NYSEG wins Electric Industry Award for 2024 Response to Tropical Storm Debby

Edison Electric Institute recognized the hard work of NYSEG crews 

 

BINGHAMTON, NY — January 8, 2025 —  New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG), a subsidiary of Avangrid, today announced it has won the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Emergency Response Award. The award honors the extraordinary performance of NYSEG during recovery and restoration efforts following Tropical Storm Debby in August 2024. EEI recognized NYSEG during its winter meeting on January 7, 2025. 

 

“We are committed to serving our customers with safe and reliable service in any situation,” said Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra. “Despite the widespread damage caused by these storms, our women and men worked quickly to restore power to hundreds of thousands of customers in a matter of days. The planning, preparation, and response took a true team effort, and all of us are immensely proud to be recognized by EEI with this prestigious award.” 

 

Tropical Storm Debby delivered heavy rainfall, harsh wind gusts, coastal flooding, and tornadoes along much of the East Coast from August 5 through 9. The combination of gusty winds and heavy rain led to downed trees and power outages for more than one hundred thousand customers across New York State. During this period, NYSEG pre-staged additional line and tree crews across the state to assist with restoration efforts. All told, more than 1,300 field service personnel worked across NYSEG’s entire service area to restore power.  

 

The efforts of NYSEG went beyond power restoration. The dedicated crews provided bagged ice and bottled water to customers in need and also connected with affected households that use electricity for life sustaining equipment. 

 

“Our customers count on NYSEG to be first responders during our extreme weather, restoring power safely, effectively, and as quickly as possible,” said Trish Nilsen, president and CEO of NYSEG and RG&E. “We are proud to receive this prestigious award because it recognizes our commitment to our customers, our communities, and operational excellence.”  

 

Presented to EEI member companies twice each year, the Emergency Response Awards recognize companies that put forth outstanding efforts to restore service promptly to the public following a storm or natural disaster.