SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Jan. 12, 2017) — Kentucky Power is a recipient of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Emergency Assistance Award for its outstanding work assisting customers affected by Hurricane Harvey in August 2017 and Hurricane Irma in September 2017.
The award is presented to EEI investor-owned member companies to recognize an outstanding response in assisting other electric companies in power restoration efforts after service has been disrupted by severe weather conditions or other natural events. The winners were chosen by a panel of judges following an international nomination process, and the awards were presented during EEI’s Winter Board and CEO Meeting this week in Scottsdale, Arizona.
“When disaster impacts a region, electric companies from across the nation are called on to assist impacted companies in need – mutual assistance is a hallmark of our industry,” said EEI President Tom Kuhn. “When Hurricanes Harvey and Irma struck, Kentucky Power answered both calls to help. Kentucky Power’s assistance to restore service to impacted customers is a terrific example of mutual assistance in action.”
About 100 Kentucky Power employees and contractors helped restore power in Texas after Hurricane Harvey. Just weeks later, about 150 assisted in Florida following Hurricane Irma.
“Kentucky Power employees are often the first to volunteer to help others in need during a crisis like a hurricane,” said Kentucky Power President Matt Satterwhite. “Not only are they compassionate, but also they have skills that are highly sought after in emergencies. They work in some of the toughest terrain and are experts in making repairs in remote areas where extensive pole climbing is a must. That skill is one reason why Kentucky Power employees are rising to the occasion again and volunteering to help restore service to our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico, where many have been without power since September.”
Other American Electric Power (AEP) operating companies, including Appalachian Power, Indiana Michigan Power, Southwestern Electric Power Company, AEP Ohio and Public Service Company of Oklahoma, also received the Emergency Assistance Award. AEP Texas, whose customers were affected directly by Hurricane Harvey, received the association’s Emergency Recovery Award for its outstanding power restoration efforts following the storm.
Kentucky Power, based in Ashland, serves about 168,000 customers in 20 eastern Kentucky counties and is an operating company of the AEP system. AEP, based in Columbus, Ohio, serves nearly 5.4 million regulated customers in 11 states. EEI is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Members provide electricity for 220 million Americans, and operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. As a whole, the electric power industry supports more than 7 million jobs in communities across the United States.
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