Nonetheless, the report takes the utility to task on several points, offering 53 recommendations to avoid future blackouts.
It “generally agrees” with some of the conclusions made in a scathing Public Service Commission staff report issued in January. Specifically, it says that better preparation and a better response could have decreased the impact of the outage on the community. The report is also critical of the utility for failing to implement changes recommended after the 1999 Washington Heights blackout.
“It is reasonable to conclude that some of the damage, the scope and/or the duration of the L.I.C. outage would have been reduced had they been implemented,” wrote Robert Loughney and Moshe Bonder, the report’s authors.
They go on to note Con Ed’s failure to adequately prepare for the anticipated summer electricity demand, failure to accurately measure the scope of the outage once it occurred and lack of oversight on some sub-standard contractor work that contributed to the failures.
The report defends Con Edison’s much- maligned decision not to shut down the entire network early in the outage. It calls the commission’s criticism of the decision “unsubstantiated.”
Astoria Assemblyman Michael Gianaris, who commissioned an independent task force report on the blackout himself, strongly disagreed with the attorneys’ conclusion that Con Ed did the right thing, calling it a “ridiculous claim.”
Loughney and Bonder also credit the city for its response to the crisis. “From the onset, the city was heavily involved in maintaining public safety, providing human resource services to affected residents and assisting Con Edison in its recovery efforts.” the report reads.
Local lawmakers begged to differ. “Anyone who lived through the debacle that Con Edison created last summer would be surprised to read this report,” said Sunnyside Councilman Eric Gioia, adding, “the city’s response was slow and inadequate.”
The Mayor’s Office also revised its own action plans following the incident.
The report treads lightly when considering whether Con Edison should face financial repercussions. Pressure has been mounting on the Public Service Commission to convene so-called prudency proceedings, which would weight the utility’s culpability and could levy hefty fines.
Thus far, the commission has put off the decision. Commission spokesman Jim Denn said Tuesday, “All of the recommendations and proposals and comments that have been submitted are being reviewed by the department staff. At some point in the near future the commission will make a determination as to how to proceed.”
The city report suggests that such hearings could backfire on the people. “Prudence proceedings at this time could distract Con Edison from completing the numerous critical improvements that the city, staff and others have recommended for immediate action prior to the summer.”
But Con Edison said the work planned for the Long Island City network is “virtually finished.”
“The repairs, the upgrades, the reinforcements, the enhancements have all been completed” said company spokesman Joe Petta.
Gianaris called the report’s position on prudency proceedings “mind-boggling.”
“To suggest that the only means that the state has to hold Con Ed accountable not be used is consistent with a pattern of the city’s mysterious defense and protection of Con Edison,” he said.
Of the $1.4 billion in summer preparedness funds, $90 million have been allotted to the Long Island City network. The work completed includes two new high-voltage primary feeders, 101 new network transformers and 25 miles of secondary underground cable. Microprocessor relays have also been installed to improve equipment malfunction detection.
Among the fiercest criticisms the utility has faced in the months since the blackout is its gross underestimation of the number of people affected by the outage.
That is being addressed by a number of means, including a pilot project to install 500,000 “smart” meters which can automatically notify the company that a customer’s service is out, instead of relying on the customers to call in the problem.
Additionally, “visualization” technology, such as computer generated maps of affected areas will be used to monitor Queens. Similar technology is already used in Manhattan.
Con Ed expects that their preparations will be sufficient. “Do we anticipate an occasion similar to last summer’s? The answer is no,” Petta said.
Not everyone is buying it. “People have been telling us that important improvements have been made, but these are the same people who were grossly negligent in causing the blackout,”said Astoria Councilman Peter Vallone Jr.
One thing is for certain. When the power is on, it’s going to cost a bit more. A rate increase approved in 2005 is set to take effect on Sunday. The 2.5 percent rate increase is expected to raise an estimated $220.4 million and cost the typical ratepayer (using 300-500 kilowatt hours) approximately $2 to $3 more a month.
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