Entergy Corp. was recognized by the Edison Electric Institute for the 13th consecutive year with its national storm restoration award on Wednesday. This award recognizes Entergy's work in restoring power following a wide-ranging snowstorm that struck the southeastern region of the country in December 2009.

Entergy received an EEI Emergency Assistance Award for helping restore service to customers of American Electric Power Co., Inc., in Kentucky and West Virginia. AEP requested restoration assistance after some 395,000 customers lost electric service during the peak of the storm.

Entergy sent 200 restoration workers to help in the recovery of electric service. Entergy Arkansas, Inc. assisted Kentucky Power and a team from Entergy Mississippi, Inc. assisted AEP Appalachian Power.

Edison Electric Institute is a national utility trade organization. Entergy is the only company to be honored every year since the EEI Emergency Response Awards were first presented in 1999. Entergy has won five awards for its efforts restoring power to its own customers and 10 awards for helping other utilities repair their systems.

"We are honored to receive this award from EEI recognizing our employees' efforts to help AEP restore service to its customers," said Greg Grillo, Entergy's storm incident commander and director of transmission project management and construction. "We are also extremely pleased that our employees worked safely for more than 29,000 man-hours in cold and icy conditions."

EEI President Tom Kuhn said, "Entergy's repeated assistance efforts highlight this industry's dedication to serving customers – even when they are not your own. The utility was swift in its response and greatly enhanced AEP's own restoration effort."

The Emergency Assistance Award is presented annually by EEI to U.S. and foreign-based member companies to recognize outstanding efforts in restoring electric service to a neighboring or nearby utility company that has been disrupted by severe weather conditions or other natural events. Winners were chosen by a panel of judges following an international nomination process, and the awards were presented during EEI's Spring CEO meeting.