ATLANTA, April 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fifth year in row, Georgia Power and the state's other electric utilities are celebrating and thanking linemen across the state for their role in keeping the lights on in every community, rain or shine. The work of linemen is visible year round, but is especially pronounced during outages, which may occur following spring and summer thunderstorms, tornadoes and winter ice storms.
During Georgia Power's 2017 Thank a Lineman initiative, saying "thank you" is easy just by signing the digital card at www.georgiapower.com/thankalineman. Additionally, Georgians can engage with linemen stories and the national initiative on social media by using and following #ThankALineman.
"From the mountains to the coast, line crews serve as the backbone of our business, keeping our customers connected and our state powered," said Leslie Sibert, vice president of distribution for Georgia Power. "We're thankful for the work that they do and are happy to take this opportunity each year to pause and recognize their commitment to safely working in truly challenging conditions day and night."
When Hurricane Matthew forced an evacuation of the Georgia Coast in October 2016, thousands of Georgia Power line personnel and linemen from assisting utilities converged on the coast to repair damage and restore service. The hurricane was one of the strongest storms to hit Coastal Georgia in a century and destroyed miles of electrical infrastructure. Working safely as a team, line personnel fully restored power to more than 338,000 affected customers earlier than expected and replaced approximately 1,000 broken or damaged power poles, replaced nearly 120 miles of wire (3,000 spans) and cleared more than 3,500 fallen trees that caused damage. Coastal Georgia residents didn't wait for April to say thanks – roadsides, parking lots and social media "lit up" in the days following the storm with signs and letters of thanks for workers' fast responses.
Beginning this year, Georgia motorists can also show their appreciation for linemen thanks to the recent passage of HB 260, legislation that creates a specialty license plate honoring linemen. Proceeds from sales of the license plates will benefit the Southeastern Firefighters Burn Foundation, which provides assistance to families of burn patients at the JMS Burn Center at Doctors Hospital in Augusta.
In addition to serving the company's 2.5 million customers in Georgia, Georgia Power linemen are often called away from their families to help restore power to neighboring states when major storms or disasters occur. These linemen can travel thousands of miles each year and can spend weeks in the field helping restore power to customers as far away as New York and Houston. Thanks in large part to these linemen, the company has received recognition from the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) for outstanding emergency response, including multiple Emergency Recovery Awards and the Emergency Assistance Award.
About Georgia Power
Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.5 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, 21st century coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is consistently recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).
SOURCE Georgia Power