For Immediate Release
Contact
PECO Communications
PECO.Communication@exeloncorp.com
PHILADELPHIA (June 21, 2018) –PECO was recognized by Edison Electric Institute (EEI) for its restoration efforts following the March nor'easters that hit Southeastern Pennsylvania and for assistance provided to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated the island last September. PECO, along with Exelon companies Atlantic City Electric, BGE in Baltimore, and Pepco in Washington D.C., were recognized with the "Emergency Recovery Award" and ComEd in Chicago received an "Assistance Award" for providing support during the nor'easters. The aforementioned companies, along with Delmarva Power in Delaware and Maryland, all received the "2018 Emergency Assistance Award for Puerto Rico Power Restoration" for contributions to the power restoration effort in Puerto Rico. The awards were presented at EEI's Annual Convention on June 6.
The Emergency Recovery Award is given to select EEI member companies to recognize their extraordinary efforts to restore power to customers after service disruptions caused by severe weather conditions or other natural events. The winners are chosen by a panel of judges following an international nomination process.
"We are honored to be recognized by EEI for our work to restore customers affected by Winter Storms Riley and Quinn," said John McDonald, PECO senior vice president and COO. "It is also an honor to be recognized for our historic efforts to help residents in Puerto Rico who had been without power, a vital part of life, for so long."
Winter storms Riley and Quinn caused extraordinary damage across the PECO service territory, leading to power interruptions for more than 750,000 customers. Riley, alone, was the third most impactful storm in PECO history, causing outages to more than 630,000 customers and causing extensive damage to electric equipment throughout the service territory. Quinn, which occurred during restoration efforts from Riley and caused an additional 120,000 outages, covered the region in up to a foot of heavy, wet snow. Combined, Winter Storms Riley and Quinn were the second most damaging storm in PECO's history. More than 2,600 PECO employees in the field and back office and 2,800 contractors and mutual assistance utility workers were engaged in restoration efforts during the storms.
In Puerto Rico, 44 PECO employees worked for nearly two months, to restore power to more than 11,000 customers who had been without power for more than six months. During the seven-week deployment, the entire Exelon team of approximately 300 employees, safely installed 376 poles, 267 transformers and over 108 miles of conductor.
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PECO, founded in 1881, is Pennsylvania's largest electric and natural gas utility. Headquartered in Philadelphia, PECO delivers energy to more than 1.6 million electric customers and more than 516,000 natural gas customers in southeastern, Pennsylvania. The company's 2,500 employees are dedicated to the safe and reliable delivery of electricity and natural gas as well as enhanced energy management conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance. PECO was named 2017 Best Mid-size Employer in Philadelphia by Forbes Magazine. The company also has an estimated annual economic impact of $4.3 billion in Pennsylvania, supporting more than 8,700 local jobs and producing $732 million in labor income. PECO is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation's only Fortune 100 utility and leading competitive energy provider. For more information visit PECO.com, and connect with the company on Facebook and Twitter.
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