Though the residents without power for a week following Hurricane Sandy may not agree, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) awarded Connecticut Light and Power (CL&P) an Emergency Response Award in recognition for the company’s efforts to restore service following the storm.
“CL&P was faced with a major restoration effort following Sandy,” said EEI President Tom Kuhn in a press release. “Getting the lights back on quickly and safely is never easy following these natural disasters. It takes strong commitment, advanced planning, and great execution. CL&P responded with all three. They”™re a great example for the nation”™s electric power industry. I congratulate them.”
EEI, based in Washington, D.C., is the association of U.S. shareholder-owned electric power companies and represents approximately 70 percent of the U.S. electric power industry.
Northeast Utilities, which owns CL&P, also received an award for its assistance.
More than 850,000 customers were without power after the storm, which required more than 1,700 new poles and over 100 miles of restrung wire, according to CL&P. Following the completion of Connecticut’s restoration, CL&P and NU also sent crews to help with restoration efforts in New Jersey and New York.
“These national honors truly belong to our employees, who were the driving force behind our successful restoration in hard-hit Connecticut, and our extensive mutual aid support,” said Bill Quinlan, CL&P senior vice president, in a statement. “Superstorm Sandy caused epic devastation up and down the eastern seaboard, and through tremendous hard work, our employees demonstrated their commitment to serving our customers and communities, as well as others in need.”
