Utilities rally to restore power


More than 53,000 utility workers from around the U.S. and Canada are working arduously to restore electricity to millions who lost power as a result of Hurricane Sandy.

Crews are working around the clock to restore outages in areas like NYC, among others. Credit: Con Edison/Flickr.

Underground wires and power equipment in New York City and Newark, NJ, were especially hard hit by Sandy, as seawater penetrated equipment and substations, creating an unusually daunting challenge for repair and power restoration because all of the components must be cleaned, dried and tested before the equipment can be re-energized. 

Flooding destroyed utility distribution network equipment throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, including substations, transformers, control panels, poles and wires and must be fully replaced or repaired before electricity is restored.

The challenges that remain are enormous. Responders have been working tirelessly from before Hurricane Sandy made landfall, and now must clear fallen trees, sand, debris and water before they even begin to think about installing and replacing equipment. 

"Despite the challenges, we are seeing a truly American story unfold in front of our eyes," said Tom Kuhn, President of Edison Electric Institute.  "President Obama is helping millions of Americans and our industry tremendously by lending a hand from the government to speed this critical response.  This storm is the biggest single task our industry has ever undertaken, and thousands of utility workers are risking their lives to complete the restoration process, which is extremely technical, time-consuming and dangerous."

EEI's Senior Vice President Brian Wolff agrees that the response of everyone affected by the storm is part of the history that has made America the success it is today.

"There's nothing more American than when we come together as a country to help out one another," said Wolff. "When I look at the storm response I'm overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for our linemen and utility workers to effectively do their jobs, and how those without power are sharing their resources.  This is a crisis that we are addressing together as a nation." 

For more:
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- see this article

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