Senator Murphy Comments On More Storm Related Outages In The Hudson Valley

Albany, NY - On Tuesday, a band of strong storms passed through the Hudson Valley and once again tens of thousands of homeowners and businesses are left without power.  This comes just 10 weeks after this region experienced a major blackout, that in some cases, lasted more than a week.  

Earlier today Governor Cuomo hosted a press conference in Putnam County pledging to provide emergency equipment and a swift response to the storm.  Last night, a State of Emergency was declared for Putnam, Dutchess, Orange and Sullivan Counties and the National Guard was deployed.  As of noon, NYSEG's website did not provide an estimated time of restoration (ETR) for the impacted communities.

Senator Murphy has hosted two public hearings regarding the poor performance of the utility companies.  Today, legislation he authored is on the agenda for the Standing Committee on Energy and Telecommunications which would enhance reporting and disciplinary actions.

State Senator Terrence Murphy said, 

"Another major weather event has left our region in the dark.  NYSEG needs to understand all eyes are on their performance.  Leaving our residents powerless for days on end is simply unacceptable considering what we have endured just ten weeks ago.  It is clear this is a chronic problematic region for NYSEG.

"The Governor has pledged additional equipment, personnel and other resources to expedite the restoration process.  However, once power is restored the next pledge the Governor can make is ensuring the PSC and DPS hold NYSEG accountable.

"I want to thank all of our first responders, highway crews and utility workers who are keeping our communities safe and working diligently to restore power to our homes."