In preparing for Tropical Storm Elsa, government and Eversource officials are still talking about the aftermath of Isaias, the tropical storm that swept through Connecticut last August.
The electric utility's response to Isaias drew widely negative reviews from customers, including thousands who didn't have electricity for more than a week.
"Elsa should be much less severe (than Isaias)," says Gov. Ned Lamont, "both in terms of wind and in terms of flood damage. I also want you to know, we better be a lot better prepared than last time."
Eversource and its smaller counterpart, United Illumination, are now under more pressure to perform. The state government and its Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) have new penalties to levy if future responses lag.
"Those PURA rules are very clear," says Lamont. "They're clear in terms of fines that are put in place if power's not restored within 96 hours." The rules also require Eversource to improve communications with customers and municipal officials.
Eversource officials are well aware they're under the microscope.
"Isaias hasn't really ended for us," says Craig Hallstrom, Eversource President of Regional Electric Operations. "There's been a lot of scrutiny on it, both internal and external."
To PURA Commissioner Marissa Gillett, that scrutiny is worthwhile. "The rate payers have put hundreds of millions of dollars into this infrastructure," says Gillette. "So, it's not just about preparing and pre-staging the resources, it's about making sure that the money that the ratepayers have turned over has been invested appropriately ahead of time."
While Hallstrom expects Elsa to pack less of a punch than Isaias, he's confident that Eversource is ready:
"We are planning just like we did for Isaias. We watch the weather, constantly... We assess the impact on our system. We work with groups like UConn on how many damage locations we could potentially see, and then we staff accordingly."
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Governor Lamont has signed an order allowing utility trucks that are under maximum height (8') to drive on the Merritt and Wilbur Cross parkways, effective 8 am Friday.