Rhode Island Energy receives EEI Emergency Recovery Award for blizzard power restoration efforts
EnergyWhen the Blizzard of 2026 buried Rhode Island under up to 37 inches of snow and wind gusts topping 70 mph, more than 70,000 customers lost power. On September 14, Rhode Island Energy received the Edison Electric Institute’s Emergency Recovery Award for how it responded — recognized at EEI’s Board of Directors and Chief Executives Meeting for a restoration effort that unfolded in some of the most punishing winter conditions the state has seen.
Rhode Island Energy named EEI Emergency Recovery Award recipient
Every year, the Edison Electric Institute hands out its Emergency Recovery Award to member companies that show exceptional response to service disruptions caused by extreme weather or natural disasters. The award honors efforts to safely and efficiently restore service after a major incident — not just speed, but the quality and coordination of the whole response.
Rhode Island Energy earned that recognition. Winners go through a nomination process and get evaluated by a panel of judges, so this isn’t something any utility just gets handed. It reflects a deliberate look at how a company performed when things got bad. The award was presented at EEI’s September Board of Directors and Chief Executives Meeting on September 14, 2026.
Rhode Island Energy called it one of the most severe storms in the state’s history — and looking at the numbers, that’s not hard to believe.
Blizzard of 2026 knocked out power to more than 70,000 customers
To understand why this award matters, you need to know what RIE crews were actually dealing with. The Blizzard of 2026 dropped up to 37 inches of snow across Rhode Island, with wind gusts exceeding 70 mph. Rhode Island Energy called it one of the most severe storms in the state’s history — and looking at the numbers, that’s not hard to believe.
More than 70,000 customers lost power as the storm moved through. That’s a significant chunk of RIE’s customer base, and the outages didn’t happen under manageable conditions. Crews responding to downed lines and damaged infrastructure had to push through whiteout conditions, with heavy snow and dangerous wind chills making every repair harder and slower than it would’ve been otherwise.
Storms like this don’t just test equipment. They expose the gaps in logistics — how fast crews can be staged, whether emergency partnerships hold under pressure, and whether planning actually translates into real performance out in the field.
RIE restored power to 99 percent of customers within 48 hours
The bottom line: 99 percent of affected customers had power back within 48 hours. Getting there meant crews working around the clock, alongside contractors and state and municipal emergency partners, through the worst of the storm and everything that followed.
RIE President Greg Cornett acknowledged the human side of that directly. “Few storms in our history have tested our state and our employees like the Blizzard of 2026,” he said. “When most people go home to stay safe, our employees go out — into the storm — to serve our customers and restore their power.”
Cornett credited the result to the dedication of RIE’s workforce, pointing to coordination with contractors and emergency partners as central to hitting that 48-hour mark under historic conditions.
EEI President and CEO Drew Maloney pointed to something beyond the storm response itself. “This honor reflects the skill and determination of RIE’s workforce, who prepare year-round — practicing, planning, and investing in resilience — so they’re ready to face the toughest conditions and get the lights back on for communities who depend on them.” A 48-hour restoration at that scale doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built on sustained preparation long before the first flake falls.
About Rhode Island Energy and the Edison Electric Institute
Rhode Island Energy provides electricity and natural gas to over 770,000 customers across Rhode Island, employing more than 1,300 people. The company operates as part of PPL Corporation, traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker PPL, with a focus on building smarter, more resilient power grids and advancing sustainable energy solutions.
EEI represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Its members serve nearly 250 million Americans across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and the electric power industry collectively supports more than 7 million jobs nationwide — making it a major economic driver well beyond just keeping the lights on.
The Emergency Recovery Award fits into that bigger picture. It’s a way for the industry to recognize and document what effective crisis response actually looks like, setting a benchmark for utilities facing increasingly frequent and severe weather events.
No power for more than 70,000 customers
Rhode Island Energy received EEI’s Emergency Recovery Award on September 14, 2026, for its response to the Blizzard of 2026 — one of the most severe winter storms in Rhode Island’s recorded history. The storm dropped up to 37 inches of snow, produced wind gusts over 70 mph, and knocked out power to more than 70,000 customers.
Working alongside contractors and emergency partners, RIE crews restored power to 99 percent of affected customers within 48 hours. The award went through a nomination and judging process before being presented at EEI’s September Board of Directors and Chief Executives Meeting. Both RIE leadership and EEI’s CEO pointed to year-round preparation and planning as the foundation that made such a fast restoration possible.
Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
