WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. By John F. Bailey, Interview with Bob McGee, Con Edison Director of Media Relations. March 17, 2010:WPCNR asked some questions of Robert McGee, the Director of Media Relations of Consolidated Edison to clarify the issues Con Edison faced responding to the storm one lifelong White Plains resident described this way: " I have lived in White Plains my entire live (70 years). This is without question the worst natural disaster to hit the city in my lifetime."

Mr. McGee responded to WPCNR by e-mail today, with answers to WPCNR questions about the company's response to the "Storm with No Name" that devastated New Jersey, New York, Long Island and  Connecticut this weekend, and maintains steadfastly the company did not lag in its response:

Here is the transcript of that e-mail interview.

WPCNR: I’d like to know, in the presenty situation, how does Con Ed handle downed wires with the local DPW departments?  Does Con Ed have to dispatch a crew to turn off the live wires, then the City DPW clears the trees on the wires…then does Con ED that turn off the live wires and leave....or do they move on to turn off the next set of live wires...and the downed wires await a 2nd Repair crew to actually repair the wires?

Bob McGee, Con Edison:  Many of the calls we are receiving involve tree and branch removal in Westchester. If there is no effect on our equipment or service, it is up to the customer or municipality (depending on whose property the tree is on) to arrange removal of the item(s).

If it does impact our service, we will remove only what is necessary to allow service to be restored.

Normally, when our service is impacted, we initially provide site safety (someone to ensure the public stays away from a live line or, when verified not to be energized, to simply block the area off), followed by a damage assessor, who evaluates the problem and the resources likely to be required, followed by a tree trimmer, and then the crew to make actual repairs to the service.

Keep in mind that more than one crew may be required to restore the service. Some run the cable, others may install the poles, etc. Additional work farther away may be required for the larger area to be fully restored. In order to expedite restoration, we work closely with municipalities to coordinate our efforts with theirs.

In some cases, our repair crews go out at the same time as the (Con Ed) tree trimmers. The trimmers do what is necessary to provide access and allow repair. Debris is being piled up and addressed at a future date after all customers are restored.

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WPCNR: Is it correct to say that Con Ed had 211 crews of its own working in the first two days of the storm with HALF on for 12 HOURS and the OTHER half on for the other 12? and that you expect some 480 more by Wednesday...strictly for the Westchester area?

Does this mean that Con Edison has only 1/3 the ready access repair crews actually in its employ or contracted for at any given time to handle damage caused by just a tropical storm such as we experienced this weekend?

Bob McGee, Con Edison: Safety followed by restoration are our top priorities during the emergency.

Right now (Wednesday at Noon), we have 550 two-to-six person crews working in Westchester. Additionally, we have 591 individual site safety inspectors and damage assessors working. 

Although crews are assigned to work at shifts beginning at 7 am and 7 pm, they usually work 15-16 hours in these kinds of circumstances, as opposed to 12.

Utilities, as you know, provide regional mutual assistance crews. (We sent crews to Atlantic City recently, and of course, after Katrina, we sent crews to New Orleans.) It is cost prohibitive to have utility workers on staff to meet the needs required for tropical storms or hurricanes.

We do storm drills regionally with other utilities on a regular basis, and our professionals work well in conjunction with other utility professionals in this regard, with relationships and practices that are long established and frequently revisited.

The practice with regional mutual assistance is for utilities to prepare ahead of time but to hold deployment until the weather passes, so accurate assessments can be made as to the impact on the system.

If, as with the snowstorm a couple of weeks ago, when utilities close to us also had significant needs of their own, we reach further afield for assistance.  

WPCNR: . But, here is the question, how many out-of-state, out-of-your-area are utility companies servicing communities, and how many are private electrical contractors for hire (independent businesses) -- a breakdown of your numbers would be good so we can see what the spread is. .Hypothetical question if I may.... If the majority more than half are private contractors,why couldn't you have called them in enroute  48 hours in advance and if the storm was not as serious as your weather forecasters indicated to you -- you could say Saturday night...we don't need you and they just turn around and go back -- since they are private contractors.  Is this a matter of Con Ed trying to save big money on paying them "in anticipation?" How do these contracts work with your private contractors and the utilities you say come on in and help in these dire circumstances...do they have the right to decline? What are the general terms?

BOB MCGEE, Con Edison: John, the short answer is this is an all-hands on deck response. We don't wait to save a buck; reputation management is far too important by comparison. We strive to work as safely as possible, as quickly as possible. We have working relationships with our contractors, and they respond. There is no lag time in our response.