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When a major disaster strikes, electric and natural gas crews from the NU system are often found restoring service to the customers of another utility. The principle that brings our crews to their assistance also promises help when disaster strikes at home.
Mutual aid is a compact made between energy utilities to provide personnel, equipment and other assistance during emergencies when doing so does not risk energy reliability for their own customers. This reciprocal agreement allows utilities to receive critical resources to address infrequent but overwhelming service needs without the cost of maintaining these additional resources year-round.
Because neighboring utilities in an affected regions may be similarly impacted, the nearest available help is often hundreds of miles away. Because of this and their reputation for swift and safe restorations, NU system crews are often in demand when hurricanes and other major disasters strike the nation.
Mutual aid crews (two- and three-member teams and support personnel) may drive more than a day in their vehicles to reach a restoration site, and be separated from their families for days or weeks. The utility being assisted provides food, lodging and wages for these workers. In the event of lengthy restorations, NU may send replacement restoration workers to allow employees to come home.
- In March 2011, 10 NU crews (CL&P) assist Central Vermont Public Service for one day to restore power following a heavy snowstorm and a buildup of ice on power lines, trees and branches in southern Vermont.
- In June 2010, 29 NU crews (CL&P 24, WMECo 5) assist United Illuminating for two days to restore power in the greater Bridgeport area after a tornado touched down in Connecticut’s largest city.
- In February 2009, 33 NU crews (CL&P 23, WMECo 5, PSNH 5) spend 10 days assisting Kentucky Utilities to restore power in frigid conditions after an ice storm cut power to 177,000 customers.
- In September 2008, 53 NU crews (CL&P 28, WMECo 10, PSNH 16) spend six days assisting Entergy to restore power after Hurricane Gustav knocked out power to more than 964,000 customers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas. Most of the NU crews worked in Arkansas. The NU crews safely drove 240,000 miles, the farthest NU crews have driven on a restoration effort.
- In September 2008, 46 NU crews (CL&P 28, PSNH 12, WMECo 6) spend over a week in Ohio assisting Dayton Power and Light, the Illuminating Company and Ohio Edison after remnants of Hurricane Ike caused power outages. Before they arrived in Ohio, the NU crews were in upstate New York assisting National Grid with outages caused by the storm in the Syracuse, N.Y., area.
2009 Emergency Assistance Award: NU wins the Emergency Assistance Award from the Edison Electric Institute for the third time for its assistance to Dayton Power and Light following Hurricane Ike
- In January 2008, NU sends 27 crews (CL&P 22, WMECo 5) to upstate western New York for six days to assist National Grid after wind gusts of up to 75 mph take down utility poles and power lines.
- In August 2007, NU sends 15 crews (CL&P 10, WMECo 5) to assist Central Vermont Public Service for two days in restoration of 33,000 customers after severe thunderstorms and winds up to 70 mph caused outages in central Vermont.
- In October 2006, 46 NU crews (CL&P 20, WMECo 12, PSNH 14) travel to western New York for six days to assist National Grid in restoration efforts following 22 inches of heavy wet snow that took down trees and power lines.
- In November 2005, 37 NU crews (CL&P 15, PSNH 15, WMECo 7) travel to Florida for 12 days to assist Florida Light & Power (FP&L) in restoration efforts following Hurricane Wilma.
- Beginning on Sept. 20, crews from Yankee Gas travel to Mississippi to assist the municipal utility in Pascagoula to help restore the natural gas distribution system following Hurricane Katrina. Four waves (12 employees) each have traveled to assist. Each wave worked two weeks. The deployment ended Nov. 18.
- In September 2005, 25 NU line crews (CL&P 15, WMECo 10) assist Mississippi Power in restoration efforts following Hurricane Katrina for one week.
- In July 2005, 38 NU line crews and 15 damage assessment teams assist Gulf Power in Destin and Clearview, Florida following Hurricane Dennis for nearly a week. (Line crews: CL&P 24, WMECo 7, PSNH 5. Damage assessment teams: CL&P 14, WMECo 1)
- In January 2005, 28 NU crews assist Metropolitan Edison for three days in Pennsylvania after an ice storm. (CL&P 16, WMECo 7, PSNH 5)
- In December 2004, 27 NU crews assist NStar for two days after a heavy December snowstorm on Cape Cod. (CL&P 16, PSNH 11, WMECo 0)
- In September 2004, 40 NU crews, safety and support personnel spend over a month in Florida assisting Florida Light & Power following Hurricane Jeanne and Frances and assisting Gulf Power following Hurricane Ivan. (2 waves of restoration, CL&P 21, PSNH 16, WMECo 9 each wave)
January 8, 2004: NU is named as a winner of the Emergency Assistance Award from the Edison Electric Institute for its outstanding efforts to aid Conectiv and Potomac Electric Power (Pepco) in restoring power to their customers in the wake of Hurricane Isabel in September. Sixty crews from CL&P, 30 from PSNH and 15 from WMECo assisted restoration efforts for a week in the Maryland and Washington, D.C. areas with no safety incidents or injuries.
- In September 2003, 105 NU crews help Pepco restore power for four days in Maryland and Virginia following Hurricane Isabel. (CL&P 60, PSNH 30 and WMECo 15)
- In April 2003, 82 NU crews assist New York State Electric and Gas and Rochester Gas & Electric for a week following an ice storm. Twenty-one PSNH crews and 14 WMECo crews helped Niagara Mohawk in the Syracuse area, 41 CL&P crews assisted N.Y. State Electric and Gas personnel while six CL&P crews assisted Rochester Gas & Electric. (Totals – CL&P 47, WMECo 14, PSNH 21)
1998 EEI Emergency Assistance Award: NU won Edison Electric Institute's Emergency Assistance Award for its support of electric utilities in Puerto Rico in a restoration effort following Hurricane Georges in September 1998.
- In the fall of 1998, NU assist utility officials in Puerto Rico for two months to restore power after Hurricane George (September 1998) with four waves of deployments. Over two months, NU crews worked 45,000 hours to assist the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority to restore power to 1.3 million customers after Hurricane Georges and its 110-mph winds hit the island. Four waves of NU volunteers each spent two weeks on the island; CL&P 20, WMECo 5 and PSNH 5 each wave.
- In September 1998, more than 150 NU line workers and support personnel assist Niagara Mohawk after a severe thunderstorm. (CL&P 37, WMECo 9, PSNH 16)
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