Community Corner

Congressional Delegation Wants CL&P Investigated

A letter to FERC has been drafted.


U.S. Rep. Joseph Courtney has been quite clear about how unhappy he is with the slow recovery from last weekend's winter storm in terms of power restoration.

So the 2nd District Democrat has been the ring leader over a letter drafted for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from the state's Congressional delegation that is requesting FERC use its "statutory powers" to investigate CL&P's handling of the cleanup efforts.

"You gotta be noisy," Courtney said in a call to Vernon Patch on Friday afternoon.

Courtney flew back to Connecticut just in time for the storm. He said he not only surveyed the battlefield that was his yard in Vernon, but talked to folks in shelters all over the district.

They were as unhappy as he was.

"All I can say was we saw rapid restoration after Irene compared to this," he said. "This has been excruciatingly slow."

He then added, "I am not at all happy."

Courtney said he heard the complaints early-on from municipal chief executives like Steven Werbner in Tolland and Jason McCoy in Vernon. He said McCoy, in particular, "has been like the Energizer Bunny about this. He isn't stopping."

The bottom line was energizing - period.

"I know more lines are down the days are shorter, and I think there has been considerable progress, but this still has been slow," Courtney said.

He said the Connecticut delegation recruited crews from New Jersey through the mutual aid system without the "cooperation" of CL&P.

Courtney was scheduled to return to Vernon on Friday night. He said he will continue to survey the damage. He said the state delegation has been "hammering" the White House to get any emergency declaration possible.

"We want a full declaration for these municipalities," he said.

CL&P has set a goal of late Sunday for 99 percent restoration.


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