In Wake Of PURA Decision On CL&P Storm Response, Llodra Still Has Issues

By John Voket

Less than 24 hours before the state utility regulatory agency handed down its final decisions regarding Connecticut Light & Power’s “deficient and inadequate” response following two 2011 storms, First Selectman Pat Llodra was criticizing the utility for its handling of an isolated incident in town on July 26.

In that incident, a tree was knocked down during the first few minutes of an intense but short-lived storm that swept through town around 7 pm. The fallen tree isolated a number of families on Great Quarter Road, Mrs Llodra said.

“Fortunately, we did not have any emergencies with those families, but if we did, the neighborhood was cut off from [fire and ambulance] access,” she said.

While there were other areas in town where isolated homes were cut off for a brief period of time, the first selectman said she was in the process of tracking down all communications between town officials and the utility. Mrs Llodra was further incensed because nobody in town was notified when Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) crews finally arrived to open the roadway that was blocked by the tree and tangled electrical wires. She added that nobody from the utility informed the town once the roadway was made safe for local crews to begin reopening the roadway.

“This was a small example of how the [utility’s] communication system is still not working,” Mrs Llodra told The Bee. “We did everything we had to do, but this situation is proof that certain protocols from CL&P that prioritize response are clearly aimed at large-scale incidents.”

Mrs Llodra said the utility is using statewide emergency operations criteria to identify and respond to power outages when the town assigns a “priority one” designation to an incident, which is to address priorities on an operational basis.

“Where in our case, health and welfare is always the number one issue, even before government or commercial restoration,” Mrs Llodra said.

On Wednesday, in a final decision and report by Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) Chairman Arthur House and Vice Chairman John W. Betkoski III, the agency affirmed the conclusion that CL&P, the state’s largest electric distribution company, was “deficient and inadequate” in several areas of its preparations and response to the two 2011 storms and the power outages they caused.

PURA further concluded that because the response to the storm by CL&P was deficient, an appropriate reduction of its allowed return on equity will be considered in its next ratemaking proceeding as a penalty for poor management performance and to provide incentives for improvement. In the decision, PURA also stated that it retains authority to consider storm response at the time CL&P seeks recovery for costs related to the 2011 storms.

At the current time CL&P has no rate requests pending before PURA, nor has it submitted any request for recovery of storm-related costs.

The final decision provides an incentive for CL&P to strengthen its preparation for future storms, with PURA noting that it will “consider and weigh the extent to which CL&P has recognized its shortcomings and taken concrete, measurable steps to embrace the need for aggressive, extensive restructuring of both its attitude toward storm management and establishment of new practices for execution of future storm response.”

The final decision orders CL&P to develop a plan to establish a “heightened state of readiness” in preparation for future storms and to take steps to address issues such as tree trimming, communications, and securing mutual assistance.

The PURA report did not specify potential sanctions for other public service companies, including United illuminating (UI), the state’s second largest electric distribution company. PURA did, however, reserve the right to take UI’s storm performance into consideration when reviewing any future request by that company for recovery of 2011 storm-related costs.

PURA also reviewed the impact of the 2011 storms on the providers of telecommunications services, cable television, gas, and water companies of Connecticut. While, overall, it was determined that these industries were less affected than the electric industry, and for the most part maintained adequate service during the overall outages, the authority made recommendations in its decision and created orders to improve service reliability for future events.

In the case of the isolated incident last week in Newtown, Mrs Llodra said she plans to bring it up to officials at PURA once she has completed reviewing the agency’s decision document. The first selectman was among a small contingent of Fairfield County officials who played a key role in testimony against CL&P when PURA initiated its fact-finding following last fall’s storm response.

“I’m absolutely bringing this incident to the attention of PURA,” Mrs Llodra said. “When I look at their orders, one says CL&P has to identify and address priorities on an operational basis. But health and welfare response is always going to be our top priority at the local level.”