Cleco Receives National Award for Outstanding Emergency Storm Response; Utility Recognized for 40 Days of Restoration Work after
January 11 2006 - 2:00PM
Business Wire
Cleco Power, a subsidiary of Cleco Corp. (NYSE:CNL), received the
Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Emergency Response Award today for
its outstanding emergency storm response to Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita in 2005. EEI presented the award during a luncheon at their
CEO Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. Praising the company's swift
action, EEI President Tom Kuhn said, "It is truly a privilege to
present this award to Cleco. The men and women of the electric
power industry often go above and beyond the call of duty in times
of great adversity," he said. "This award is a tribute to that
spirit of service." EEI presents emergency response and assistance
awards annually to U.S. and foreign-based member companies to
recognize superior efforts in restoring electric service that has
been disrupted by severe weather conditions or other natural
events. Winners are chosen by a panel of judges following a
national and international nomination process. "We are extremely
pleased to be one of the recipients of this award," said Mike
Madison, president and CEO of Cleco Corp. "This award validates our
storm response. Both storms tested our strength and endurance. The
damage from Katrina was catastrophic and far exceeded anything
we've ever experienced. Rita hit as we were wrapping up our
recovery efforts in southeast Louisiana, which meant we couldn't
give up. Although tired because of Katrina, our employees kept
working. Their commitment and dedication earned us this award."
Hurricane Katrina made landfall Aug. 29 as a Category 3 storm,
leaving 86,403 Cleco customers in south and southeast Louisiana
without power. Hurricane Rita made landfall Sept. 24, also as a
Category 3 storm. Rita left more than half of the company's
customer base - 136,584 customers - without power. "While we are
being honored for our performance, we want to thank our customers
for their patience and many acts of kindness as we worked to get
the lights back on," said Dilek Samil, president and COO of Cleco
Power. "There are so many stories of customers providing hot meals
and a place for our crews to sleep due to the shortage of hotel
rooms. We're also grateful to the numerous businesses and city
officials that helped us house the mutual assistance crews, line
contractors and tree trimmers who came to our aid." This is Cleco's
second emergency response award. The company received the first
award in 2003 for its performance after Hurricane Lili. Cleco also
has received two emergency assistance awards - one for providing
assistance after Hurricane Isabel and the other for helping restore
power to the millions of customers in Florida, Alabama and
Mississippi who were affected by Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan
and Jeanne. EEI is the association of U.S. shareholder-owned
electric companies, international affiliates, and industry
associates worldwide. Cleco Corp. is an energy services company
headquartered in Pineville, La. It operates a regulated electric
utility company that serves about 265,000 customers across
Louisiana. Cleco also operates a wholesale energy business that has
more than 1,400 megawatts of generating capacity. For more
information about Cleco, visit www.cleco.com.
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