Local News

Pacificorp recently received the Emergency Response Award from Edison Electric Institute (EEI) in recognition of the company's response to the 2023 Smith River Complex fires that burned in Northern California and extreme Southern Oregon.

During the 2023 event, Pacificorp enacted an emergency de-energization of roughly 14,000 customers in Crescent City 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 that burned through its transmission corridor.

Power was eventually permanently restored to all customers after crews performed necessary repairs.

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 during EEI's Board of Directors and CEO meeting held in conjunction with EEI's annual meeting and leadership forum.

EEI President and CEO Dan Brouillette said Pacificorp's commitment to restoring power in a safe, efficient manner to the communities it serves following the Smith River Complex fires is admirable. He said the utility and its response team are extremely deserving of this well-earned recovery award.