Mutual Assistance: AEP Sends Nearly 2,000 Employees and Contractors to Help Florida/Georgia Utilities

AEP Ohio crews were staged in Atlanta Sept. 10 as Hurricane Irma struck Florida.

As always, AEP is responding to the call for help following a major weather catastrophe. Nearly 2,000 employees and contractors from six AEP operating companies are either en route or already on site helping Florida Power and Light, Tampa Electric Company, Duke Energy and Georgia Power Company with the restoration process following the massive destruction left behind by Hurricane Irma.

At peak, Florida Governor Rick Scott said about half of the state’s 21 million residents were without power. He also noted that more than 30,000 out-of-state utility workers were aiding the effort to turn lights back on across the state.

AEP began deploying workers as early as Sunday, and some may spend up to two weeks or more assisting in Florida and Georgia following the historic hurricane, which came right on the heels of Hurricane Harvey, which struck Texas the week before with record-setting rainfall and massive damage in parts of Texas and Louisiana. AEP Texas employees and contractors continue to work on restoring all power in that region.

Here is a breakdown of AEP’s mutual assistance effort:

AEP Ohio — 650 employees and contractors

Appalachian Power Company — 400 employees and contractors

Indiana Michigan Power Company — 262 employees and contractors

Kentucky Power Company — 136 employees and contractors

Public Service Company of Oklahoma — 283 employees and contractors

Southwestern Electric Power Company — 233 employees and contractors

Total — 1,964 employees and contractors