MORO, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), a leading sustainable energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, today celebrated the grand opening of its National Training Center (NTC) in Oregon. The NTC is a world-class facility located in Sherman County near many of Avangrid’s operating wind and solar farms, and will serve as a centralized location to train and upskill technicians working across Avangrid’s onshore renewable energy portfolio.
“It was a pleasure to celebrate the grand opening of the National Training Center today alongside our dedicated Oregon and Washington employees, and I am proud to see this project come to life,” said Pedro Azagra, Avangrid CEO. “This new facility will be key to executing on our commitment to accelerating a clean energy transition. It will help us bring new wind and solar technicians up to speed quickly and efficiently, and empower the hundreds of technicians currently operating our onshore fleet to become experts in their field.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, wind turbine service technicians will be the fastest growing job through 2032. With the NTC, Avangrid will be well-positioned to address the growing demand for these highly skilled, clean energy jobs.
Avangrid expects to train more than 200 employees each year at the NTC. 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. The first cohort will begin coursework as soon as this summer.
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, as well as additional individual components pertaining to a wind farm, solar plant, or High Voltage installation.
The NTC is located in Sherman County near many of the Avangrid’s 14 renewable energy facilities in Oregon, and represents an additional commitment and investment in the region. The company’s wind and solar fleet support more than 60 full-time operations jobs in the region and have contributed more than $140 million combined in property taxes over the life of projects.
Avangrid’s training program was developed in accordance with guidelines from the American Clean Power Association. Additionally, Avangrid will seek certification from the Global Wind Organisation (GWO) to ensure technicians are meeting global industry safety standards.
About Avangrid: Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $45 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 as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens – in 2024 for the fourth consecutive year. 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.
