“First and foremost, we want to reassure customers that there is no anticipated interruption in electricity production or service as a result of COVID-19,” Northern Power & Light founder and CEO, Emmett Smith said. “But this is also an opportunity for us to show what a local power company can be and support our neighbors through a difficult time.”

NP&L is offering its customers the opportunity to defer payment of March and April bills without penalty. Customers wishing to take advantage of this program should contact ethan@npandl.com.

Formulated using a recipe developed by the World Health Organization and approved for production by the Food and Drug Administration, the product is being distributed for free to area medical and emergency services such as Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, Citizen Advocates of Saranac Lake, Life Net EMT Helicopter and the Bloomingdale Volunteer Fire Department, community support organizations like St. Paul’s Food Pantry and Saranac Lake Meals on Wheels, and local retailers and restaurants such as Nori’s Market, Origin Coffee, and Bitters & Bones.

Similar services or businesses that would like to receive NP&L’s free hand sanitizer can contact the company by emailing sanitizer@npandl.com.

The general public can purchase it at The Village Mercantile in Saranac Lake, Potsdam Food Co-Op, Nature’s Storehouse in Canton and North Country Food Co-Op in Plattsburgh as of April 1. Online orders can also be placed through the Village Mercantile Apothecary at villagmerc.com. All proceeds from the sale of hand sanitizer will fund further production and continuing free distribution to local medical and service workers.