Construction sites are noisy places with heavy, diesel-fueled equipment digging, moving and lifting materials, and National Grid is the leading the way to make these sites a little quieter -- and greener -- by being one of the first utilities to incorporate a fully electric-powered backhoe into its fleet.  The company is working with John Deere to test a fully-electric backhoe to help deliver New York’s ambitious clean energy goals, while using equipment that performs equivalently to other diesel-powered equipment.

“The battery-powered backhoe is performing similarly to its diesel fueled counterpart that we use in the field,” said Holly Oyer, National Grid director of gas field operations for Central New York. “There are many advantages of using this equipment, chief among them is the noise reduction on the work site, allowing for better communication between supervisors and crew members while a job is in progress.”

Using battery-operated equipment helps National Grid reach its companywide emissions target of net zero by 2050 and further supports the company’s initiatives to increase the number of electric vehicles across its service area.

“National Grid is leading the way on incorporating battery-powered construction equipment into our business, and this new backhoe loader directly supports our efforts to reach the goal of zero-emissions by 2050,” said Rudy Wynter, National Grid’s New York President. “We are taking this step in committing to sustainability in all matters of our business, from reducing waste, to fleet management and community improvement, to help achieve this target. We are proud to be working with John Deere and so many other partners to deliver the clean energy future.”

By purchasing and testing battery-powered construction equipment, National Grid is at the forefront of electrifying its vehicle fleet and driving the success and adoption of electric construction equipment for other energy companies as well as businesses in the construction industry by demonstrating and realizing benefits to the environment, customers, communities and employees.

"I applaud National Grid for taking New York State's emissions goals seriously and demonstrating their own commitment to reaching zero emissions by 2050 by embracing an electrified vehicle fleet," said Assemblyman Al Stirpe. "Through 2019's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is leading the way in its pursuit of Green energy to not only combat climate change but to improve our everyday lives. I trust we will see continued innovation and leadership from our utilities as we work towards these goals."

This backhoe is equipped with the John Deere-developed E-Power battery, electric vehicle design, engineered to deliver lower daily operating costs, reduced job site noise, enhanced machine reliability and zero tailpipe emissions without compromising on power or performance.

“This project is another stepping-stone in our backhoe innovation journey, and we’re excited about what we can learn from this phase for subsequent electrification testing and design refinement,” said Brian Hennings, John Deere’s Product Manager of Backhoes.

About National Grid

About National Grid: National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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