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State resources on standby, utilities' performance to be monitored as winter storm blows in, Gov. Cuomo says

Posted 12/26/12

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says state officials will be monitoring the performance of utilities during and after the approaching winter storm. For St. Lawrence County residents in need of assistance, the …

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State resources on standby, utilities' performance to be monitored as winter storm blows in, Gov. Cuomo says

Posted

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says state officials will be monitoring the performance of utilities during and after the approaching winter storm.

For St. Lawrence County residents in need of assistance, the National Grid upstate electricity help line number is (800) 867-5222.

The Department of Public Service will maintain its Call Center Helpline at (800) 342-3377 between 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

The State Emergency Operations Center will officially open at 6 p.m. today to monitor the storm and any emergency needs, Cuomo said.

The governor's office says it has informed utility company CEOs that they will be held responsible for the performance of their companies during and after the storm if they do not meet their obligations to their New York customers.

Cuomo said representatives from state agencies will coordinate storm response efforts, including the State Police, Department of Transportation, Office of Fire Prevention and Control, Division of Military and Naval Affairs, Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Department of Health.

The worst of the storm is expected to be over the state tonight through Thursday afternoon, bringing moderate to heavy snow and some ice to parts of the state.

The governor's announcement encourages New Yorkers to monitor weather conditions through the various media available, and to be particularly cautious while driving.

Secretary to the Governor Larry Schwartz this morning sent a letter to the CEOs of the utilities that operate in New York State to remind them of their responsibilities.

That letter went to electric utilities including National Grid, the main electric power distributor in northern New York.

"Utilities that are licensed to operate in New York have a responsibility to ratepayers and to the public to be prepared for predictable weather events. The State of New York will hold your company accountable for its performance," Schwartz's letter said.

Among the state agencies put on alert are the Public Service Commission, which monitors and regulates utility companies, the state Power Authority, which has resources that could be helpful in restoring power if it is lost, the state's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, and State Police and DEC officers and equipment, and the Department of Transportation, which operates fleets of plows and other equipment.