Power Trio
Gov. Malloy, LG Wyman, CL&P prez Butler
Photo by Steve Kotchko
Posted 11/7/11
Another big storm, another dramatic power outage to cripple the state and move residents and municipal officials toward the point of outrage. At the center of the controversy, Connecticut Light & Power, the state’s major electric utility. After tropical storm Irene, a Quinnipiac University Poll showed that 62% of those surveyed approved of the restoration job done by utilities, 67% said power was restored in a reasonable amount of time, and 62% said Irene was just an inconvenience.
Perhaps CL&P thought that poll meant they could continue “business as usual” in their preparations for future storms, but the October snowstorm is not something most families in Connecticut will forget, and the power outages stretching out a week in colder weather definitely are not in the “inconvenience” category.
Looking forward, there are several questions that demand answers from state leaders, the legislature, regulators, and the utilities:
#1: Are utility companies properly staffed with repair and line crews? Through Irene and the October snowstorm, CL&P President Jeffrey Butler maintained that most utilities have cut back on line crews in recent years due to budgetary constraints. He said when a storm hits, they augment their day-to-day crews with out-of-state personnel, as needed, to get the job done.
His point seems to be that it is fiscally foolish to hire additional line crews (or in-state contracted help) full-time, just to have them “at the ready” in case of a big storm. Yet his alternate strategy of reaching out for help from other states failed after the snowstorm, either because he didn’t ask soon enough, or because some out-of-state crews had trouble getting paid by CL&P after Irene, and preferred to take their services elsewhere.
Other utilities such as AT&T, the telephone company, have been criticized for cutbacks in repair crews. Indeed, if you call in a service problem to AT&T, even during a time when no widespread outages have occurred, the normal response time for a fix will be—one full week.
Gov. Dannel Malloy does not have the power to order utilities to boost their repair personnel, but the issue should be considered by the legislature and PURA, the Public Utility Regulatory Authority—the agency that regulates CL&P, UI, and other utilities.
Several legislators, a special commission appointed by Malloy to investigate the response to Irene, and Malloy have all talked about the need for basic standards when it comes to repair services and benchmarks that utilities must meet when outages occur. Some have suggested hefty financial penalties for utilities that fail to meet the benchmarks.
#2: Should the utilities be required to increase tree trimming and tree removal efforts to protect power lines and minimize the size and length of outages? This issue has been discussed by the legislature but no directives have been issued. Joseph McGee, chair of Malloy’s Irene investigation panel, said right now utilities interesting in trimming trees send homeowners a letter, asking them to sign and give their permission for trimming. He said such letters often are tossed out or homeowners simply say no. McGee said it may be time to reverse the process. In other words, the utility sends a letter notifying that trees will be trimmed, and if individual homeowners object, they better send the letter back and say so.
Added tree trimming will cost money, and State Rep. Vickie Nardello (D-Prospect) recently suggested that up to $30 million dollars could be raised if a utility added a small charge to customers bills to pay for it—maybe 70 cents a month. “Would you pay 70 cents a month to have your trees trimmed—I think I would,” Nardello said. However, many consumers might ask why they should pay CL&P or UI anything extra to do a task they are supposed to do anyway? They don’t run nuclear reactors, they distribute electricity using power lines that often have trees nearby. Maybe Nardello would be willing to spend a buck a month for the DOT to plow the roads in winter as well.
#3: Once the lights come back on for everyone in Connecticut, will anything really be done to improve restoration efforts in the future? The most cynical observers of state government will say CL&P is counting on collective amnesia. Butler said many times during the snowstorm aftermath that now was not the time for investigations and analysis, the main focus should be restoring power.
The 2012 legislative session doesn’t begin until February and it will have to deal with other issues, the budget, education spending, and the economy. Lawmakers, stepping over each other right now with ideas for how to handle power outages, may become caught up in those issues. Utility lobbyists, numerous and well-paid, will be in the State Capitol and legislative corridors daily seeking to minimize whatever punitive measures or costly new standards pop up in the legislative hopper.
Malloy said his Irene commission already has been asked to continue its work and will probe the problems of the October snowstorm. The Governor already has stated he wants new performance standards for utilities, and a far more aggressive tree trimming campaign statewide. Malloy said he wasn’t governor when standards were allowed to melt. Malloy does have the political “juice” to spark reform. Let’s see if he uses it to make thing happen before Mother Nature’s next curve ball speeds toward Connecticut.
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