LIPA Responding to Winter Storm

Monitoring for Ice Build Up on Power Lines

High Sustained Winds & Wind Gusts Predicted

Extra Crews Available to Make Repairs

Call 1-800-490-0075 to Report Downed Power Lines

Uniondale, NY—With the National Weather Service issuing an Ice Storm Warning and Wind Advisory for Nassau and Suffolk counties as of 10AM this morning, the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) is closely monitoring the potential for ice build up on its power lines and has been restoring weather-related outages across Long Island.

LIPA has extra repair and tree trim crews, logistical personnel and system managers, and call center personnel working extended shifts to restore power and respond to customer calls.

“We’ve been keeping up with the storm-related outages,” said LIPA CEO and President Richard M. Kessel. “We are anticipating the potential for an increased number of outages as the storm continues to progress across Long Island, especially with the high probability for wind-related outages as the sustained winds and wind gusts intensify. As a result, we currently have about 700 personnel devoted to restoring power as quickly as possible, but the high wind gusts could make restoration efforts very difficult at times.”

“Play it safe,” said Mr. Kessel. “Don’t go near any – let me underscore any – downed lines. You can never be sure if it’s a power line, phone line or cable TV line. But it could be energized by coming in contact with a power line.”

LIPA customers can call 1-800-490-0075 to report an outage or downed line.

For LIPA’s real-time storm outage reports, storm preparedness information, and links to weather sites and emergency response agencies go to: http://www.lipower.org.

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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