Mayor Bill de Blasio urged New York City residents to immediately reduce energy use in their homes and businesses as extreme heat has pushed Con Edison’s electrical grid to the limit.
De Blasio said he spoke with the president of ConEd, who warned that widespread power outages are possible Wednesday night if New Yorkers do not reduce their energy use as the city faces a fourth day of dangerously high temperatures.
We need New Yorkers to take IMMEDIATE action: reduce your use of electricity in your home or your business for the rest of the day. We need to avoid energy disruptions during this heat emergency. https://t.co/w5BQDHzUFt
– Major Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) June 30, 2021
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“We have a real challenge on our hands,” De Blasio said during a briefing on Wednesday afternoon. “We need to make sure that our electricity supply is protected. We need to avoid possible interruptions. “
The Mayor suggested that New Yorkers immediately turn off unnecessary lights and appliances, such as washing machines and the microwave, and urged residents to continue overnight energy-saving measures until Thursday morning, when Wait for the heat wave to end.
“We ask people to avoid things that use a lot of electricity,” he added. “We need people to take action now to protect themselves against any outage.”
On Wednesday afternoon, hundreds of city residents received a mobile alert urging energy savings.
Emergency Management Commissioner John Scrivani reported that there was a larger power outage in Brooklyn on Wednesday, affecting about 1,700 customers.
ConEd and the Department of Emergency Management established a response station at the corner of Nassau and Morgan avenues. Crews distributed dry ice and an MTA bus was parked at the intersection to serve as a mobile cooling center.
The city’s cooling centers were also opened in all five boroughs. To find a refrigeration center in your area, call 311 or visit NYC.gov/beattheheat.
“But the most important message now is that we don’t want things to go from bad to worse,” warned De Blasio. “We all have to act now, so I ask all New Yorkers to be a part of this. Turn off anything that doesn’t need to be on now. “
Scattered power outages were reported in various parts of New York City on Wednesday.
A blackout left traffic lights dark and residents without air conditioning in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, in the area below the BQE around Vandervoort Street.
Additionally, Con Edison reduced the voltage by 8% in certain Queens neighborhoods while crews worked to repair the equipment. The utility company was asking customers in New York City and Westchester County to save energy during the heat wave.
The voltage reduction covers an area bounded by the Grand Central Parkway in the north, Jamaica Bay in the south, the Nassau County line in the east, and Queen Boulevard and Van Wyck Expressway in the west.
Eso incluye los vecindarios de Glen Oaks, Floral Park, Bellerose, Queens Village, Bellaire, Holliswood, Hollis, St. Albans, Cambria Heights, Laurelton, Springfield Gardens, Jamaica, South Jamaica y Jamaica Hills.
The voltage reduction affects some 64,000 customers.
Con Edison also asks customers to limit unnecessary air conditioning use. If you have two air conditioners, use only one and set it to the highest temperature that is comfortable for you.
Customers can report outages and check service restoration status at www.conEd.com/reportoutage, or with our mobile app for iOS or Android devices, or by calling 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752- 6633). When calling, customers should report if their neighbors have also lost power.
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