Senator Parker's Letter Urging The Public Service Commission (PSC) To Conduct An Investigation Expeditiously Into Consolidated Edison

July 24, 2019

Hon. John B. Rhodes

Chair

NYS Public Service Commission

3 Empire State Plaza – 20th Floor

Albany, NY 12233

Dear Chairman Rhodes:

I write you today to urge the Public Service Commission to conduct an investigation expeditiously into Consolidated Edison and the recent power outages caused by the utility that adversely affected tens of thousands of New York City residents and businesses. 

As you know, New Yorkers have been subjected to severe power outages due to persistent failures by Consolidated Edison (Con Ed).  The two most significant failures by the utility occurred on July 13, and roughly a week later over the weekend of July 19-22. The earlier blackout in midtown Manhattan and part of the Upper West Side that affected over 72,000 customers was reportedly due to the failure of Con Edison’s protective relay systems, which have been the cause or failed to limit the spread of more than one large blackout in the past.  The ensuing July 19-22 power outage deprived tens of thousands of customers across the five boroughs, and Con Ed’s depowering of its Brooklyn network gravely affected over 30,000 Brooklyn customers particularly in Canarsie, Mill Basin, Bergen Beach, Georgetown, and Flatlands.

Governor Cuomo and Mayor DeBlasio deployed city and state resources to aid New Yorkers during these crises, and the NYPD and FDNY acted effectively to protect the citizenry. Although New York was fortunate and apparently, no lives were lost, seniors or the disabled stuck in elevators or the subway for extended periods, or massive losses of economic activity, these blackouts should not have occurred and should not be occurring weekly. 

As noted above therefore, I am requesting that the Public Service Commission (PSC) take immediate action to conduct a detailed and through investigation of this matter and ensure that Con Ed takes the necessary measures to avert and/or limit the spread of any future blackouts.

Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this matter. If you have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at my district office at (718) 629-6401.

Yours in Partnership,

Kevin Parker

cc: Hon. Kathleen H. Burgess, Secretary, NYS Public Service Commission 

      Assemblyman Micheal Cusick, Chair, NYS Assembly Committee on Energy

      Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, Chair, NYS Assembly Committee on Corporations, 

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