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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Avista gets award for restoration work after windstorm

Avista Corp. has been recognized by its industry peers for its work to restore power to customers after November’s windstorm.

The Spokane-based utility received the Edison Electric Institute “Emergency Recovery Award” for its power restoration efforts after a severe wind storm tore through the Inland Northwest in November 2015.

The award was presented to Avista at Edison Electric Institute’s recent annual convention in Chicago.

On November 17, hurricane-force winds were clocked at 71 miles per hour. At the height of the storm, nearly 50 percent of Avista’s customers experienced power outages. Company crews were joined by crews from British Columbia, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Montana and western Washington. Following 10 days of around-the-clock restoration efforts, service was restored to all customers the day after Thanksgiving.

“We are extremely proud of our employees and the extraordinary efforts they put into restoring service to our customers under very trying conditions and without a single lost-time accident,” said Scott Morris, Avista’s chairman and chief executive.