KAPLOWITZ & ABINANTI TO HOLD HEARING ON RECENT OUTAGES - MONDAY AT 3PM
CON ED, NYSEG AND NYS PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION TO TESTIFY

For Immediate Release: September 20, 2006

Westchester County Legislators Thomas J. Abinanti (D-I-WF, Greenburgh) and Michael B. Kaplowitz (D-I-WF, Somers) will hold a hearing at the Board’s Offices this Monday, September 25th at 3pm, on the recent power outages that resulted from hurricane Ernesto. Also to be addressed is the status of refunds related to the outages that occurred earlier this summer that left thousands of Westchester residents in the heat and in the dark.

Representatives from Con Edison, the NYS Public Service Commission (PSC) and New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) will be present to testify at the Environment & Energy Committee meeting.

Both Abinanti and Kaplowitz said that their offices have been flooded with calls and e-mails from irate residents from all over the county. “They have had enough and no longer have any patience for Con Ed and their weak excuses,” said Abinanti.

“With regards to their refund practices, Con Ed needs to step up, do the right thing and stop further antagonizing Westchester residents,” Kaplowitz stated. “We also intend to call to task the PSC on their lack of oversight over Con Ed. They are the ‘Public’ Service Commission and they are not serving the public.”

Kaplowitz and Abinanti have hosted a series of meetings this year on the excessive power failures the county has endured this year.

In addition to members of the public, municipal officials and emergency personnel have also been invited to attend.

Although the public is encouraged to attend, those who cannot can submit their comments and experiences to Legislators Kaplowitz and Abinanti via fax: (914)-995-3884 or by e-mail to: Kaplowitz@westchesterlegislators.com or Abinanti@westchesterlegislators.com. The press is also encouraged to attend.