HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut regulators on Wednesday criticized the
state's two largest electricity distributors and said they are considering fines
over what they called the companies' failures in their preparation and response
last August to Tropical Storm Isaias, which left hundreds of thousands of homes
and businesses in the dark for days.
Isaias knocked down scores of trees and utility wires, causing more than 740,0
outages at its peak and a total of more than 1.3 million outages to Eversource
and United Illuminating customers. Many customers and local officials expressed
anger and frustration at the companies' power restoration efforts, which took
more than a week in some places.
Eversource and United Illuminated have defended their responses to the storm.
The state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority on Wednesday issued a unanimous
ruling that orders the companies and their affiliates to improve how they
respond to major storms. The orders include increasing the number of line
workers and other responders who restore power and clear blocked roads, and
improving communications with customers.
During a meeting via video conference, the agency also ordered management
audits of the two companies by independent firms, and officials said they are
now considering fining the companies. How much the fines would be is not yet
clear.
The ruling also reduced the companies' profits. A dollar amount for the profit
reductions has not been calculated.
``Unfortunately we find ourselves with much more than a public image problem on
our hands,`` said Marissa Gillett, chair of the regulatory agency, known as
PURA. ``Our public utilities, and Eversource in particular, have failed us and
continue to fail us by putting shareholders above the rights and goods of the
system of Connecticut.''
PURA said United Illuminating, which serves 340,000 customers in southwestern
Connecticut, did a better job responding to Isaias than Eversource, which serves
nearly 1.3 million customers in the rest of the state.
Regulators said orders they imposed on the two companies after storms in 2011
and 2012 that also caused hundreds of thousands of power outages that took days
to restore were not sufficient to improve the utilities' responses to future
storms.
Both companies have the right to appeal PURA's decision to Superior Court. It
was not clear if they would do so.
Eversource spokesperson Tricia Modifica said the company stands by its response
to Isaias, but acknowledged ``there are many areas for improvement that we are
already addressing.''
``Our thousands of employees showed skill and dedication in restoring power to
customers as quickly as possible,'' Modifica said in a statement. ``Today's
decision deserves careful consideration and review and we are committed to
moving forward in the best interest of our customers.''
A message seeking a response was left for United Illuminating on Wednesday.
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