DAYTON, Ohio - January 11, 2018 - The Dayton Power and Light Company (DP&L), a subsidiary of The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES), was presented today the Edison Electric Institute's (EEI) "Emergency Assistance Award" for its outstanding work assisting customers impacted by Hurricane Irma in September 2017.
The award is presented to EEI 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 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
"DP&L is very pleased and honored to be selected for the EEI Emergency Assistance Award. We are proud of the dedication and effort from our crews who worked long hours in difficult conditions restoring electricity service to our neighbors in need," said Tom Raga, Dayton Power & Light President and CEO.
The electric power industry mobilized one of the largest power restoration efforts in U.S. history in response to Hurricane Irma. Collectively, 60,000 workers from across the country supported recovery efforts which included DP&L linemen, contractors and support personnel spanning three weeks. Crews primarily worked in the Orlando, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Largo areas where they assisted Duke Energy Florida and FPL to restore electrical service.
The mutual assistance network is a voluntary partnership of electric companies from across the country to help speed restoration. Electric companies impacted by significant storms or natural disasters which cause widespread power outages enlist in their network to add skilled linemen and specialized equipment to work alongside their crews restoring power to customers. DP&L was part of the team to assist with the restoration process for Hurricane Irma. Crews worked efficiently and extended their stay to continue recovery efforts. In the future, should the DP&L service territory experience storms with extensive damage to power delivery, mutual aid from member companies will be called to send resources. Presently underway, six megawatts of battery-based energy storage are relocating from AES Ohio Generation Tait Station to support efforts in rebuilding the Puerto Rico grid for sustainability and resilience following the devastation from Hurricane Maria.
"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 Hurricane Irma struck, DP&L answered the call to help. DP&L's assistance to restore service to impacted customers is a terrific example of mutual assistance in action."
DP&L received the EEI Emergency Assistance Award in 2017 for assistance in restoring service to customers in both Georgia and Florida following Hurricane Matthew.