LIPA Line-Crews are Dispatched to Assist the Electric Power Restoration Effort in Upstate New York

Uniondale, NY — A mid-winter storm blasted parts of the Nation’s Midwest and extended into the Northeast this weekend, bringing down trees and electric power lines.

The weight of accumulating ice on tree limbs and overhead electric lines has created widespread damage. The ice buildup as of Monday has knocked out electric service to about 80,000 customers in upstate New York.

In response to a request for assistance from National Grid, the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) has dispatched six (6) line crews to the Albany area to assist in restoring service to National Grid customers. The six crews or 17 personnel are in route to the Albany area and are expected to be on site until Friday of this week.

“Lending a hand to other utilities during times of critical need is the right thing to do. It is absolutely vital to get electric service restored to area residents as quickly as possible,” said LIPA Chairman Richard M. Kessel. “LIPA is pleased to assist the residents of upstate New York through the electric utility mutual assistance program.”

LIPA, a non-profit municipal electric provider, owns the retail electric Transmission and Distribution System on Long Island and provides electric service to more than 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. LIPA is the 2nd largest municipal electric utility in the nation in terms of electric revenues, 3rd largest in terms of customers served and the 7th largest in terms of electricity delivered. In 2010, LIPA outperformed all other overhead electric utilities in New York State for frequency of service interruptions, and ranked second for duration of service interruptions. LIPA does not provide natural gas service or own any on-island generating assets. More information about LIPA can be found online at: http://www.lipower.org.

Media Contact Information
Mark Gross
Phone - (516) 719-9892
Media Pager - (516) 229-7248
media.relations@lipower.org

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