Dayton Power & Light earns EEI Emergency Response Award for mutual assistance efforts to restore service after Hurricane Isaias
January 14, 2021
The Dayton Power and Light Company (DP&L), a subsidiary of The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES), today was given the Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI) Emergency Assistance Award for its outstanding work to restore electric service to impacted customers in the greater Philadelphia area following Hurricane Isaias in August 2020.
Presented to EEI member companies, Emergency Response Awards recognize the recovery and assistance efforts of electric companies following service disruptions caused by extreme weather 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 virtual Winter Board and Chief Executives Meeting.
“Over the past year, many of our nation’s electric companies and their customers have endured historic storms, wildfires and other significant weather-related events” said EEI President Tom Kuhn. “Working around the clock to restore power safely and quickly to customers and deploying mutual assistance crews to support impacted companies are hallmarks of the electric power industry. When disasters strike, impacted and neighboring electric companies are quick to assess damage and to respond and assist with restoration.
“I congratulate and applaud DP&L for demonstrating continued commitment to the customers and to the communities it serves. In the midst of a global pandemic and often in the most hazardous of conditions, DP&L and its frontline employees worked around-the-clock to restore service safely and quickly. DP&L is exceptionally deserving of this prestigious award.”
“It is a great honor for DP&L to receive the EEI Emergency Assistance Award, which acknowledges the hard work, dedication and sacrifices our crews make to safely restore power and support our mutual aid partners. Crews worked long hours and followed all COVID protocols while working tirelessly to restore electric service to impacted customers following Hurricane Isaias,” said Kristina Lund, Dayton Power & Light President and CEO. “We are proud to answer the call and help with the critical restoration efforts for our neighboring electric companies in times of need.”
Hurricane Isaias was a destructive Category 1 storm that made landfall near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina at 11:10 p.m. on August 3, 2020, with sustained winds of 85 mph. The weather event caused extensive damage and continued up the U.S. East Coast, also producing several tornado outbreaks. Upon their arrival, crews were met with road closures, extensive damage from downed trees on power lines, and rain-soaked grounds. Accessibility was a key factor. With the use of a drone, crews were able to assess the damage caused by the strong winds and note areas that were not passable. More than 300,000 customers of PECO, an Excelon company, were without power.
Approximately 5.5 million customers were impacted by the full extent of Hurricane Isaias. The collective damage is compared to Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
DP&L received the EEI Emergency Assistance Award in 2018 for the Nor’easter and Hurricane Irma, and again received the award in 2017 following Hurricane Matthew.
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About The Dayton Power and Light Company
The Dayton Power and Light Company is the principal subsidiary of DPL Inc. (DPL), a regional energy provider and an AES company. DPL’s primary subsidiaries include The Dayton Power and Light Company. The Dayton Power and Light Company, a regulated electric utility, provides service to over 527,000 customers in West Central Ohio. For more information about the company, please visit www.dpandl.com. Connect with DP&L at www.twitter.com/dpltoday, www.linkedin.com/company/dayton-power-and-light, and at www.facebook.com/DPLToday.
About AES
The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) is a Fortune 500 global power company. We provide affordable, sustainable energy to 14 countries through our diverse portfolio of distribution businesses as well as thermal and renewable generation facilities. Our workforce is committed to operational excellence and meeting the world’s changing power needs. Our 2019 revenues were $10 billion and we own and manage $34 billion in total assets. To learn more, please visit www.aes.com. Follow AES on Twitter @TheAESCorp
About EEI
EEI is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Our members provide electricity for more than 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. In addition to our U.S. members, EEI has more than 65 international electric companies, with operations in more than 90 countries, as International Members, and hundreds of industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members.