Cuomo Renews Threat Against Con Ed, Targets PSC Too

Gov. Andrew Cuomo renewed his threat to revoke Con Edison's franchise Friday over the extent and length of outages from Tropical Storm Isaias.

When Isaias tore through downstate New York, it knocked out power to about 257,000 Con Edison customers in Westchester County and New York City — the second-largest storm-related outage in the utility's history, behind only Hurricane Sandy. The last Westchester customers without power didn't have service restored until Wednesday.

"I am one of those frustrated Westchester people," Cuomo said at a morning media briefing. "I was at my house two days ago, there was still no power."

His comment Monday about Con Ed's franchise was no hollow threat, he said in answer to a reporter who called the New York Public Service Commission's recent multi-million dollar fine against Con Ed and its subsidiary Orange & Rockland Utilities a "slap on the wrist." SEE: Con Ed, O&R Fined $10.75 Million For 2018 Snowstorm Response

"We have to get to a point where we fully appreciate what it will take to revoke a franchise," Cuomo said. "It will be disruptive. We've done it before — we did it on Long Island. I am serious like a heart attack about it."

Monday he had threatened both Con Ed and PSEG on Long Island.

He said he was also frustrated with the PSC. "I don't think they have been tough enough on Con Ed and on other utilities."

Cuomo launched an investigation Aug. 5 over utilities' response, or lack thereof, to the storm. In the Hudson Valley, about 500,000 customers of Con Ed, O&R, NYSEG and Central Hudson lost power. He instructed the commission to be "as aggressive as the law will allow." This includes levying fines, penalties and ordering restitution.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer applauded the idea.

"Con Edison’s performance in the aftermath of Hurricane Isaias was grossly deficient," Latimer said in a statement Friday. "The Governor, the New York State Public Service Commission, elected officials of both parties at every level and the customers themselves all recognize that failure. Con Ed was simply not ready- a repeat of March 2018 - to provide the necessary manpower to cut and clear wires and to restore power in a timely fashion. It cannot be acceptable to take a week or more to fully restore power, and in this case, from a storm that was not of the magnitude of Hurricane Irene or Superstorm Sandy. This tells us the utility is simply not staffed up to handle storms; it tells us the profitability of the company is based on carrying staff insufficient to handle any significant weather incident.

"Westchester residents have time and again been underserved precisely in the moment when they most need that service. They need and deserve a service provider that outs service to the public ahead of any other consideration.

"Now, it is up to the State to use its regulatory authority to right this wrong, and mandate that the utility provide sufficient manpower and equipment that can, during the next hurricane, bring speedy relief to Westchester residents."

SEE:

• Cuomo Directs State To Investigate Utilities' Isaias Response
• Fewer Than 1K Customers Without Power 8 Days After Storm: Con Ed