[UPDATE] Con Ed To Brooklyn: Power Down or Brown Out!

Courtesy Patrick Germain

[UPDATE BELOW] Around 4:30 we received a prerecorded phone message from Con Edison asking us to please turn off and unplug any non-essential appliances. (The voice said we could leave the refrigerator on.) A spokesman for Con Ed tells us that six neighborhoods in Brooklyn are currently subject to a "voltage reduction" because of "a problem with some of the cables supplying power." We're told this is related to today's extreme heat (duh), and the phone calls to Con Ed customers are part of a preemptive effort to avoid a brownout in the borough.

Until further notice, Con Ed customers residing in Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Ft. Greene, Clinton Hill, Bed-Stuy, and Park Slope are encouraged to be big heroes and turn everything off, especially the A.C. We're assured that this is for the good of the borough, and that there are worse fates than sitting alone in a sweltering apartment with just your thoughts for company. Why, just look at this guy; he's gonna be just fine.

UPDATE 5:58 p.m.: In a press release, Con Ed says, "Because of problems on electrical equipment supplying power to several neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Con Edison has reduced voltage by 8 percent to the area... One affected area is bounded by Newtown Creek on the north, Graham Avenue and Throop Avenue on the east, Fulton Street and Pacific Street on the south and the East River on the west. The other affected area is bounded by Fifth Avenue to Prospect Park West and from Pacific Street to 23rd Street.

"Company crews are working now to repair the problems. Con Edison has asked customers in the affected area to turn off all non-essential electrical appliances to help reduce electricity usage until equipment problems can be resolved... Con Edison urges customers to call 1-800-75-CONED promptly if they are experiencing any service difficulties."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on June 28, 2010 4:45 PM

Comments [rss]

Kenny M

yeah I really want to thank con ed they burned out my ups last year and my voltage regulator this year. at least I hope it's just my voltage regulator and the relay didn't send any just onto my lcd. These things only go into standby they don't really turn off.

If they did this will be 2 grand they've cost me.

I don't get this city, when I lived in atlanta my electric bill actually went down in the summer and power was fine. So far here my bill doubles and the service goes straight to hell. If I did that to one of my customers I'd find myself in court with a lawsuit so fast my head would be spinning.

And even when it is "working" They seem to barely make 110, I wish you luck ever seeing 120.
Oh well no point bi***ing, I'd hate to think how old some of our electrical infrastructure is lol

diablofreak

we deserve con ed and their rip off tactics. i mean i live in an apt building, it was 90 degrees the other day earlier this week and everyone had the AC on, ok i understand that. but come wednesday temperature dropped to 60s and stupid douches in my building still had the AC on (they pay their own electricity) but come on, and we complain con ed gives us high electricity bills?

Automocar

As someone who lived in Astoria during the '05 "low voltage" episode (which was really a week-long power outage) and now lives in Greenpoint... I'm obviously the problem. I'm sorry.

WorksInDUMBO

I live in Carroll Gardens, and we were on serious brownout from Sunday around 3pm until Monday morning sometime. No A/C, all the lights were dim/flickering.

mikro

ps: has anyone else been thinking about how much power all the new condos in 11211 and 11222, and for that matter everywhere else in brooklyn might affect the antique power grid in brooklyn/nyc?

thanks new new condo friends and con ed, for sucking the life out of our already dwindling resources.

it is going to be one interesting summer with over 50,000 new units in brooklyn alone. there is no way coned can fix/handle this.

mikro

I can confirm Williamsburg brown out from about 8:pm - 2:pm on the northside. Looks like they took us down to 100v.

Took out most of my computers and the AC was knocked out.

Unfortunately brown outs wreak serious and permanent damage on electronics, computers and hard drives so be careful people.

On the bright side, at least we don't have oil in our seafood (yet), and a hurricane coming.

Jen S

But seriously folks, turn off the shit you're not using.

silver

I'm not turning off my grow house.

soundfreak

So, I was recently told by Ratner goons to close my windows and run my AC to avoid the noise and dust coming from the arena project. Now, I'm told by Con Ed to turn off my AC.

Jeez.

mx0

What's your point?

gerf

I just received the call from con ed.

I'm on the upper west side of manhattan

so apparently it's not only brooklyn

jaycjay

Right... later news stories also mentioned the UWS as one of the affected areas.

bagelman

a blackout in nyc in this economy...look out!

SFNY

Are we headed for an Enron/California-style rolling blackout? Ah, there's nothing more joyous in the summer than "public" utilities manipulating the power supply to get a rate hike.

silver

You must be a transplant. No, there won't be any Enron here, but there will be an Astoria. Look that up.

JacqueMehoff

where's the mayor's initiative on solar power, isn't brooklyn one of the boroughs he wanted to shout out from the roof tops?

whitecastlerock

Right you are! Gothamist gladly plastered this site with Bloomberg's promises. Why not do a story demonstrating how little he has done? Where are the jobs he promised? Umm not many. How about getting tough with the MTA? uhhh service reductions, looming fare hikes. How about looking out for the middle class? Yes, he will help them pack as they are priced out of the city. Last but not least-when he sees rooftops in Brooklyn he sees solar panels...

Stevennnn

The highest rates in the country at work.

FutureMan83

in greenpoint here. my power blinked about an hour ago.

akuryo

Hmm I wondered why my A/C hasn't been working so well this summer. I've been having to run it more for it to do less, if they fixed the damn lines I wouldn't have to run it so much and use less - what a dreadful circle. I swear there is no breeze on my block so leaving windows open does nothing but annoy me by having to hear all the ghetto blasters booming while I swelter.

I wonder when the last time they updated these lines was - are we talking about 50yrs ago or last year???

wobbleSmith

i'm an LIC resident and i also got this call. i'm not sure AC is a non-essential appliance during a heat advisory, Con Ed. unless you wanna kill your pets and/or die yourself.

jaems33

Cold water and fans go a long way.

gerf

hmm.. you can't survive without air conditioning? I wonder how people survived.... hmmm let's see...... FOR NEARLY ALL OF HUMAN HISTORY WITHOUT IT.

I can understand that the elderly need it. and maybe if you have small babies. But most people are not in any danger without air conditioning other than being uncomfortable.

Jen S

Those ten to fifteen superhot days every summer: I will die without a/c.

tsol

Will someone please let ConEd build some new powerplants?

Pete

This isn't about powerplants, it's about infrastructure - the wires in those neighborhoods don't have the capacity to handle the demand.

In short, ConEd hasn't built out enough to handle what their customers need.

nycblonde

Because the hipsters/park slope parents in those neighborhood won't let Con Ed build new power plants or update the infrastructure to replace the old ones that can't handle their AC use.

jaycjay

Again, this has nothing to do with a shortage of power plants. And how do you think the people in those neighborhoods would prevent ConEd from upgrading transmission lines?

There's plenty of real stuff to complain about, no need to make things up.

tsol

+1

Eugene

Oh ConEd, that's a nice plan and all, but I think I've come up with a better one: I pay you for your services, and then you provide the services I pay you for.

F'in jerkoffs...

devonbanks

-Strong Bad, how long have you been laying here?

-I dunno, six, maybe eight hours.

gerf

yes!

I used to love that site but haven't been there in a while

thanks for reminding me!

Kelles

Can't look at him either w/that big scar on his nose

gerf

That dude looks like a roasted game hen

streber

Hey ConEd, Go fuck yourself.

Spend some friggen money on infrastructure instead of paying millions to your management.

I've got a 40 year old electric meter, and no-one can explain my rates or bills.

kc2slg

Has it occurred to you that upgrading wiring will cause your streets to be ripped up? Are you one of the folks who will complain about that?

kswissreject

Looks like he should be spending less time in the sun and more time in the gym.

whitecastlerock

All of those new IPhones need plenty of juice

Peter

Nationalization without compensation. In this case, it's the only way to go.

areyoutuffenuff

That neighborhood list is awfully suspicious. Does ConEd have hipster-hating ulterior motives?

How Ya Doin

an article that references brooklyn? and you brought up hipsters? wow, dude, nice.

areyoutuffenuff

I actually specifically mentioned the neighborhoods, dipshit. If they said Brighton Beach, Gravesend, and Ditmas Park there would be no hipster reference.