ALBANY, NY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) today announced that power has been restored to nearly all those who lost power as a result of Superstorm Sandy. Utility efforts currently focus on restoring the remaining customers still without electric service.
“Nearly 97 percent of all customers that are safe to receive power are fully restored,” said Commission Chairman Garry Brown. “We are now in the final stages of this unprecedented restoration effort — the largest operation of its kind in the State’s history.”
At its peak, the devastating storm which struck on October 29 left more than 2.1 million customers without power in New York, the vast majority on Long Island and the New York metropolitan area. It has taken more than 7,000 utility crews — drawn from in-state utilities and utilities as far away as California — to help restore the electricity.
In some areas, severe damage to the homes or businesses in flooded zones prevents the owner from connecting to the electric grid. Before many of these customers can reconnect to the power system, some of the properties will require an electric survey to determine if the electric system needs to be repaired. Customers will be reconnected once the utility is notified of the repair completion and certification. Each utility has a process in place to determine which homes will be reconnected as the distribution system is energized and which homes require repair.
Superstorm Sandy caused multiple system outages in the service territories of the Long Island Power Authority, Con Edison, Orange & Rockland Utilities, New York State Electric & Gas, National Grid, Central Hudson Gas & Electric, and Rochester Gas and Electric.
The upstate utilities impacted by Sandy are now fully restored. Con Edison, however, which had a peak of nearly 825,000 outages, has restored power to all but 36,200 customers, the majority of which cannot safely receive power yet.
The Long Island Power Authority, which had a peak of 949,000 outages, has 43,000 outages remaining in Nassau County and 16,000 outages remaining in Suffolk County, exclusive of those in the flood zones. Additional LIPA customer outages exist where repairs are necessary, along the south shore of Nassau County and in the Rockaways. Like Con Edison’s customers, the majority of the customers cannot safely accept power until repairs are made to the home and an electrical inspection is obtained.
In areas where LIPA power is available, up to 17,500 customers in Nassau and Suffolk and 37,500 customers in the Rockaways may have suffered damage to their electrical panels, outlets, wiring or appliances that would require them to undergo this repair and inspection process.
Full and complete restoration for Con Edison is expected by today for those who can safely take power, and LIPA expects to have 99 percent of those who are able to safely receive power to be restored by end of Tuesday.