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Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. Wins 2023 AEIC Achievement Awards for Innovative Approaches to Customer Service and Electric Vehicle Charging

  • Orange and Rockland Media Relations

  • Pearl River – October 27, 2023 -- 07:00 AM

The Association of Edison Illuminating Companies (AEIC), the electric utility industry’s longest-serving and preeminent association of leading operations experts, announced today that Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. (O&R) has received two of the Association’s 2023 Achievement Awards.

The AEIC Achievement Awards are presented annually to AEIC member companies, committees, or subcommittees who have clearly demonstrated significant contributions to advancing operational excellence in the electric utility industry.

O&R’s Vice President – Operations Won Choe said, “By combining creativity, broad technical knowledge, and a deep understanding of customer behavior, these two O&R teams provided extraordinary service to their customers, their company, and their community. We are very proud of their talent, their determination, and their success in solving these uniquely difficult problems.”

In response to the economic challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, O&R launched the Credit and Collections Analytics project in 2022. This program benefits customers by providing more information to those customers seeking payment assistance and affording customers who plan to pay additional time to make payments. The program effectively addresses customer arrears by identifying specific customer segments and tailoring customized messaging methods and payment opportunities, known as Proactive Payment Agreements (PPAs).

The introduction of PPAs has helped customers more effectively manage their arrears and has been a significant success, resulting in a substantial increase in payments, including an impressive $2.8 million above the baseline during the first three months of 2023.

Orange & Rockland management employees review a presentation slide deck on a large screen.

Data Analytics (l-r): Keith Scerbo, General Manager, Customer Operations; Michael Colotti, Manager, Customer Operations; Janette Espino, Vice President, Customer Service

In addition, O&R's E-Mobility team is being honored for launching the Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Siting Tool. The E-Mobility team administers the PowerReady program, which involves collaborating with Electric Vehicle Charger Developers. Recognizing the challenges faced by developers during the upfront siting planning phase, the E-Mobility team embarked on a mission to facilitate this process without additional budget allocation.

Leveraging O&R's hosting capacity maps, the team created the EV Charging Siting Tool by integrating travel corridors, Disadvantaged Areas, Alternative Fuel Corridors, and the charger landscape (existing and under construction) into the maps. This tool addresses various developer challenges, streamlining the entire process and resulting in a seamless experience. Since the launch of the EV Charging Siting Tool, O&R has witnessed a 197% increase in EV charging station plugs submitted compared to the pre-tool period.

An Orange & Rockland employee stands next to an electric vehicle charging station.

Charger Siting Tool: Andrew Farrell, Department Manager, E-Mobility

"Orange and Rockland Utilities' dedication to innovation in the energy sector is a testament to their commitment to addressing the evolving energy needs of their customers and communities,” said Steve Hauser, CEO, AEIC. “These projects are setting a high standard for the industry."

O&R received the awards on October 26th at AEIC’s 139th Annual Meeting in Savannah, Georgia. To see a full list of 2023 AEIC Achievement Award recipients, visit https://aeic.org/achievement-awards/.

About O&R

Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. (O&R), a wholly owned subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc., one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies, is a regulated utility. O&R provides electric service to approximately 300,000 customers in southeastern New York State (where its franchise name is Orange & Rockland) and northern New Jersey (where it’s Rockland Electric Company) and natural gas service to approximately 130,000 customers in New York.

About AEIC

AEIC brings together the electric utility industry’s leading operations experts to rise to challenges, accelerate opportunities, and achieve excellence in all aspects of generation, transmission, distribution, and storage of electric power for the benefit of its members, the industry at large, and consumers, worldwide.