ORANGE, Connecticut — With the threat of severe weather knocking on our door, Connecticut’s utility companies are expecting a best-case scenario, while preparing for the worst. Both Eversource and United Illuminating told FOX61 they stand ready with a modern grid and redundancies in their circuits. As we know, the weather can be somewhat unpredictable.
One thing to know, if you do lose power and it’s out for more than 96 hours, you may be entitled to credits on your bill and to have your spoiled food and medication reimbursed.
Connecticut residents we talked to were getting ready. "Make sure I’ve got all my items charged. Laptop, phone, things like that as well as all the necessities for food and things like that," said Mason Love of Avon.
Eversource and United Illuminating are also getting ready.
"We typically have about 100 crews which would be both line crews and tree crews," said John Mitchell, the head of electric operations at United Illuminating. Mitch Gross of Eversource said, "We’re moving ahead more quickly to secure out-of-state crews. That’s part of the new requirements and we’re doing that."
This time with enhanced state oversight.
PURA, the state’s regulatory body that oversees the utilities, said the take back the grid legislation signed into law in the wake of Tropical Storm Isaias — gives them more teeth to hold the corporate utilities to account.
"One of those is to increase the amount that PURA can fine the utility for failure to abide by those emergency response plans," explained Marissa Gillett, the Chair of PURA.
It was less than one year ago, mid pandemic, in the sweltering heat, when hundreds of thousands of CT residents were cut off from the grid. Some people were without power for more than a week.
Eversource bore the brunt of criticism for grossly underestimating the manpower they would need.
"We understand that there’s a lot of attention being paid to us," said Gross. Gillett said, "We are reviewing the enhancements to their emergency response plans that we ordered and unfortunately this is one of those things where we will have to see if they can deliver."
Some people said they are taking matters into their own hands. Amanda Ostapoff of West Hartford said, "We hedge our bets, we bought a generator."
With one eye on Tuesday's severe weather, utilities have their other eye on Florida’s panhandle where Elsa is expected to steer her way toward the northeast. "The company has been monitoring since last week. That type of storm is very unpredictable right now," explained Mitchell at UI.
All this, while Connecticut's temperatures continue to swell. Two officials heat waves so far this summer, further straining the grid. "We stay inside most of the time. Air conditioning. Water balloons, pool," said Ostapoff.
When FOX61 asked her about the possibility of customer rates being hiked following storm cleanup, Chairman Gillette told me they have typically resisted passing on the cost to the consumer. Connecticut already has some of the most expensive electric rates in the nation.
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