Southern Co. awarded for Puerto Rico restoration aid

Southern Company has won an award for its contribution to restoration efforts in Puerto Rico, following the devastation caused to the island by hurricane Maria last year.

Edison Electric Institute, an association that represents U.S. investor-owned electric companies, presented the utility company with the 2018 Emergency Assistance Award for Puerto Rico Power Restoration.

The company was among 60 other utilities from across the country that sent personnel, equipment and resources to aid in the restoration of power to Puerto Rico. Southern Company crews included personnel from its subsidiaries Georgia Power, Alabama Power, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power and PowerSecure.

Restoration efforts were hampered by difficult terrain, mak-

ing it difficult to get access to the mainland areas.

EEI President Tom Kuhn termed the mission by the mutual assistance team unprecedented, lauding the efforts by participating utilities.

“The electric power industry pulled together with one goal in mind: to restore power to the people of Puerto Rico — it truly was one team, one mission,” added Kuhn.

Toward the end of last month, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority announced that 99 percent of power had been restored to the island.

“The enormous commitment and hard work shown throughout our company and the entire industry was paramount in restoring Puerto Rico’s energy grid,” said Thomas Fanning, chairman of Southern Company.

The storm, which made landfall on the island last September, damaged 80 percent of its energy grid, leaving most of the island without power and resulting in the deaths of almost 5,000 people.

Hurricane Maria, a category 4 storm, was one of the major storms of 2017, which, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association, was one of the most active hurricane seasons on record.