SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The Edison Electric Institute
(EEI) today honored Entergy Corp. as a winner of the association's "Emergency
Response Award" for its outstanding efforts to restore power in the wake of
Tropical Storm Cindy and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, all of which wreaked
extensive damage across the company's service territory in the summer of 2005.
EEI, the association of shareholder-owned electric utility companies,
presents its "Emergency Response" and "Emergency Assistance" awards annually
to both U.S. and foreign-based member companies to recognize outstanding
efforts in restoring electric service that has been disrupted by severe
weather conditions or other natural events. Winners are chosen by a panel of
judges following a national and international nomination process. Awards were
presented during EEI's winter CEO meeting here Wednesday.
2005 brought with it three of the worst natural disasters in the company's
history in terms of customer outages. First, a strong Tropical Storm Cindy
struck southeast Louisiana on July 5, knocking out power for more than 270,000
Entergy customers across the region in the process. Fortunately, these
outages were short-lived as more than two thousand restoration personnel
successfully restored power to all who could take service by July 8. However,
Tropical Storm Cindy provided but a glimpse of what was to come.
After crossing the Florida peninsula, Hurricane Katrina tracked northwest
before slamming first into the Louisiana coast near Buras and then into
Mississippi near the hamlet of Waveland. The Category 3 storm's 125 mile per
hour sustained winds and storm surge wiped out homes and businesses, leaving a
broad swath of destruction in its wake. Tragically, many New Orleans
neighborhoods that had been largely spared Katrina's wrath were later
devastated by flooding that resulted from a series of levee failures across
the region. As a result, most Entergy facilities in the New Orleans area,
including the company's Poydras Street headquarters, were damaged.
Just 26 days later, Hurricane Rita, the second worst storm in Entergy's
history, made landfall near the Texas/Louisiana border and knocked out power
to 800,000 customers on both sides of the Sabine River. The storm's heavy
wind and rain also severed all transmission connections between the two
states, damaged a number of area generating stations, disrupted electric
service to seven oil refineries and caused a power shortfall near Houston,
outside the hurricane's direct impact zone.
Tropical Storm Cindy and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita together tested
Entergy's storm restoration capabilities like never before and presented a
host of challenges, many of which must still be overcome. Thousands of
customers in the greater New Orleans area will require repair or
reconstruction of their homes and businesses, and subsequent safety
inspections, prior to receiving service. To date, more than 90 percent of
Orleans parish customers have power available, with work progressing well to
repair street lighting and traffic signals. The critical task of supporting
proceedings for regulatory cost recovery and/or government assistance remains.
Entergy also garnered an "Emergency Assistance Award" for its efforts to help
Florida Power & Light restore power in the wake of Hurricane Wilma. The
company sent more than 380 restoration personnel to South Florida following
the late-season storm, a significant feat considering the difficult
circumstances under which the company is operating in this post-Katrina and
Rita environment.
Praising the company for swift action in the face of great adversity, EEI
President Tom Kuhn said, "It is a privilege to honor the men and women of
Entergy with this well-deserved award. This industry prides itself on its
commitment to service, and Entergy's actions before, during and after these
devastating storms are a testament to that commitment."
Edison Electric Institute (EEI) is the association of U.S. shareholder-
owned electric companies, international affiliates and industry associates
worldwide. Our U.S. members serve roughly 90 percent of the ultimate
customers in the shareholder-owned segment of the industry, nearly 70 percent
of all electric utility ultimate customers in the nation, and generate nearly
60 percent of the electricity produced in the United States.
SOURCE Edison Electric Institute
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Related links:
http://www.eei.org
CONTACT:
Jason Cuevas of Edison Electric Institute,
+1-202-508-5074
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