Con Ed unveils $1.4 billion response plan

(Lower Manhattan - WABC, March 26, 2007) (WABC) -- Con Edison unveiled a massive emergency response plan in an effort to prevent a repeat of last summer's massive blackout in Queens.

It will cost more than a billion dollars. But even Con Ed is admitting there is no guarantee it will stop the problem from happening again.

Eyewitness News reporter NJ Burkett is in Astoria with the story.

At a City Council hearing on Monday, the engineer in charge of Con Ed's power grid said 1.4 billion dollars in repairs and upgrades are being made this year alone, intended to prevent what happened last year when 25,000 homes and businesses lost power for up to 10 days -- the longest blackout in New York City history.

"I don't expect that it will be a recurrence of that or anything like it this year but I can't put an absolute guarantee that it won't happen ... I suspect that, based on history, that there will be scattered interruptions," John Miksad said.

Around the city, a rate increase appears inevitable.

"We are making substantial improvements," said a Con Ed spokesman."And our rate plan is going to reflect that."

But in Queens, many merchants we spoke with were furious.

"In 10 days we had no electricity, we didn't get anything ... they only thing they offer us is 25 cents less a month for 24 months ... that's ridiculous," a merchant told us.

Others seemed willing to wait, giving Con Ed the benefit of the doubt at least for now.

"They deserve it," one merchant told us.

The rate increase would have to be city-wide, and would have to be approved by state regulators. Con Ed is expected to make it official with a formal application in May.

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