NEW YORK, NY — Con Edison has been named winner of the 2014 Outstanding System Reliability Award by PA Consulting Group. The award recognizes the PA Consulting Group ReliabilityOne™ regional award recipient that demonstrated superior annual system-wide reliability performance for its customers. Con Edison was also named best in the Northeast Region.
“Our top priority is meeting the energy requirements of New Yorkers safely and reliably,” said Robert Schimmenti, Con Edison senior vice president, Electric Operations. “Earning national recognition is a tribute to the Con Edison women and men who deliver electricity to the world’s greatest city, as well as to nearby Westchester County. This honor is a testament to their efforts, and I’m proud to accept this award on their behalf.”
Con Edison is in the middle of its four-year $1billion storm hardening program in the wake of 2012’s Superstorm Sandy. Some of the investments already have paid dividends, including the installation of 3,000 devices that isolate and clear temporary faults on overhead electric systems, and more than 150 “smart switches” that minimize outages caused by fallen trees. Over a mile of flood walls and 260 pieces of submersible equipment also have been installed.
All utilities operating electric delivery networks in North America are eligible for consideration for the ReliabilityOneTM Award. There are a total of five regional awards including Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Plains, and West. After provisional recipients are selected, each company undergoes an on-site certification process, which provides an independent review and confirmation of the policies, processes and systems used to collect, analyze and report a company’s reliability results.
“Utilities are on the doorstep of a technological leap that will set new expectations for how companies handle reliability, and really, all aspects of their business,” said Jeff Lewis, PA’s ReliabilityOne™ program director. “Con Edison has shown a commitment to reliability that will serve as a cornerstone for its customers as new advances are adopted to further improve response and restoration time.”