July 20, 2006
Queens Simmers as Power is Spotty
Most of the city got to enjoy yesterday's cooler weather - except for Queens residents and business owners. For the second day in a row, homes and businesses had little or no power and subway service was limited, with many commutes that would take 30 minutes tops taking 90 minutes. The MTA blamed Con Ed, saying, "Because of the low-voltage problem, not enough power is available to power subway signals in the area." And Con Ed blamed Queens residents, essentially telling one of our readers when she asked what the ETA for power would be, "maybe if our neighbors actually listened to them, the load would go down and then we'd have power."
Mayor Bloomberg said Con Ed was doing the best it could, but City Councilman Eric Gioia of Queens said, "Is it any surprise that it is this hot in the city in July? Frankly, people expect better from Con Edison." Astoria resident Dan Dickinson told us Con Ed was "allegedly handing out dry and regular ice at a few intersections but its a little late now - food has spoiled."
Power seems to be back on the trains (the MTA writes "ollowing the ability of Con ED to return more feeders on line, and the use of portable generators to supply the required amount of voltage to our signal system, NYC Transit plans to run NORMAL rush hour service through North West Queens..."), but it's still unclear how the neighborhoods themselves are doing.
And this graphic is from Queens resident John Chu, who said he had power in Rego Park but Woodside was another story.
Update: Reader Laura related her call to Con Ed:
Just thought you might want to pass along to your readers the info I found out after a LOOOONG wait to talk with a human at Con Ed today. They’re saying that service could be restored “next week, sometime, maybe” – but they’re definitely pessimistic about the weekend. So that sucks pretty hard. They’re “distributing” free ice, but as far as the Customer Service Representative I spoke with, there are only two locations – the corner of Ditmas and Steinway, and the Veronon Ave. Command Station. They also claim that they are urging the neighbors with power to cut back, but after a couple of bike rides through the neighborhood today, I have seen NO evidence of Con Ed either asking people to cut back or anyone voluntarily cutting back. The mayor, I think, is unaware that his paltry dictates in City Hall really do little to help people in Queens – he should be urging neighbors to really help neighbors. It’s like the blackout, except that there’s no camaraderie, and it’s going to last longer.And a bunch of readers posted the link for Con Ed's claims form online - here it is (and thank you).Also, Customers with spoiled foods and electronic equipment damaged by the outage can contact the number below for a claims form – 800-752-6633.
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You would expect a big utillty like ConEd to try to prevent things like this. Howevever, they can't even seem to conquer the stray voltage manhole cover problem.
Con Ed should realize that hot summer days = increased power load and plan accordingly. Now why do I have the feeling that there may be another big blackout this year, again caused by problems with the wacky interconnected system. I only say this because the midwest seems to be über hot this summer and that is where the problems started last time.
Hey ConED, it gets hot in the summer EVERY YEAR SINCE THE BEGINNING OF HUMAN CIVILISATION!! Give us more electricity, it's your damn job. You can't F-ING BLAME the citizens for using electricity when it's 100 degrees out! You call them "Peak Load Days"; well I call them "The Jerkoffs at ConED Need to F-ING Work Harder Days".
Shut your yaps and do your goddamn job.
I love that ConEd is referring to some places with power loss as having "limited" power. My house has "limited" power- just enough to power some of the light bulbs halfway. If it's not enough to power the fridge, or the hot water heater, that's not limited power- that's no power.
The most maddening part is the fact that there has been absolutely no effort whatsoever made to communicate any kind of ETA on when things will be fixed.
I keep trying to look into how I switch to another power company, but it all looks so complicated. I'm told the power companies made it that way to reduce competition.
In other places on earth, you go to the competitor's website, fill in your usage for last month and they tell you what they would have charged you. Then you fill in a form on the website and it all just happens.
Why do we tollerate things being this hard in the US? This is one of the areas where competition (= capitalism) can help.
And Con Ed blamed Queens residents...
Of course, because Queens residents just HAPPEN to use more electricity than the rest of us.
Douchebags.
If I had an entire refrigerator of spoiled food, I'd bag it up and drop it off at the nearest ConEd office.
The ongoing "brown-out" conditions in QNS are not being handled well on any level. Con Ed is correct in saying that residents with some power are not being smart in running all of their appliances as usual. MTA is right in saying that Con Ed isn't allotting them enough power to get 2MM residents to work. Not to mention the NYPD is not doing a good job of managing traffic conditions [at least where I am in Sunnyside].
Someone needs to step up and take action! [no, dry ice is not going to cut it]
What makes this a little more disconcerting is that this summer, overall, has been relatively cool. What would happen if we had a crazyass scorcher of a summer? And why do they tell only the Queensers to reduce usage? Couldn't they ask the whole city to curtail consumption and then shift some juice to QNS?
As customer service on a collective global level decreases, so does basic services (such as electricity) and direct human responsibilty. Not enough electricy, not enough gas, not enough cell towers, not enough food, not enough peace, not enough love, not enough patience, not enough common sense.
Enough is enough! When will we, as consumers wake the fuck up, stop bitching about what they should do, but rather DEMAND it.
Every consumer who is forced to use ConEd should be on the phone with a supervisor demanding arrears in spolied food, lost work time and most of all, at least one month free utilities.
Do you think Con Ed will accept a pro-rated account payment for July???
They've cost me $50 in spoiled groceries, 3 nights decent sleep when I have to work full-time, hours in additional commuting time this week.
I live on 5th Ave in Park Slope and our power was on sort of a brown out for a day and then at 10pm last night it went out. It is back on now but I agree with Toby get your candles and flashlights ready I think another blackout is on the way.
"If you have incurred spoilage losses during a power outage, you may file a claim with Con Edison. To file a claim, either fill out a claim form or write a letter within 30 days of the power outage." https://m020-w5.coned.com/lawclaims/default.asp
I wonder what would happen if everyone in the affected areas wrote in.
So, I'm pissed. I'm pissed that there is no TV, I'm pissed that for the past two days I've had a hot fridge and a cold shower but what I'm most pissed about is that this whole thing is ConEd's fault. I firmly believe that they set out Monday to cut our power and reduce some of their strain so that they wouldn’t have to punish Manhattan and when Queens residents kept (rightfully) using their fans and refrigerators something blew up. If they wouldn’t have tried to give us a "brownout" on Monday we wouldn’t be dealing with this blackout at all.
My wife works at the Citibank building in Court Square, LIC. Everyone got sent home early yesterday after shutting everything down, and they the building is still closed as of this morning.
It's "good" to have a couple days off--but bad when they get back--they will have 2 days worth of work.
ConEd doesn't like to advertise it, but they WILL reimburse you for spoiled food. See the link for the req's and form you need to fill out--and pass it on. I think we should FLOOD them with these requests, and make them reimburse us ALL.
https://m020-w5.coned.com/lawclaims/images/Residential.pdf
I'm passing on that link from ConEd as best as I can!
Here's an email I wrote to Con Ed this morning:
We are now on hour 37 of the blackout of 2006. Good work Con Ed! What annoys us the most is the lack of communication on your part. It really is pretty pathetic that a company such as Con Ed cannot update the public in truth with the situation. We get it…..it’s “Feed” cables that are having the problem….you are working around the clock….blah blah blah! What the hell does that mean to us? 2 days? 3 days? We love your press releases….”Con Edison URGES that you reduce the use of non essential appliances”. Who the hell are you talking to? WE HAVE NO POWER! A neighbor of mine called and asked for an update and the rep said to them “We have no new information, you can watch the television for updates!”. WE HAVE NO POWER TO WATCH TELEVISION! It’s amazing how you belittle the public. Thanks Con Ed! Thanks! I hope whoever is reading this is laughing….show your co-workers…..laugh with us….cause that’s all we residents can do is laugh. Enjoy you’re air conditioned homes and your cold beers tonight. We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that someone there has a real clue on how to fix the problem and quickly.
Yours truly,
Every resident in Sunnyside, Queens.
Is it true some of you guys (by guys, meaning NE Queens blackout affected areas) had been without Power since Sunday, when the Heatwave started?
Did you get any ETA of when the power come return?
On the news, I recall someone mentioned Friday.
*Everyone* has an AC now. This didnt' use to be the case. Now everyone has to have thiers on FULL BLAST as well, not just on Low, they don't know how to control their energy usage. No wonder ConEd is over burdened.
Man, I was going to move to Woodside, but I think I'll delay that until September. 3 days without power? That is unlivable in present times - it sounds like West Queens is living in Iraqi conditions.
So why is it just Queens and not Manhattan or Brooklyn? I wonder how much the Bronx goes through without people ever hearing about it? There definitely seems to be a NYC tier system of service when it comes to boroughs/areas, yet everyone pays the same taxes. Whuhh?
I posted that link for the claim form on Craig's List. Too bad no one who is at home in Astoria, Woodside and Sunnyside has internet! Oh well, F*** ConEd. I'm wishing i would have saved all of my rotten salmon and yogurt to send in with my claim form.
Re: *Everyone* has an AC now. This didnt' use to be the case. Now everyone has to have thiers on FULL BLAST as well, not just on Low, they don't know how to control their energy usage. No wonder ConEd is over burdened.
Jamie in Astoria, it's called capacity planning and forecasting. All major utility / service based companies practice and employee these methodolgies. Not saying your wrong, they should have been well prepared for this type of event and then some. It is either poor planning, poor inspection of the infrastrucutre or poor maintenance. Either way you slice it, the onus is on Con Ed.
A joke is what it is.
the same transformer that blew up THREE years ago, you may remember it destroyed the Double G Pharmacy and basically the entire corner of Ditmars & 23rd Ave...well that's the transformer and light pole that burst into flames on Tuesday.
CON ed obviously didnt' fix it the first time, and now they've screwed us royally.
Every conEd truck I see in my neighborhood is filled with guys standing around; smoking cigarettes. Its ridiculous.
Notice no blackouts in Manhattan. God forbid.
I for one won't be paying ANY utility bill for this month.
Shutting down the unnecessary exterior spotlights on the Empire State, Chysler, and other Manhattan buildings for one night could power Sunnyside for a week. WTFuck???
Wow, if Citigroup got affected Con Ed is royally screwed. If Citigroup is like other financial firms, They have an SLA with Con Ed that includes monetary penalties when they can't provide enough power.
"I keep trying to look into how I switch to another power company, but it all looks so complicated. I'm told the power companies made it that way to reduce competition." -Interlard
It doesn't matter if you switch, ConEd is still responsible for the area's delivery system. Some of your money may go to the competitor, but they still pay ConEd to "maintain" the system.
As for the problem, ConEd has the same issues every year, and we get the same bullshit excuses. I really did not enjoy walking 3 miles to get home since the N/W was dead on Tuesday night. Did I mention that it was 96°??!!!
People definitely go a little crazy with the AC. I leave mine off all day and turn it on only when I'm home. What the hell justifies leaving it on all day in an empty apartment? I know ACs aren't the only offenders, but it does seem like an easy thing to do.
Total rumour but I've now heard it from 3 different people. Power will be out till Sunday or Monday. Don't know how true it is, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit.
Samantha T, IMO, people leave it on when they think they don't pay for it. I know people that live in Old apartments where the Electricity is part of the rent. They leave the AC on 24/7 and wonder out loud what the problem is...
How do we go about getting people to do as JR says he's doing--not paying the utility bill this month? I'm willing to, but it's not going to do much if only a couple of us participate.
Samantha, a lot of people who leave their air conditioning on during the day do so because they have pets. The people may be at work, but their pets are home.
From Channel 7: Apparently, six to eight blocks of overhead cables in Astoria started to melt this morning as crews were trying to fix the current power outages.Con Ed crews say literally blocks and blocks of wires just started melting.
If cable lines are melting in *this* weather - and by my weather widget, its 75° - god help ConEd, for they are truly worthless.
You guys, we are in the middle of a *nationwide* heat wave. Hello?
on 44th St @ 30th ave we lost power sometime Monday, when an exploding manhole cover converted a normal car into a firey car, which in turn converted normal power lines to burning power lines. ConEd was working all night (which, when combined with the 95 degree heat and the noise meant I slept all of 45 minutes). The power came on, sorta at 6:30 the next morning. 11:30 Tuesday we had more exploding powerlines. Last night I checked out the neighborhood and the outage is odd and spotty. I can't wait until August when I get power again.
And, I want to know if ConEd will not only pay for the food in my fridge, but are they going to cover my bar and restaurant tabs?
Also, rumor has it that folks in Astoria are meeting at St Joseph's Church (30th ave btwn 43rd and 44th) at 6 tonight as a demonstration.
Between the loss of food in the fridge, the fact that there was no way for me to eat dinner Tuesday night(I came home from work after midnight), and the fact that I ate out last night, and will have to again tonight, we're talking about well over $200 dollars in expenses incured because of the lack of preparation on Con-Ed's part. Thats my electric bill for 3-4 months. And I'm not one of those people that leaves the AC on all day. If I'm out, the AC is off.
ConEd has been delivering only about 90V every evening between 5PM and 11PM, since about *******APRIL******* when the weather first started warming up. This problem should have been fixed THEN, but they put it off until total failure, because brownouts allow them to OVERCHARGE. Your electric meter measures CURRENT, not POWER. By keeping the area in a constant state of brownout, they cause appliances to consume 33% more current to get the same power for higher electric bills, not to mention making air conditioners and other items run less efficiently.
There needs to be a class action suit against Con Edison.
Astoria's a crazy mixed bag... we finally got the trains back (after my 40 minute commute became 110 yesterday), and my building has spotty power (full power that shuts off for a few seconds every now and then, very annoying), but my grocery store hasn't been open for three days now. I can't eat any more bagels. About 40% of the traffic lights in the neighborhood seem to be busted, too.
Cripes. You'd think being next to a power station would get you something, but I guess that's no good.
To be clear, this is a transmission and distribution problem, not a generation problem. There is enough power in the whole grid, just not enough capacity in the grid to get it to the people who want to use it.
Bob Dole is right. There needs to be more reinvestment in the electric distribution system.
If you upgrade your electric service to 100 amp....Con Ed should be responsible to provide up to 100 amps 24/7....as long as you pay the bill. Infrastructure improvement fees are included in your bill and are set by the Public Service Commission. Conservation of energy is optional...just like buying a Hummer that gets 9 miles per gallon...if you can afford the gas.
Con Ed said that power will only be back in Astoria on Sunday, this totally blows!
I just called the Astoria New York Sports Club -- only business in the neighborhood I have programmed into my phone -- from my office and they're back up and running after being closed yesterday. They have full power back. That bodes well, but at the same time, wouldn't treadmills and ellipticals be classified as "non-essential"? I have flickering light bulbs and a fridge full of rotten food, but hey, I can go get my cardio in.
Astoria is still without power? Looks like a Full Blown Hipster Alert on Gothamist. 40 something comments already, geez. At least you guys can't comment about this when you go home.
Now where did I put my emergency Starbucks prepaid card?
While I would like to take a hot shower, and while the bike shop hasn't been open for me to get more tire patches to fix the flat I got Sunday making me commute by slow train...
I'm actually having fun. I live about a block from commenter Joe and right by the eight blocks of cable which came down. We're all just hanging on the stoop, drinking beer and chatting each other up. I'm quite pleased last night was cooler. We just slept out on the roof with a portable alarm clock.
I live about a block from commenter Joe. While I would like to take a hot shower, and while I have been forced to take the train because the bike shop isn't open for me to get a patch for the tire I blew on Sunday...
I'm having a good time. I live right next to the eight blocks of cable that went down. We're all just hanging on the stoop, chatting each other up and drinking beer. It's good getting to know the neighbours some more.
Kojak-
I'm flattered that you consider me a hipster, as an Astoria father of two. Never thought parenthood would be so cool!
Jackass.
It's not just Queens. Since 9:00 last night, most of 4th Ave from Bergen Street to 10th Street in Brooklyn has been without power, with no estimate as to when the power would be restored.
I was informed by a Con Edison representative that I should make 'alternative plans for sleeping' through the weekend.
Well Aaron, I hope you and you're kids enjoy yet another evening, in the dark.
Flashlight Scrabble anyone?
"You and YOU ARE kids"
Nice. At least we hipsters know how to use proper grammer.
(And yes, we had a lovely time with the flashlights last night, although the baby was a bit overexcited by them...;)
I love how commenters like "Kojak" -- and with a self-given id like Kojak, who's calling who the hipster? -- are rude and obnoxious on an anonymous forum, but would never entertain doing the same face-to-face. Too bad the folks didn't go with the abortion, pal.
I’m tired of being nice all the time. Why can’t I be obnoxious for a change huh?
So I’m having a few laughs at other people’s expensive, so sue me.
So when do we get our power back? Is it really a wait until Sunday?
Man!
I /JUST/ got cable TV and internet - I haven't had any chances to even watch a show yet!
Kojak -- in preparation for your SAT's, it's "expense," not "expensive."
We were all young once.
Whoops. We're only human Loser.
It sure is nice to have another fan in my fan club. Did you meet ethos yet? He’s my pal.
Just havink fune at you're expensive Kojak.
No power until Sunday? This is insane, my last bill from Con Ed was $200!! Is the protest at 6PM still going on? I am sure that if this were to happen in certain neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn power would be restored immediately since the the Mayor and the NYPD would be afraid of a riot. Is this the price I have to pay for living in a neighborhood filled with families, hipsters and yuppies???
It was kind of fun in a "camping out in your living room" kind of way for the first night, but now it's getting old. The businesses are losing money, the residents have already lost all their refrigerated food, and it doesn't seem like many people outside of NW Queens know about the outage at all. Thank goodness it cooled down!
We live in Astoria, close to Ditmars Blvd. We lost power on Monday afternoon, around 7 pm. Since then, it has been a long and sweltering wait for Con Edison to repair the damage. The first day, Con Edison did not even acknowledge that there were people in the dark. They kept issuing press releases asking for people in Astoria to conserve electricity. No one was reporting about the situation, except for NY1.
All convenience stores and supermarkets are closed, except for Trade Fair at Ditmars, operating with generators. There are so many senior citizens suffering because of the outage, it is hard to believe. They depend on facilities located close to their apartments. Many cannot go out of Astoria to get food supplies.
We have called Con Edison and got the same reply every time. They say there are no details about when the power will be restored. On the meantime, all the food in fridges has gone bad, take out is impossible and cooking at home nearly as difficult, for lack of grocerie sources.
It is incredible that Con Edison can go ahead with this kind of failure. Where is the Mayor? Where are the officials that should ask for explanations? Where are the elected representatives of our community? Peter Vallone waited almost two days to, shyly, ask some questions.
There should be some kind of assessment of responsibilities at Con Edison. Someone should be held accountable about this unbelievable situation. Many of the people in the Con Edison crews have been simply killing time on their trucks and vans. On Monday afternoon, at around 8pm, in the corner of Stenway and 23rd Avenue, two Con Edison employees were using their time cat calling women crossing by. This kind of "service" is probably what has caused this debacle.
I've seen the families, but there's a noticeable lack of trendniks and yuppies in Astoria. Either way, I can't see what that would have to do with a brownout.
Can we all dump our garbage bags full of rotting food in Con Ed's driveway on 31st St.? That might be a fitting protest.
Can we all dump our garbage bags full of rotting food in Con Ed's driveway on 31st St.? That might be a fitting protest.
What demonstration at 6? Where is that happening?