Alabama Power receives Emergency Response Awards from the Edison Electric Institute for 2022 storms
The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) announced today that Alabama Power has earned two of its prestigious Emergency Response Awards for recovery and assistance efforts following Winter Storm Landon and the March 30 string of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes that passed through the state.
“It is an honor to be recognized by EEI for our restoration efforts following severe weather,” said Alabama Power CEO Mark Crosswhite. “These awards reflect our team’s preparation, hard work and dedication to customers.”
During the first quarter of 2022, Alabama Power responded to two severe weather events that, respectively, caused major damage and service disruptions.
In early February, Winter Storm Landon brought heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain across a 2,000-mile stretch between Texas, the Midwest and the Northeast. Alabama Power sent 173 company lineworkers, 245 contractors and 178 trucks to Plano, Texas, assisting Oncor Electric Delivery with downed lines in freezing temperatures with heavily iced roads and bridges.
“Our employees demonstrate excellent commitment to our customers by utilizing their world-class training and skill set, demonstrating excellent customer service in all that they do, from recovery and restoration to providing assistance to our industry peers,” said Scott Moore, Alabama Power senior vice president of Power Delivery.
On March 30-31, a line of severe thunderstorms, strong winds of up to 80 mph and several tornadoes affected Alabama Power’s service territory. Prior to these storms and well after their passing, sustained rain and winds soaked the ground and toppled trees, causing extensive damage and more than 115,000 outages. Working more than 35,000 combined hours, Alabama Power crews and contractors helped replace 203 poles, 105 transformers and two transmission towers.
“We know our customers depend on us to restore service when outages occur, especially following severe weather,” said Jonathan Porter, Alabama Power senior vice president of Customer Operations. “Delivering excellent customer service is our priority, and our seasoned crews are always prepared to respond safely and as quickly as possible get the lights back on.”
EEI is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. EEI members provide electricity for more than 220 million Americans and operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
EEI’s Emergency Response Awards recognize electric utilities that go the extra mile to restore service after storms or other natural disasters. Since the award was created in 1998, Alabama Power has earned this recognition 31 times – more than any other utility within the Southern Company system.
“Over the past year, electric companies confronted severe storms and extreme weather events, including hurricanes, tornadoes and winter storms, that impacted customers and communities across the nation,” said EEI President Tom Kuhn. “I congratulate and applaud Alabama Power and its employees for their continued dedication to the customers and communities that they serve, and I am honored to present them with this well-deserved award.”
The Emergency Response Award winners were chosen by a panel of judges following an international nomination process. The awards were presented during EEI 2022, the organization’s annual thought leadership forum.