WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- National Grid commends President Barack Obama for reiterating his vision for America's energy future in his State of the Union speech tonight. As an electric and gas delivery company, National Grid connects people to the energy they use everyday, safely.  We stand committed to modernizing our infrastructure, helping to deliver a clean energy future and safeguarding our environment for future generations, consistent with President Obama's call to double energy productivity by 2030. In recent years, we and our customers have been adversely impacted by continued extreme weather events, as highlighted by President Obama. National Grid believes we must continue to work with all stakeholders and policy leaders to make our electric and gas systems more resilient to meet our customers' needs and manage future risks.

National Grid agrees that the Administration has numerous opportunities to move energy policy forward and is committed to working with business, government and community leaders to do that. Last week we helped lead the release of Energy 2030, a comprehensive plan encouraging policymakers at all levels to invest, modernize and educate to double U.S. energy productivity by 2030. 

Specifically, we urge the Administration and Congress to support policies that promote energy efficiency, low- and zero-carbon energy sources and technologies; the expansion of smart grid and infrastructure investments; and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector. We also encourage policymakers to create incentives for innovation that will position the United States as a global leader in developing and manufacturing the next generation of clean energy technologies. 

National Grid welcomes the opportunity to work with the Administration, Congress, governors and other stakeholders in a bipartisan effort to advance America's energy infrastructure.  

NATIONAL GRID

National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE: NGG) is an electricity and gas company that connects consumers to energy sources through its networks. The company is at the heart of one of the greatest challenges facing our society - to create new, sustainable energy solutions for the future and developing an energy system that underpins economic prosperity in the 21st century. National Grid holds a vital position at the center of the energy system and it 'joins everything up'.

In the northeast US, we connect more than seven million gas and electric customers to vital energy sources, essential for our modern lifestyles. In Great Britain, we run the gas and electricity systems that our society is built on, delivering gas and electricity across the country. 

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

For more information please visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com. 

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SOURCE National Grid