BERLIN, Conn. (November 25, 2014) – As a winter storm makes its way up the East Coast, Connecticut Light & Power is prepared to safely and quickly respond to any power outages that might occur. While no utility can prevent outages during severe weather, the significant and ongoing infrastructure improvements to the electric system have made it more reliable and resilient than ever.
“We are fully prepared for this storm thanks to our ongoing system improvements,” said Peter Clarke, Senior Vice President of Emergency Preparedness for Northeast Utilities, parent company of CL&P. “In 2013, we had our best reliability year in over a decade due to continued system upgrades, which are necessary to provide reliable service for our customers no matter what Mother Nature throws at us.”
CL&P continues to invest in stronger electrical equipment including new and stronger poles, wires, transformers and upgrades to substations. In addition, the company’s resiliency efforts include a comprehensive tree-trimming program which has dramatically decreased the number of tree-related power outages. Since 2013, the company estimates that this comprehensive approach has resulted in a 58 percent reduction in tree-related power interruptions across the state. All of this work is to improve the overall system and service quality to meet customers’ expectations.
The company always encourages customers to prepare for any severe weather by assembling or restocking a storm kit and making arrangements to look out for their families, friends and neighbors. CL&P’s "Shopping for a Storm Kit" video on YouTube (http://YouTu.be/X8Y_M4SO5oE) highlights the contents needed for a fully-stocked storm kit.
CL&P also reminds customers to stay at least 10 feet away from any downed power lines and immediately call 911 to report them. Crews will be on standby across the state and the company’s emergency response plan will be activated if necessary.