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Con Ed Can't Handle The Heat, Asks Over 100K Queens Customers To Please Turn Off AC
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Jul 21, 2020
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By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Jul 21, 2020
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New York City's power grid is creaking under the weight of a multi-day heat wave, and Con Ed is now politely requesting tens of thousands of Queens residents turn off their air conditioning to preserve energy.
The utility sent out a notice to customers on Tuesday in Glendale, Forest Hills, Forest Hills Gardens and Middle Village announcing that equipment problems would force them to reduce voltage by 8 percent in the area.
As a result, more than 116,000 customers are being asked not to do laundry, use their microwaves, or run their air conditioners — unless medically necessary — until the repairs are completed at an undisclosed time.
Sure it's more than 90 degrees out, but maybe you can just go to a museum or a public pool or a dimly lit bar or catch a movie...oh, right.
As of 4 p.m., there were 92 outages affecting roughly 1,000 customers throughout the five boroughs.
A spokesperson for Con Ed, Allan Drury, told Gothamist that "voltage reduction is a tool we use regularly during hot weather to keep service reliable." He added that the company was merely asking customers to "use energy wisely." (Here are our own tips for beating a heat wave wisely).
Some experts have warned about the heightened potential for brownouts or blackouts this summer, as more New Yorkers stay home due to COVID-19. While the city's commercial districts have power lines designed to carry a heavy summer load, the new remote work force cranking their at-home AC units could create a surge in demand that strains the city's grid.
Last summer's heat waves were accompanied by multiple brownouts and blackouts, which left thousands of New Yorkers in the dark, and forced Con Ed to intentionally throttle service in certain neighborhoods.
Amid talk of a public takeover of Con Ed, Governor Andrew Cuomo repeatedly threatened to revoke the private utility's license.
A few months later, a Cuomo-controlled state regulatory board approved a $1.2 billion rate hike for NYC and Westchester Con Ed customers.
Tagged
heat wave
black out
queens
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con ed
Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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