Washington, D.C. (March 5, 2014) —The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) today awarded Alabama Power with the association’s “Emergency Recovery Award” and “Emergency Assistance Award” for exceptional power restoration efforts in March 2013 after a derecho wind event and for providing assistance after a severe winter storm in December.

The awards are presented annually to EEI member companies to recognize their extraordinary efforts to restore power to customers or for assisting another utility company after service disruptions caused by severe weather conditions and natural events. Winners were chosen by a panel of judges following an international nomination process, and the awards were presented during EEI’s Spring CEO and Board of Directors meeting in Washington, D.C.

Alabama Power earned the “Emergency Recovery Award” for its outstanding effort in restoring power to its customers after a derecho with wind speeds of up to 80 mph, lightning, and hail caused power outages for more than 222,000 customers. Through diligent preparation before the storm and extensive coordination with other utilities in 10 states, Alabama Power was able to fully restore power three days after the derecho.

The company was also recognized with the “Emergency Assistance Award” for its support of Oncor in Plano, Texas, after a December winter storm disrupted service for 270,000 customers. More than 400 Alabama Power employees and contractors, with more than 200 trucks, drove hundreds of miles through hazardous icy roads to assist in restoration efforts. The self-contained storm teams worked through the icy conditions for more than 43,800 man-hours to help complete power restoration.

“Alabama Power’s own recovery efforts and its assistance to Oncor in Texas demonstrate the strength of the industry’s mutual assistance network and its commitment to serving customers, regardless of service territory,” said EEI President Tom Kuhn. “We commend the crews who braved dangerous conditions in the wake of these storms, as they diligently worked to safely and quickly restore service.” 

“I am proud to have the extraordinary efforts of our employees– both at home and for our neighbors – recognized by these awards,” said Danny Glover, Alabama Power Distribution vice president. “Our folks take great pride in helping others and doing their job safely and they are committed to it.  That’s what makes our Alabama Power team so special.”

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EEI is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Our members provide electricity for 220 million Americans, operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and directly employ more than 500,000 workers. EEI has 70 international electric companies as Affiliate Members, and 250 industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members.