Yonkers Insider: Westchester County Legislator Kitley Covill: NYSEG update.

Dear Neighbors and Friends, I am writing this email as an update from an afternoon NYSEG call today for elected officials and municipal leaders.  This is the third day of these calls.  NYSEG continues to assess in some areas, although it is reporting that they believe that every customer will be restored by 11 pm on Monday, August 10.  NYSEG is providing each municipality with 100 packages of dry ice and water for pick up in Brewster at 7 am.  NYSEG stated that there is a national shortage of dry ice so they still not have enough yet. NYSEG is still coordinating with some local road crews to clear roads and identify live wires.  Most customers are showing an Estimated Time of Restoration (ETR) now.  NYSEG continues to say that they expect to have 50% restoration of power by Friday at 5 pm and 80% restoration of power by Saturday at 5 pm.  Again we have numerous reports on the call today of people receiving notification that their power was restored when in  fact it was not.  NYSEG said that anyone who receives that notification and who does not have power should call (800) 572-1131.  Some people who have called have been told they will be added to the back of the line, when in fact they have not had power since Tuesday.  That information is incorrect, the customer is not being added to the back of the line. NYSEG creates a new ticket, but it does not mean that you have lost a priority in restoration.  On the topic of ETRs.  It appears that the ETRs are wildly inaccurate at this time.  On the call we have asked for more specific “granular” ETRs.  NYSEG’s response is that the priorities continue to be critical facilities and lines that can be restored where there are more than 100 customers who will benefit.  If it is 3 customers out because a local “spur” line is snapped, it is likely it will be significantly longer then the ETR you are seeing.    NYSEG has again asked for more mutual aid from other states.  In speaking with a NYSEG worker sent from Buffalo, I learned that most of the mutual aid requested by the utilities was sent to New Jersey and not to NY.  Today, for the first time, the Deputy Director of the Department of Public Service (the administrative department for the PSC) was on the call and was quite clear that NYSEG has to get more specific ETRs and to communicate more effectively that the ETRs presently posted are estimates and not specific.  So if you now see an ETR change (giving a longer wait for restoration) likely that is more accurate then what you have seen before.  Please email me if you have any information to share.  While we are in the middle of this situation, and therefore trying to restore power and push NYSEG to do more,  there will be a very in-depth review, given the promises made by NYSEG after the March 2018 Riley and Quinn storms. Their response to this storm has not been acceptable.      We will have another municipal call tomorrow afternoon and I will update this email after the call.     Kitley S. Covill County Legislator, District 2 914.995.2810