NYSEG and RG&E Responding to Outages as Snow and Gusty Winds Continue - 9 a.m.

BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK — March 2, 2018, 9 a.m. — NYSEG and RG&E, subsidiaries of AVANGRID Inc., are responding to outages following heavy snow and gusty winds caused by the Nor’easter storm in the companies’ Brewster, Elmira, Central, Filmore, Geneva, Hornell, Ithaca, Lancaster, Liberty, Mechanicville, and Oneonta divisions. As of 9 am, there are nearly 45,000 customers without power in some of the hardest hit areas including Allegany, Cayuga, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Columbia, Erie, Livingston, Monroe, Oneida, Ontario, Putnam, Saratoga, Schuyler, Steuben, Sullivan, Tompkins, Wayne, Westchester, Wyoming and Yates counties.

The companies advise that this storm is actively moving across the NYSEG and RG&E service areas and as a result the impacts are still to be determined. NYSEG and RG&E currently have more than 1,000 personnel working on storm response efforts and preparing for continued heavy, wet snow and winds. Crews and contractors will be working throughout the day and evening to make conditions safe and restore power as quickly as possible. After making conditions safe and addressing any downed wires, damage will be assessed in order to plan and execute an efficient restoration plan. As estimated times of restoration become available, information will be available at www.nyseg.com and www.rge.com.

How We Go About Restoring Power Following Major Storms

first repair the backbone of the electricity system – transmission lines and substations – that bring electricity to the local distribution system that serves our customers. We then make any necessary repairs to the distribution system that includes the poles and power lines along streets and roads, focusing first on those circuits where we can restore power to the largest number of customers. As part of this process, we take into account the needs of hospitals, nursing homes, fire and police stations, as well as any other critical infrastructure. This is a time-proven process that ensures we safely restore service as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Power Restoration Priorities

NYSEG and RG&E first priorities are to respond to reports of downed power lines to keep the public safe. NYSEG customers are asked to call 800.572.1131 and RG&E customers are asked to call 800.743.1701 to report downed wires. Once this vital public safety work is complete, the company will:

  • Assess the damage to the electricity delivery system.
  • Develop a detailed restoration plan.
  • Make repairs as quickly as possible.

NYSEG and RG&E offer the following reminders:

During a Power Interruption

  • Contact neighbors to see if their power is off. A loss of power may be the result of a blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker.
  • To report a power interruption, contact NYSEG at 800.572.1131 or RG&E customers are asked to call 800.743.1701
  • Don’t use a natural gas or propane range to heat your home.
  • Never use outdoor grills or stoves inside.
  • Keep refrigerators and freezers closed as much as possible. Most food will last 24 hours if you minimize the opening of refrigerator and freezer doors.
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