It's not just Brooklyn that's being urged to shut off all non-essential appliances (and yes, that includes air conditioners!). Residents on the Upper West Side are being asked to shut off everything except the fridge "until problems on the area electrical cables can be resolved." In a statement, Con Ed says:
There are no outages in the area at this time and this conservation request is precautionary, designed to take pressure off the electrical system in these neighborhoods while crews are repairing equipment.
The affected area includes approximately 78,000 customers, and is bounded by 111th Street on the north, Central Park West on the east, 71st Street on the south, and the Hudson River on the west.
Company crews are working to repair the problem. Con Edison has asked customers in these neighborhoods not to use appliances such as washers, dryers, air conditioners and other energy-intensive equipment, and to turn off lights and televisions when not needed until the cable equipment problems are resolved.
Con Ed is making this recommendation in hopes of avoiding a brownout on the hottest day of the summer so far. We'd be interested to know how many customers are complying with the request and shutting off the A.C., and how many are cranking it up to 11 and soaking up as much cool air as possible until the whole grid goes down.
