More than 50,000 workers from U.S. and Canada rush to restore power
More than 7.1 million customers were without power across Florida and in parts of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina as a result of Hurricane Irma. As the storm moved through the region, companies were able to address more than 1.25 million outages, due largely to recent investments in energy grid technology and automation.
“This is likely to be one of the largest and most complex power restoration efforts in U.S. history,” said Edison Electric Institute (EEI) President Tom Kuhn. “An army of more than 50,000 workers from across the United States and Canada is now dedicated to supporting the industry’s Irma restoration efforts. This includes workers from affected companies, as well as mutual assistance crews, contractors, and other support personnel. Mutual assistance is a hallmark of our industry and serves as an effective—and critical—restoration resource for electric companies.”