Con Edison: One year after Hurricane Sandy
“Con Edison’s 14,000 workers have all played a role in developing a fortified energy system,” said Con Edison President Craig Ivey. “Damaging weather is becoming more frequent. When a storm hits the region, we want to restore customers safely and quickly. We are responding to Sandy by building a tougher system.”
Post-Hurricane Sandy Progress Completed
- Built more than a mile of concrete flood walls around stations and critical equipment.
- Added nearly 2,000 overhead isolation devices to reduce customer outages.
- Installed 800 special float-check valves to protect gas services from floods.
- Installed 38 smart switches to isolate damaged equipment and decrease outages.
- Replaced 60 pieces of non-submersible equipment with submersible equipment in flood zones.
- Installed more than 100 flood pumps.
- Installed 3,000 expansive foam seals in conduits.
- Installed more than 180 watertight flood doors and barriers.
- Installed smart grid technology in Brighton Beach that will allow us to keep most customers in service during a flood.
- Continued system-wide summer improvements to include installation of 31 network transformers, six new feeders, 207 overhead transformers, and reinforcement of 46 feeders by upgrading 350 sections of cable.
Post-Hurricane Sandy ProgressNext Steps
- Burying 30 miles of overhead lines in 2015 and 2016 at a cost of $200 million.
- Installing 70 high-tension vault switches.
- Installing stronger, tree-branch resistant aerial cable.
- Installing utility poles that withstand wind gusts up to 110 mph.
- Redesigning wires to detach more easily from customer homes, enhancing safety.
- Redesigning lower Manhattan networks to de-energize customers in flood zones and keep customers on higher ground with power.
- Replacing cast iron and steel gas pipes in flood-prone areas.
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