Evergy
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Evergy was announced as an Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Emergency Response Award recipient. 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 following an international nomination process.
“Throughout 2024, America’s electric companies and their dedicated workforce answered the call to help restore power and hope to communities impacted by extreme weather events and natural disasters,” said EEI interim President and CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn. “EEI commends Evergy for its efforts to respond safely and efficiently to the aftermath of a severe storm that caused power outages and additional damage over Memorial Day weekend in Kansas and Missouri. We also applaud Evergy for aiding neighboring electric companies in their times of need. Evergy and its storm response team are extremely deserving of these well-earned emergency recovery and assistance awards.”
Evergy is being honored with two awards, both highlighting the utility’s strength when responding to major storms. The first recognizes Evergy’s quick response to storms over 2024 Memorial Day weekend that uprooted large trees and caused outages for 140,000 customers across Kansas and Missouri. The second award recognizes Evergy’s assistance efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. More than 120 Evergy line workers and an additional 200 contractors traveled across the country to help rebuild the power grid and restore power in Kentucky and Indiana.
"In 2024 alone, Evergy crews dealt with several historic severe weather events that included hurricane-strength winds, thunder and lightning, and dangerous heat in our region. Despite those challenges, our crews worked 24/7 to repair the damage, rebuild the system and restore power to our customers safely and quickly,” said Ryan Mulvany, Evergy’s Vice President of Distribution. “When we had the opportunity to answer the call to help communities in some of the hardest hit areas after Helene, Evergy responded quickly and mobilized a team to travel across the country. Our crews worked for more than a week, even rappelling down mountains at one point, to help get the power back on for customers in Kentucky and Indiana. Evergy is proud to accept this award, but we are even prouder to serve our customers in Kansas and Missouri, and to respond to the call to help others.”