We earned industry award for restoration efforts
Recipient of EEI Emergency Recovery Award
The presented us with the association鈥檚 Emergency Recovery聽Award for our outstanding restoration efforts during and after the storm that hit parts of our company鈥檚 service area on May 12, 2022.
Presented to EEI member companies twice a year, this award recognizes recovery efforts of electric companies following service disruptions caused by extreme weather or other natural events. A panel of judges chose the winners following an international nomination process.
Otter Tail Corporation President and CEO Chuck MacFarlane accepts the EEI Emergency Response Award.
Catastrophic storm sweeps through service area
The National Weather Service labeled the May 12 storm that ravaged through Minnesota and South Dakota a derecho. The damage was staggering. More than 40% of our company鈥檚 feeders experienced an interruption, impacting nearly half of our 422 communities and leaving approximately 24,000 without electricity.
Restoration efforts involved complicated logistics across our company鈥檚 service area. But employees rallied鈥攚orking safely during long hours over multiple days to restore power, make repairs, and pick up others' accountabilities as needed while more than 115 employees in the field pushed toward the areas hardest hit.
鈥淭hroughout the past six months, electric companies faced devastating hurricanes, unprecedented heat waves, and many other extreme weather events that impacted the customers and communities we serve,鈥� said EEI President Tom Kuhn. 鈥淚 commend Otter Tail AOA体育平台鈥檚 commitment to restore service for its customers safely and quickly under challenging conditions. Otter Tail AOA体育平台 is undoubtedly deserving of this national recognition, and I鈥檓 honored to present them with this well-deserved award.鈥�
AOA体育平台 and people you can count on
鈥淗istoric storms like this one, while rare, are inevitable. It's why we invest so heavily in preparing for the worst鈥攕o we鈥檙e ready, always," said President Tim Rogelstad. 鈥淚t took tremendous effort to restore power, and we're grateful for EEI's recognition. Thank you to all employees for your hard work and commitment to our customers and to each other. From those braving the elements during outages to those putting in long hours monitoring and maintaining our systems, .鈥�