EEI Recognizes United Illuminating with Emergency Response Award

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 21, 2021) – The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) announced United Illuminating (UI) as a recipient of EEI’s Emergency Response Award.

Presented to EEI member companies, Emergency Response Awards recognize 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 on Jan. 14.

The organization presented UI with an Emergency Response Award for its restoration effort following Tropical Storm Isaias in August of 2020. Two of UI’s Avangrid Networks sister companies, Central Maine Power and New York State Electric and Gas, received similar awards.

“Over the past year, many of our nation’s electric companies and their customers have endured historic storms and 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 UI 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, UI and its frontline employees worked around-the-clock to restore service safely and quickly. UI is exceptionally deserving of this prestigious award.”

“This award testifies to the preparation and hard work of field crews and support personnel across our organization,” said Frank Reynolds, president and CEO of United Illuminating, Southern Connecticut Gas and Connecticut Natural Gas. “When we mobilize for major storms, it’s not just a UI effort — employees of all our Connecticut companies have storm roles. This honor is shared by all of our Connecticut-based employees who helped get the power back on after Tropical Storm Isaias.”

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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.

The United Illuminating Company (UI) is a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. Established in 1899, UI operates approximately 3,500 miles of electric distribution lines and 139 miles of transmission lines. It serves approximately 339,000 customers in the greater New Haven and Bridgeport areas of Connecticut. UI received the Edison Electric Institute’s Emergency Recovery Award recognizing the company’s response to the May 2018 storms that impacted its service territory. For more information, visit www.uinet.com.