National Grid earns 3 EEI awards for New York emergency response

Company’s workforce is again recognized for excellence in storm response, restoration

National Grid Press Release

National Grid has been named a recipient of three Edison Electric Institute Emergency Recovery and Response awards, which recognize the company’s exceptional emergency storm response and subsequent restoration of electricity service to hundreds of thousands of customers across upstate New York during multiple severe weather events from November 2022 to March 2023.

“Ensuring the safety of our customers, communities and crews is our industry’s top priority. Safety is especially critical during severe storms and extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, tornadoes and winter storms,” EEI President and CEO Tom Kuhn said. “I commend National Grid’s commitment to restoring service for its customers safely and efficiently under challenging conditions. National Grid and its storm response team are extremely deserving of this national recognition, and I am honored to present them with these well-earned recovery awards.”

National Grid earned its first award for service restoration to 202,000 upstate New York customers impacted by an historic multiday Christmas week blizzard. More than half of those customers resided in Western New York, where 3,200 line, service, tree, damage assessment and public safety experts worked around the clock in unprecedented and dangerous conditions to restore service.

The five-day blizzard also required the company to work closely with the federal, state and local government agencies that cleared roads and removed more than 4 feet of snow so National Grid’s field force could access and repair equipment. The event, known as Winter Storm Elliott, was one of the largest, most destructive storms ever to hit upstate New York.

The second award was for the company’s response to a three-day nor’easter in March where more than 3,000 restoration experts were mobilized to restore electricity service to nearly 139,000 Eastern New York customers. The long-duration nor’easter brought more than 2 feet of snow and 45 mph winds in some locations.

National Grid also was recognized for its emergency response after heavy, wet snowfall knocked down trees, tree limbs, utility poles and electricity wires during four storms from November to March that impacted more than 350,000 customers across upstate New York.

“Our company prides itself on putting our 1.7 million upstate New York customers first, and it’s with them in mind that we drill year-round to ensure that they can always rely on us when the weather takes a turn for the worse,” said Brian Gemmell, chief operating officer of electric operations, National Grid New York. “I am very proud of the hard work and dedication my National Grid colleagues and contractors deliver to our customers every day, and I’m especially proud that they rise to the occasion during every storm, even when it means time away from family and friends over the holidays. It is on their behalf that I extend my thanks and appreciation to EEI for these awards.”

Presented to EEI member companies twice a year, the 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 summer board of directors and CEO meeting held in conjunction with EEI 2023.

Since 2002, National Grid has earned 48 Emergency Response Awards from EEI.