Vermont Utility Wins Industry
Award for Storm Response
 Vermont’s largest electric company has won the industry’s highest honor for storm recovery – for the second time in two years.
Central Vermont Public Service President Bob Young accepted the Edison Electric Institute’s 2008 Emergency Recovery Award for the company’s response to a December 2008 ice storm. Pre-event planning led to the restoration of service to more than 70 percent of affected customers after just one day, and complete restoration within a week. CVPS is the smallest company to receive the honor.
| Right: A line worker from Allegheny Power, in western Pennsylvania, climbs a newly installed pole on a cross-country line in Readsboro, Vt., where significant damage resulted from last December’s ice storm. Thirty-three Allegheny crews came to help Central Vermont Public Service restore power in southeastern Vermont. |
“Employees’ single-minded focus on our customers turned what could have been one of our darkest hours into one of our finest,” Young said. Many employees’ lives were relegated to working, sleeping and eating throughout our recovery, and then many of them volunteered to go to New Hampshire to help out there. We are blessed to have some one of the finest workers in the industry.”
The ice storm wreaked unprecedented damage in southern and eastern Vermont, knocking down thousands of trees and power lines, along with cell service and radio communications. CVPS marshaled all of its resources and brought in contractors and mutual aid from Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Ontario.
CVPS, which has 95 line workers, nearly tripled the number of line crews, bringing in 170 outside line workers, 150 tree workers and 75 other outside workers. It required a massive logistics effort to supply, feed, supervise, organize and house them. Hundreds of other CVPS employees provided support.
“With its exemplary storm response and safety record, Vermont’s largest electric utility has long been the envy of the industry,” said Local 300 Business Manager Jeffrey Wimette. “Our union is very proud to have 216 members working for CVPS. This award is a wonderful example of labor and management cooperatively fostering a work force that takes customer service and the success of the company very seriously.”
The EEI Emergency Recovery Award is presented annually based on the winner’s ability to respond swiftly and efficiently, overcome difficult circumstances, utilize unique or innovative techniques, communicate effectively with customers and restore service promptly.
|
|
Related Articles
