Power Problems Hit Con Ed Again

Once again, Con Ed is under fire because part of its power distribution system went up in flames yesterday. Parts of Brooklyn and Queens were told to lower their demand for power because Con Ed's equipment couldn't handle the strain.

More than 15,000 customers were without power as a result of yesterday's major storms that blew through New York City.

However, the power problems started well before the storm hit.

None of Con Edison's customers lost power due to the 5 percent voltage reduction, which the company used to relieve the pressure on the system caused by the loss of three feeder cables or power lines in the area.

In fact, most customers would not even notice the reduction since most electric motors and other appliances are designed to tolerate a voltage variation of plus or minus 10 percent.

A volt is a unit of electrical pressure that pushes electrons along a conductor. This is similar to the pressure that pushes water through a pipe.

The first cable went out at about midnight, the second at about 6 a.m. and the third at about 11 a.m.

In a release, the company urged the estimated 87,000 affected customers in Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Clinton Hill and Bedford Stuyvesant west of Throop Avenue to stop using nonessential electrical appliances, especially air conditioners, until workers repair the cables.

The storm hit Brooklyn about 7am, when it spawned an EF2 tornado that ripped through Bay Ridge.

Meanwhile, Con Ed is facing lawsuits from the steam explosion at Lexington and 41st and businesses in the area are struggling because the street hasn't been reopened to thru-traffic as repairs continue to progress.