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ConEd Hopes Dry Ice Will Soothe Overheated, Powerless Customers

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DJ S. WHiT posts this photo to her Twitter account earlier today with the caption: "trailer size generator on my street but the power still going in and out."

It's about 10 degrees cooler than it was yesterday, and ConEd crews working through the night have restored power to 81,000 folks that lost it since Heatocaylpseageddon began on Thursday. But 2,700 people are still sweltering without relief in Brooklyn and Queens, and are left with bags of dry ice that the utility is distributing to suffering customers. It's not even cold comfort! "Me and and my 80-year-old mother slept in the car because there's no electricity, no air conditioning," an East Elmhurst resident tells NY1. Another claims that those affected have moved their elderly parents to hotels because "Con Ed has given them seven different stories about the time-frame for the repair." At least it's shared sacrifice: we received a report that ConEd CEO Kevin Burke was without power last night.

ConEd states on their website that, "The goal is to restore all customers who lost power from the heat by 11 p.m.," either on the grid or through generators like the one pictured above. In 2006 Burke was criticized after blackouts in Queens caused some residents to go without power for over a week, and apologized through artful PR. Mayor Bloomberg, however, said that "Kevin Burke deserves a thanks from the city." Are Queens and Brooklyn ConEd customers thanking Burke for their bags of dry ice today? If you're using the dry ice, which is being distributed at Sheepshead Bay High School in Brooklyn and Richmond Hill High School in Queens, don't forget this appetizing disclaimer: "Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide and should be used only in well-ventilated areas. Keep children and pets safely away."

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Comments [rss]

  • Spirit of 76

    But they should all have power back already. m015094 insists that NYC's power problems are all caused by a shortage of electricity, which would all be cured if we had more nuclear plants. Surely, with temperatures cooler and demand for electricity down, everyone should have power again, right? Tell me again that's how it works, m015094.

  • the power problems have more to do with the overheating of equipment as opposed to lack of supply

  • Spirit of 76

    You know that and I know that, but just try explaining that to m015094, who, despite being a former utility employee (lineman?) in Virginia and a self-described expert on the subject, obviously doesn't work for Con Ed.

  • I'm surprised that they actually distribute dry ice from a safety and legal standpoint.

    If used in a poorly ventilated space it could cause suffocation

  • schmeep

    We need more regulation and fines over this.

  • Samantha_Ga

    Can't it also cause "burns" if you come into direct contact with it?

  • absolutely

    you shouldn't touch the stuff directly

  • Samantha_Ga

    Let's see how long it takes before someone sues ConEd...

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