PSC-11-07-00011-P Storm-Related Power Outages by Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.

3/14/07 N.Y. St. Reg. PSC-11-07-00011-P

NEW YORK STATE REGISTER

VOLUME XXIX, ISSUE 11

March 14, 2007

RULE MAKING ACTIVITIES

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

PROPOSED RULE MAKING

NO HEARING(S) SCHEDULED

 

I.D No. PSC-11-07-00011-P

Storm-Related Power Outages by Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.

PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE State Administrative Procedure Act, NOTICE is hereby given of the following proposed rule:

Proposed action:

The Public Service Commission is considering whether and how to modify Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.'s (Consolidated Edison, the company) response to storm-related power outages. The Department of Public Service staff's (staff) investigation of the Westchester County storm-related outages that occurred in 2006 identified a number of recommendations for improvements in the company's outage management, restoration, and communications activities, and the commission is considering whether these and/or any other changes are warranted. The commission may also consider requiring any changes to be implemented before the summer of 2007, requirements that could reduce the frequency or duration of any outages that may occur, and other related matters.

Statutory authority:

Public Service Law, sections 2, 5, 65 and 66

Subject:

To consider whether and how to modify Consolidated Edison's response to power outages, the timing for any such changes, and other related matters.

Purpose:

To determine whether and what improvements should be made to the manner in which Consolidated Edison responds to power outages, the timing for making any such improvements, the steps the company takes to reduce the frequency and duration of such outages, and other related matters.

Substance of proposed rule:

During 2006, Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (Consolidated Edison, the Company) was confronted with a series of substantial power outages due to storms in Westchester County. Department of Public Service Staff investigated the Company's responses to these outages and prepared a report detailing its assessments, conclusions, and recommendations. The report is titled “July and September 2006 Severe Storms - A Report On Con Edison Performance” and can be found on the Commission's website. In the report, Staff determined that improvements should be made in the manner in which Consolidated Edison communicates with its customers, elected officials, and others during the outages and subsequent restoration periods and in which the Company performs its outage management and restoration activities.

Based on the Staff report, on input from interested parties, and other information it receives or develops, the Public Service Commission is considering whether Consolidated Edison should be required to make changes to its Emergency Response Plan, promulgated and filed pursuant to Part 105 of the Commission's regulations, as well as to outage management systems and procedures, communications protocols, and/or restoration plans and procedures, and, if so, what those changes should be. The Commission may also consider requiring implementation of any such changes prior to the summer of 2007, imposing other requirements that could reduce the frequency or duration of any outages that may occur, and other related matters.

Text of proposed rule and any required statements and analyses may be obtained by filing a Document Request Form (F-96) located on our website http://www.dps.state.ny.us/f96dir.htm. For questions, contact:

Central Operations, Public Service Commission, Bldg. 3, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223-1350, [phone]

Data, views or arguments may be submitted to:

Jaclyn A. Brilling, Secretary, Public Service Commission, Bldg. 3, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223-1350, [phone]

Public comment will be received until:

45 days after publication of this notice.

Regulatory Impact Statement, Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, Rural Area Flexibility Analysis and Job Impact Statement

Statements and analyses are not submitted with this notice because the proposed rule is within the definition contained in section 102(2)(a)(ii) of the State Administrative Procedure Act.

(06-E-1158SA1)