A National Grid program that helps support commercial and industrial customers in Central New York helped create 165 new jobs last year and contributed to nearly $1 million in energy savings. 

National Grid’s Manufacturing Productivity Program is an economic development initiative that provides financial assistance and sustainable solutions through grants to help eligible companies streamline their manufacturing efforts, increase productivity, and eliminate waste. More than $370,000 in such grants were approved in 2024, helping to support a sector that employs more than 412,000 New Yorkers and that generated more than $90 billion in economic activity last year. 

“National Grid’s priority is to provide our customers with affordable, reliable energy to fuel their businesses,” National Grid External Affairs Director for Central New York Alberto Bianchetti said in a statement. “Our Manufacturing Productivity Program offers valuable resources to companies throughout Central New York looking to increase productivity and expand the capabilities of their workforces while also reducing waste and lowering costs.” 

Since 2003, National Grid’s 18 economic development programs have provided more than $150 million in economic development grant funding in upstate New York, creating or retaining nearly 75,000 jobs and leveraging more than $12 billion in other private and public investments. 

“Our Manufacturing Productivity Program provides tools to help local companies sustainably grow,” said National Grid Director of Economic Development Katie Newcombe. “Finding efficiencies and improving processes ensures our customers become more productive and profitable and contributes to the overall economic wellbeing of the communities we serve.”

Increased industrialization and manufacturing activity are two of the key drivers of electricity demand growth in New York and throughout the United States, alongside artificial intelligence technologies and data center expansion and the electrification of the broader economy. 

National Grid and other EEI member companies have been making substantial infrastructure investments to help support demand growth. Investor-owned electric companies invested a record $178.2 billion to enhance America’s critical energy infrastructure last year and are projected to make more than $1.1 trillion in similar investments between 2025 and 2029, creating millions of jobs and supporting local economies across the country. 

The industry also is embracing AI and innovative technologies to drive efficiency and better serve customers. National Grid Partners, the unregulated corporate venture capital and innovation arm of the company, announced a commitment to investing $100 million into energy-related AI startups during CERAWeek earlier this year. Read more at electricperspectives.com.