EEI Announces Finalists For Electric Industry's Most Prestigious Honor, The Edison Award
Washington, D.C. — In recognition of electricity industry innovation and leadership, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) has named six companies as finalists for the industry's highest honor, the Edison Award. Central Vermont Public Service, Great Plains Energy, ITC Holdings Corp. and Northeast Utilities were named finalists for the domestic Edison Award, and AES Latin America and British Columbia Transmission Corporation were named finalists for the international Edison Award.
Given annually by EEI, these prestigious awards honor U.S. and international electric utilities for outstanding contributions to and advancement of the industry. A committee of national industry trade publication editors selects the finalists, and a panel of past and current EEI chairmen selects the ultimate winners.
The winners of this year's award, the 80th, will be announced June 17 at EEI's annual convention and expo in Denver.
Announcing the finalists, EEI President Tom Kuhn said, "These companies have demonstrated leadership by addressing some of the critical issues our industry faces, including air quality, new fuel development, infrastructure improvements and demand growth. Their efforts reflect the dedication to service and innovative spirit that embody our industry."
Central Vermont Public Service has developed its trademarked CVPS Cow Power, the nation's first farm-to-consumer renewable energy choice based on biogas fuel derived from cow manure. The renewable energy program is one of the fastest growing in the U.S. and offers a win-win solution for farmers, customers, the environment, the utility and the industry. Benefits include helping to resolve the significant environmental challenges relating to manure disposal, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving the financial outlook for Vermont family farms, and generating extensive, positive national and international media coverage for the process and the industry.
Great Plains Energy subsidiary Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L) established a Comprehensive Energy Plan to meet its region's growing demand for clean, affordable energy by developing new, clean energy sources, making proactive environmental and infrastructure improvements, and creating innovative energy efficiency and demand-response programs. KCP&L has worked with a wide variety of stakeholders, establishing a true partnership with its communities to create political and regulatory environments that have allowed the company to deliver on its promises.
ITC Holdings Corp., as the nation's first fully independent transmission company, is helping to redefine the electric industry. The company marked significant progress in 2006 as it continued its mission to maintain and upgrade the electricity grid through significant, focused investments and extensive preventive maintenance efforts. The results are an approximate 40-percent improvement in system reliability, a significantly reduced maintenance backlog and recognition as a top-quartile operational performer. These accomplishments have allowed the company to leverage its track record to expand outside its service territory and into other regions of the country.
Northeast Utilities in October 2006 successfully energized a new 345-kilovolt transmission line that runs 21 miles from Bethel to Norwalk, Conn. The project – one of the largest recent transmission projects in the U.S. – required complex construction methods and a disciplined project-management approach, which resulted in completion two months early and more than $10 million under budget.
Running through Connecticut's densely populated Fairfield County, the line runs both overhead and underground and includes America's longest, continuous application of 345-kilovolt solid underground cable requiring splices and vaults. The company's outstanding approach demonstrated leadership in execution, community involvement and communications, showcased innovative technologies and made the local grid stronger, more secure and more efficient.
AES's Latin America region has developed a process that enables the company to readily transfer proven operational techniques among the company's more than 50 generation plants and 10 distribution companies throughout the region to improve operational performance. The process has helped the company set new records for plant availability and reliability and significantly improved AES's customer service and satisfaction in Latin America, including for some of the region's most remote and impoverished areas. This innovative program can be replicated across other regional groups at AES, and promises to help improve the overall quality of life for thousands of people in Latin America and worldwide.
British Columbia Transmission Corporation (BCTC) was nominated for leadership in applying advanced technology for real-time monitoring of submarine cable conductor temperatures. By using this system the company was able to maximize the power transfer capability of an existing 525-kilovolt cable system that supplies power to Vancouver Island. This innovation allows BCTC to increase the power transfer limits of existing assets and corridors by up to 240 megawatts at modest costs, while deferring the requirement for costly new facilities. This is the world's first operational application of its kind.
SOURCE: Edison Electric Institute (EEI)