Pacific Power receives Emergency Response Award for power shutoff, restoration amid N. California wildfire threat
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) – PacifiCorp received the Emergency Response Award from Edison Electric Institute this week in recognition of the company’s response to the 2023 Smith River Complex fires in Northern California.
During the 2023 event, PacifiCorp enacted an emergency de-energization of roughly 14,000 customers in Crescent City, California, and surrounding areas.
Electricity was quickly restored to customers on a temporary basis using large generators to power substations that serve the communities, while the company continued to monitor the fires, which burned through its transmission corridor.
Power was eventually permanently restored to all customers after crews performed necessary repairs.
“We are extremely proud of the tireless efforts of our response crews, support staff and leadership who worked together to make this unprecedented action possible,” said Allen Berreth, PacifiCorp’s vice president of transmission and distribution operations. “Balancing safety and reliability during times of extreme wildfire activity is a challenge, but with the support of the communities we serve, we’re showing it’s possible.”
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. The awards were presented during EEI’s Board of Directors and CEO meeting held in conjunction with EEI’s annual meeting and thought leadership forum.
“America’s electric companies work around the clock to restore power following severe storms and other extreme weather events,” said Dan Brouillette, EEI president and CEO. “PacifiCorp’s commitment to restoring power in a safe, efficient manner to the communities it serves following the Smith River Complex fires is admirable. PacifiCorp and its response team are extremely deserving of this well-earned recovery award.”
As the threat of wildfire continues to grow in the American West, PacifiCorp supports efforts by states it serves to find holistic solutions that protect communities.
About EEI:
EEI is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Our members provide electricity for nearly 250 million Americans, and operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The electric power industry supports more than 7 million jobs in communities across the United States. In addition to our U.S. members, EEI has more than 70 international electric companies, with operations in more than 90 countries, as International Members, and hundreds of industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members.
About PacifiCorp
PacifiCorp is one of the lowest-cost electrical providers in the United States, serving more than 2 million customers. The company operates as Rocky Mountain Power in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming and as Pacific Power in California, Oregon and Washington. PacifiCorp provides safe and reliable service through a vast, integrated system of generation and transmission that connects communities with the largest regulated utility owner of wind power in the West. For more information, visit www.pacificorp.com.
