer this program in partnership with National Grid.” The one-year program comes at a time when utilities are facing a wave of baby-boomer retirements, and with it, an impending shortage of available line workers. Advances in utility technology and increasing investment in enhancing aging electric networks further amplifies the need for a skilled workforce. To help meet that demand, National Grid has joined with area colleges to develop the next generation of utility workers. -more- NATIONAL GRID – UTILITY WORKER CERTIFICATION PROGRAM 2/

“The most sought after new hires have a strong background in math and science as well as solid communication skills,” said Kathy Lyford, vice president of operations, National Grid Central Division. “Complexity of energy systems is increasing at a rapid rate. That is why it is not only beneficial, but necessary that members of the utility field workforce be academically as well as mechanically prepared to take on the demands of the energy revolution.” National Grid is taking action to address the challenge of workforce development with its innovative and comprehensive “Engineering Our Future” initiative to inspire youth and attract and develop utility workers. National Grid already has invested more than $3 million in this program to target students of all ages and backgrounds to encourage them to study science, technology, engineering and math, collectively known as “STEM.” Beginning in 2007, National Grid joined with Onondaga Community College to implement its new utility worker-training program. The one-year certification encompasses traditional training and works to set valued educational math and science standards for those entering the field. It is also designed to assist the utility in attracting a more diversified pool of employment candidates. “This program allows individuals to focus on courses that are important for utility work, while at the same time translating those credits into a one-year certificate program and further into a two-year degree if they choose to do so,” Lyford said. “The certificate program also provides a good overview of utilities that makes it easier for workers just entering the industry.” For more information about employment at National Grid, visit the Careers section of www.nationalgridus.com. National Grid is committed to providing equal opportunity in employment to all qualified persons without regard to non-work-related factors such as race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, sexual orientation, or status as a Vietnam-era veteran or special disabled veteran.

National Grid is an international energy-delivery company. In the U.S., National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. National Grid also owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation that provides power to over one million LIPA customers.

With more than 12,000 students, Onondaga Community College is the second-largest undergraduate institution in Central New York and was named one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the country by Community College Week. Founded in 1961, it is a comprehensive two-year college operating under the State University of New York (SUNY) and is locally sponsored by Onondaga County. Onondaga offers nearly 50 programs of study, bachelor and master’s degrees available on campus through the Regional Higher Education Center, and more than 80 other transfer agreements with four-year colleges and universities. ####