National Grid one of two electric firms in state with fewer power outages in 2010

Among electric power distributors in New York State, National Grid was one of two companies whose interruption frequency was lower in 2010 than it was in 2009.

The New York State Public Service Commission said that statewide interruption frequency for 2010, excluding major storms, has been nearly identical for the past three years, and better than the five-year average.

Central Hudson Gas and Electric Corporation and National Grid Upstate improved when compared with 2009. The other utilities assessed in the state performed satisfactorily, the commission said.

Frequency of outages is influenced by factors such as system design, capital investment, maintenance, and weather. Decisions made by utilities on capital expenditures and maintenance policies, however, can take several years before being fully reflected in the frequency measures.

Additionally, staff presented to the Commission its report on customer service quality which examined utilities' performance on a wide range of measures of importance to customers, including complaint rates, customer satisfaction, service appointments kept and timeliness of telephone response. In 2010, the state's electric and natural gas utilities met or exceeded the standards for performance on each of the measures of customer service as established in each of their rate plans.