National Grid, SmartPower Honor City of Providence and Johnson and Wales

City and legendary hospitality university named latest "Energy Champions"

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – National Grid has named the City of Providence the sixth “Rhode Island Energy Champion” and Johnson & Wales University the “2015 Collegiate Challenge Champion”.

The awards are part of National Grid’s ongoing groundbreaking “Rhode Island Energy Challenge: Find Your Four!” Campaign managed by the non-profit organization SmartPower.

In addition to the designation as an “Energy Champion”, Providence will receive a grant of $7500 from National Grid to help the City invest in further energy savings.

“Providence is proud to be recognized as an Energy Champion,” said Mayor Jorge Elorza. “Energy efficiency is an important part of our strategy to meet our climate and environmental goals. Find Your Four! was a great tool to help residents and businesses in the City do their part to save money, conserve energy, and enhance the quality of life in our city.”

During the 4-month Challenge, a team of SustainPVD Energy Ambassadors attended events, posted on social media and emailed friends and neighbors to garner support for the Energy Challenge. As a result, the City of Providence met the goal of signing up over 3,300 residents for the Energy Challenge – and won the title of “Rhode Island Energy Champion”.

"Providence's designation as an Energy Champion marks an important milestone in the Find Your Four! campaign," said Timothy F. Horan, president of National Grid in Rhode Island. "The city's participation alone is another indication of Rhode Islanders' commitment to energy efficiency."

Meanwhile, Providence-based colleges and universities did their part by participating in a “Collegiate Challenge” where students, faculty and staff were encouraged to support their schools and the city. Johnson & Wales, the renowned experiential learning university based in Providence took first place in the college competition.

“Johnson & Wales University continues to lead by example and is proud to receive the 2015 Collegiate Challenge Champion award,” said Matthew Fannon, energy conservation manager, Johnson & Wales University. “Since creating its Energy Conservation Office in 2013, the university has reduced its energy consumption by over 6 million kilowatt hours. As part of the Find Your Four! Campaign, over 2,000 members of our campus population took the pledge to decrease their energy usage. By continuing to promote the simple ways to save energy, we can make it easier to do the right thing.”

“The City of Providence and Johnson & Wales are two world class institutions that are now leading the way on energy efficiency,” said Brian F. Keane, president of SmartPower. “This is a major milestone in the life of the Rhode Island Energy Challenge – and shows that Rhode Islanders are embracing National Grid’s energy efficiency efforts in all parts of their lives – where they work, where they live and where they play. It’s incredibly exciting – and a model for the entire nation.”

Since 2013 SmartPower, with the support of National Grid, has lead the Rhode Island Energy Challenge. Beginning in North Smithfield, The Challenge has included communities from Newport, Warwick, Central Falls and North Providence, with Charlestown and Narragansett as current participants. More than 8,000 Rhode Islanders have pledged to become more energy efficient through the Find Your Four! program. Residents interested in participating in the Rhode Island Energy Challenge can sign up at www.FindYourFour.com.

About SmartPower

For organizations and companies looking to engage customers in energy efficiency and clean energy actions, SmartPower is the bridge linking directly to residents and businesses. SmartPower is a strategic program-design and implementation firm that was recently named the “best non-profit marketing firm in the US”. SmartPower's exclusive focus on energy efficiency and clean energy results in high visibility, high impact on-the-ground community campaigns designed to transform how customers use, adopt and invest in clean energy and energy efficiency. Our campaigns consistently result in strong customer satisfaction. SmartPower is leading the Rhode Island Energy Challenge in partnership with National Grid. For more information, please visit www.smartpower.org