Avangrid Utility Subsidiaries in Connecticut Celebrate New Line Worker Graduates of Trade Internship Program

ORANGE, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 21, 2025--

Avangrid, Inc., a leading energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, today announced the graduation celebration of eleven students from the UI (United Illuminating) and SCG (Southern Connecticut Gas) Trade Internship Program. As part of this celebration, UI leaders Christine Pariseau and Moses Rams were recognized by Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont with a Governor’s Proclamation for their leadership in the Trade Internship Program. Pariseau, Senior Director of Electric Operations, and Rams, Chief Line Crew Leader at UI and President of the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) Local 470-1, run the internship program designed to introduce high school and community college students to in-demand union careers in the energy and utility sectors. The Proclamations were presented to Pariseau and Rams on August 20 in Trumbull during the graduation ceremony for the 11 students that completed this year’s program.

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“Building pathways to meaningful and empowering careers in the utility sector is critical for the future of our nation’s energy infrastructure,” said Avangrid CEO Jose Antonio Miranda. “The achievements of our graduates are a testament to the dedication of our leaders and student mentors, Christine Pariseau and Moses Rams, whose work is transforming our communities. We are incredibly proud of this year’s graduates of our Trade Internship Program for reaching this important milestone and happily welcome you into the growing community of energy professionals.”

In March 2025, Avangrid announced its plan to invest $20 billion in U.S. electrical grid infrastructure through the end of the decade. The plan reflects the critical need to invest in energy infrastructure to meet growing demand, as well as the United States’ position as a top investment priority for Avangrid and Iberdrola.

The Trade Internship Union Scholars Program launched in 2023 as a partnership of Avangrid, UI, and the Utility Workers Union of America 470-1. It provides a 10-week, hands-on paid internship to students enrolled in local trade high schools and Housatonic Community College interested in the field of electric linework. Thirteen former trade interns have been hired full-time by UI and Avangrid as Rotational Utility Workers from 2023 to 2025. Each year, the program has expanded as other Avangrid utilities follow UI’s example, including Connecticut Natural Gas, Southern Connecticut Gas, and Central Maine Power.

The recognition from Governor Lamont acknowledges Christine and Moses’ commitment to Connecticut’s youth, the linesman profession, and UI’s customers. Exposure to electric lineworking and other opportunities for front-line union professions in utility companies teaches students the possibilities that provide life-long career stability and financial freedom.

“Through the trade internship program, our students go through rigorous and regimented training, and it is a true accomplishment to be a graduate,” said Christine Pariseau. “I am committed to showing our youth all of the possibilities available to them and equipping them with valuable skills as they start to think about their future careers.”

“I am proud of the students graduating today and look forward to seeing where this training takes them in the future,” said Moses Rams. “This program exposes the students to the gratification of hard work and the impact you can have on the community. This is an incredibly rewarding career, and I am excited for the opportunities to come for these graduates.”

About SCG: The Southern Connecticut Gas Company (SCG) is a subsidiary of Avangrid, Inc. Established in 1847, SCG operates approximately 2,500 miles of natural gas distribution pipelines, serving approximately 206,000 customers in the greater New Haven and Bridgeport areas of Connecticut. For more information, visit www.soconngas.com.

About UI: The United Illuminating Company (UI) is a subsidiary of Avangrid, Inc. Established in 1899, UI operates approximately 3,600 miles of electric distribution lines and 138 miles of transmission lines. It serves approximately 341,000 customers in the greater New Haven and Bridgeport areas of Connecticut. UI received the Edison Electric Institute’s Emergency Recovery Award in 2019 and 2021. For more information, visit www.uinet.com.

About Avangrid: Avangrid, Inc. is a leading energy company in the United States working to meet the growing demand for energy for homes and businesses across the nation through service, innovation, and continued investments by expanding grid infrastructure and energy generation projects. Avangrid has offices in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, and Oregon, including operations in 23 states with approximately $48 billion in assets, and has two primary lines of business: networks and power. Through its networks business, Avangrid owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.4 million customers in New York and New England. Through its power generation business, Avangrid owns and operates more than 75 energy generation facilities across the United States producing 10.5 GW of power for over 3.1 million customers. Avangrid employs approximately 8,000 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens in 2025 for the fifth consecutive year. The company was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2025 for the seventh consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A. For more information, visit http://www.avangrid.com.

Pictured: Celebration of graduates from Trade Internship Program

WASHINGTON (AP) — Days before the U.S. military operation that removed Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro from power, Trump administration lawyers blessed the action by saying it would “not rise to the level of war in the constitutional sense” and would serve “important national interests,” according to a legal opinion that articulates a muscular view of presidential power.

The heavily redacted version of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel opinion, released this week, sheds new light on how the administration came to conclude that it was legally permitted to oust Maduro as Venezuela's president in a stunning middle-of-the-night military operation Jan. 3.

The opinion, dated Dec. 23, was prepared for the legal adviser for the White House National Security Council. The 22-page document was drafted by lawyers at the Office of Legal Counsel, which is historically called upon to resolve thorny questions of law for the executive branch.

In this instance, the opinion wrestles with the question of whether President Donald Trump could order the military to aid law enforcement in removing Maduro from power so he could face criminal prosecution in the United States.

The answer, the opinion said, was yes. It cited five separate reasons, including what it said were “severe” allegations against Maduro contained in a drug-trafficking conspiracy indictment; the “numerous other highly dangerous activities" that he and his associates were alleged to be involved in; the possible need of military force to protect civilians in Venezuela and abroad from Venezuela; and the potential that U.S. personnel would encounter an “armed resistance” protecting Maduro.

“Here, we were told to assume that there were as many as 200 armed guards in a literal fort who have been sent from and armed by another country purely to ensure Maduro’s safety,” the opinion said. “This level of expected armed resistance supports the need for military forces to provide security for law enforcement personnel carrying out the rendition.”

Though the opinion does identify what it said were significant risks in the military operation, depending in part on Maduro's precise location at the time of the action, administration lawyers judged a low likelihood that it would lead to an all-out war that would require congressional approval.

Republican leaders have said they had no advance notification of the raid to seize Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Facing pressure from Trump, Senate Republicans voted to dismiss a resolution Wednesday that would have limited his ability to conduct further attacks against Venezuela.

“While we cannot speculate as to any presidential decision in response to the significant loss of U.S. servicemembers, we were assured that there is no contingency plan to engage in any substantial and sustained operation that would amount to a constitutional war,” the opinion said.

“We were further assured that there is no contingency plan that would involve using U.S. forces occupying Venezuela should the removal of Maduro result in civil unrest in that country. Based on that assessment of U.S. intentions, we do not currently plan any action that would amount to a constitutional war,” it added.

The legal opinion also says the fact that a president “can lawfully authorize the operation does not by itself render any and all use of force in its completion lawful.” The personnel involved, the opinion said, “must implement his lawful order in a reasonable way.”

President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine listen as Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)