NEW HAVEN — April 21, 2015 — On the eve of Earth Day, UIL Holdings Corporation (NYSE: UIL) and TEAM, Inc. announced their collaboration on a project that will help bring essential services to families in the Naugatuck Valley while benefiting the environment.
As the Community Action Agency in Connecticut’s lower Naugatuck Valley area, TEAM provides an array of services, including distribution of energy assistance to people with economic disadvantages. Recently, TEAM received some energy assistance of its own — courtesy of UIL Holdings and its subsidiary, The United Illuminating Company (UI).
UIL donated and installed 18 solar panels on the roof of TEAM’s building at 30 Elizabeth St. in Derby. The solar panels, which were activated this month, are expected to offset the nonprofit organization’s electric bill by an estimated $50 to $100 a month.
On April 21, UIL and TEAM executives gathered at the organization’s Derby headquarters to celebrate the collaboration.
“For an agency like ours, every dollar saved is a dollar we can use to help provide food and energy assistance, youth programs and other critical services for members of our community,” said David Morgan, TEAM’s president and chief executive officer. “We are pleased whenever our partners are able to find creative ways to help us carry out our mission effectively.”
Anthony Marone, UIL’s senior vice president for customer and business services, explained that the solar panels were originally part of a UI pilot program. UIL employees had the idea to donate them to a nonprofit agency in the community that receives UIL support.
TEAM was selected based on its mission — it distributes state energy assistance funds that help needy families heat their homes during the winter — and other factors. Marone noted that the rooftop of TEAM’s Elizabeth Street facility is well suited for solar panels.
UI technicians installed the solar panels last year at no cost to TEAM, and the devices, which require little or no maintenance, were activated earlier this year. TEAM will receive credit for the renewable energy produced by the solar panels that can offset their billing balances.
“This worked out really nicely for all involved,” Marone said. “We have long been supporters of TEAM and the work they do in the community, so we really jumped at this opportunity to help them in a way that’s both community friendly and environmentally friendly.”
About UIL Holdings Corporation:
Headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut, UIL Holdings Corporation (NYSE:UIL) is a diversified energy delivery company serving more than 700,000 electric and natural gas utility customers in 67 communities across two states, with combined total assets of over $5 billion.
UIL is the parent company of The United Illuminating Company (UI), The Southern Connecticut Gas Company (SCG), Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation (CNG), and The Berkshire Gas Company, each more than 100 years old. UI provides for the transmission and delivery of electricity and other energy related services for Connecticut’s Greater New Haven and Bridgeport areas. SCG and CNG are natural gas distribution companies that serve customers in Connecticut, while Berkshire Gas serves natural gas customers in western Massachusetts. UIL employs more than 1,850 people in the New England region.
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Pipes and Poles 