CL&P Considers Sandy Restoration a Team Effort

Dec. 1, 2012
Hurricane Sandy's fury left hundreds of thousands of Connecticut Light & Power customers without power. The company's restoration effort has proven to

Hurricane Sandy's fury left hundreds of thousands of Connecticut Light & Power customers without power. The company's restoration effort has proven to be successful with the last few thousand customers in the hardest-hit parts of southwestern Connecticut now back in service. In total, more than 850,000 customers have been restored.

“Our employees and contractors did a tremendous job repairing damage, restoring power and communicating with our customers throughout the storm response,” said Bill Quinlan, CL&P senior vice president of emergency preparedness. “We appreciate Gov. Malloy's leadership throughout this restoration process as well as the cooperation and communication with key state agencies and the municipalities we serve.”

Due to severe damage Sandy caused, CL&P estimates that more than 1,000 of its customers will be unable to have electric service restored to their homes or businesses at this time. Customer service reps are working with these customers to outline the steps they need to complete, such as having wiring inspected, before CL&P can reconnect their service.

With the help of 2,900 outside line workers, crews set over 1,000 poles; strung more than 100 miles (160 km) of overhead lines, and replaced 2,400 transformers and 5,000 crossarms. Strategically located staging areas around the state were crucial to coordinate thousands of workers, their vehicles and necessary materials in close proximity to their job sites. Throughout the restoration process, CL&P's community liaisons worked closely with city and town officials to ensure effective coordination and information sharing.

“CL&P's response and communication in this storm was vastly improved,” said Noel Bishop, first selectman of Westbrook. “Our town liaison kept us informed continuously, so we knew progress was being made every day. We know workers were up against obstacles they had never seen before and they handled it well. We appreciate their hard work.”

Visit www.cl-p.com.

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