Utility company agrees to add additional power sources to affected neighborhoods
Following meetings held at Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz’s office, Con Edison has
agreed to take action to alleviate the constant power outages that
affect several buildings on or near Palisade Avenue. At least seven
apartment buildings in Spuyten Duyvil experience blackouts several times
every year. The widespread loss of power due to Hurricane Sandy
highlighted this longstanding problem. All of these buildings lost power
as a result of the storm, but for the thousand plus residents of these
buildings, losing power – and hot water and heat – was nothing new.
Starting in the fall, Con Edison will split the Riverdale loop
in half and add an additional power supply, located on Johnson Avenue
and Kappock Street, which will feed the affected neighborhoods
additional power. This measure should not only cut down on the amount of
power outages but also ensure that the power outages that due occur are
much shorter in duration.
“While
I still believe the power lines in the area should be buried, this is
an excellent first step,” said Assemblyman Dinowitz. “Losing electrical
power has been a chronic problem for the people of these buildings in
Spuyten Duyvil. It happens when it rains. It happens when it snows. And
it happens in nice weather. Cutting down on these blackouts will be a
big relief for the residents of this neighborhood and save them a lot of
headaches.”
The
meeting with Con Ed officials followed a press conference held in
October, where Dinowitz, flanked by affected area residents and
community leaders, called on the utility company to bury the overhead
power lines in the heavily wooded neighborhood. Although Con Ed agreed
that the area was problematic, they continue to maintain that burying
the power lines is too cost prohibitive.
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