Duke Energy Florida has received the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Emergency Response Award for its efforts in restoring power following Hurricane Milton. The award is given twice a year to EEI member companies that demonstrate significant recovery and assistance after service disruptions caused by severe weather or natural events. Winners are selected by a panel of judges through an international nomination process, with awards presented at EEI’s Fall Board of Directors and Chief Executives Meeting.
“America’s electric companies and their dedicated workforces work tirelessly throughout the year to strengthen the energy grid and to restore power – and peace of mind – for American families and businesses after extreme weather events and natural disasters,” said EEI President and CEO Drew Maloney. “EEI is proud to recognize Duke Energy Florida for its extraordinary response efforts following Hurricane Milton. This recovery award reflects Duke Energy Florida and its storm response team’s incredible commitment to the customers and communities they serve.”
Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm on October 9, 2024, leading to approximately one million reported outages in Florida. Duke Energy Florida restored power to 95% of affected customers within 96 hours by mobilizing 16,000 resources. The company replaced over 1,600 power poles, more than 1,300 transformers, and nearly one million feet of wire and cable during the restoration process.
The company also utilized self-healing technology that covers about 80% of its customer base. This system automatically detects outages and reroutes electricity through other lines, saving an estimated 3.3 million hours of outage time during Hurricane Milton.
“While Hurricane Milton was a devastating storm that left much of Florida’s west-central coast in the dark, our team’s strategic response helped get our customers’ lights back on as quickly as possible, allowing them to focus on what really matters, like their families and businesses, and begin to pick up the pieces of their lives,” said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director. “We know they depend on us for that, and it’s a responsibility we take extremely seriously – not just during hurricane season, but all year long.”
Duke Energy Florida serves about two million customers across a 13,000-square-mile area in the state with an energy capacity of 12,300 megawatts. Customers are reminded that hurricane season continues through November; more information about storm preparedness can be found at duke-energy.com/StormTips.
EEI represents U.S. investor-owned electric companies serving nearly 250 million Americans nationwide.
For further details about Duke Energy’s operations or initiatives related to energy transition—including investments in grid upgrades and cleaner generation—visit duke-energy.com or follow the company on social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
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