http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Tucker/Where%20We%20Live%2011-21-2011.mp3
We’ve been hearing for years that Connecticut has an aging electricity infrastructure - along with some of the highest electric rates in the country.
So, there’s a problem - how to upgrade without sending costs through the roof? It’s a problem that the state has been able to kick down the road for years - but now consecutive, massive storms have brought these questions into the fore.
First Tropical Storm Irene knocked out power to around three-quarters of a million customers...then a few months later, a freakish October snowstorm did even more damage.
After some parts of the state took more than 10 days to get power back, the president of CL&P is out of a job - the state has hired a disaster expert to conduct an investigation, the company is doing its own review - and Governor Malloy’s “2-storm” panel is taking testimony.
Today, rebuilding after the storm. We’ll talk about the real costs of burying wires, cutting down branches, and otherwise preparing for the next big weather event - and we’ll check to see how folks outside the state are dealing with these issues.