Consumers always want cheap electricity. As a result, utility companies have been unable to charge the appropriate rates to allow for capital improvements to upgrade the existing power grid, substations and bury more power lines. Residents living in low density neighborhoods want to keep the price of homes low by accepting above ground power lines rather than bury them.
With limited crews, it was impossible to reach everyone within 24 hours with such a catastrophic loss of power impacting so many customers at once.
I would gladly pay to cover costs for burying my power lines to insure more reliable delivery. Unfortunately, this would not work unless my neighbors also agree to do the same.
Decades ago, elected officials attacked the Long Island Lighting Company for being overpriced and inefficient. They promised that creation of the Long Island Power Authority would be solve all our problems. Having lived in Great Neck from the 1960s to now, I don’t recall LILCO being anywhere as bad as today’s generation of politicians claim that LIPA is. Voters deserve a rebate from the elected officials who committed consumer fraud by selling us a false bill of goods.
—Larry Penner
