LIPA Upgrading Lake Success Electric System

Written by Wendy Karpel Kreitzman: wkreitzman@antonnews.com Friday, 01 June 2012 00:00

Improvements come on the heels of this month’s smoking electric wires issues

Power-wise, the month of May had an inauspicious start for Lake Success residents, as a blown transformer on May 1 caused smoke and sparks in several of the village’s homes in the Meadow Woods area. On May 22, the Long Island Power Authority informed the Great Neck Record that work was just beginning, to upgrade the electric system in Lake Success and to improve reliability of this service. LIPA spokesperson Mark Gross reported that these upgrades will strengthen the electric delivery system and increase reliability for 2275 Lake Success customers.

Lake Success Mayor Ron Cooper told the Record that he has been involved in discussions with LIPA officials for quite some time and that they had met this past February to outline the project and assess the entire electrical system in the area. They discussed an assessment of the entire electric grid and certain much-needed upgrades. And, according to the mayor, LIPA would also check to see if enough power actually comes through the grid.

Mayor Cooper did add that many of the problems in his village are due to backyard shrubs and trees that become entangled in electric wires and pull down limbs and trees during stormy weather.

When the Record questioned LIPA’s Elizabeth Flagler about the relationship of the May “smoke and sparks” incident and the new upgrades in Lake Success, she offered only the following statement: “The reliability project referenced in the press release is to reinforce the electrical system in the Lake Success area. It is being completed at this time as a result of one of LIPA’s ongoing assessments of the electric system. It is only one of many infrastructure improvement projects planned across LIPA’s service territory. It is LIPA’s mission to provide safe, reliable service to all our customers.”

Ms. Flager is a media relations representative from LIPA Energy Efficiency and was available as a press representative in the absence of Mark Gross.

Discussing more specifics in the project, LIPA Chief Operating Officer Michael D. Hervey stated: “As part of our continual assessment of the electric system, this project will reinforce the existing electrical facilities in the area to meet the increasing demand to serve customer needs.” He added that “By making these improvements, we will ensure that residents living and working in Lake Success have a safe and reliable supply of power long into the future.” Mr. Hervey also noted that this project will strengthen the circuit, which will also help reduce the frequency of outages and the duration of outages, “if they do occur.”

According to Mr. Hervey, there will be many improvements due to this project. He said that the project improves the facilities in the Lake Success area, including replacing insulators, transformers and lightning arresters. The majority of the improvements will take place along Lakeville Road, Hillside Avenue and Lowell Avenue.

As the Record has reported in the past few weeks, there are several other LIPA projects scheduled for Great Neck, with all work intended to improve service and reliability of electric power. This is part of many infrastructure improvement projects planned by LIPA to benefit customers throughout Long Island.

With these projects under sway, and work scheduled through August, LIPA asks that residents use caution and stay out of zone protection areas and drive slowly in such areas (giving the workers the right of way).

LIPA promises that customers will be notified in advance if any scheduled outages are required to safely upgrade the electric facilities.

At press time, at least one resident did tell the Record that they had been “suffering” power outages, but had been informed that these outages were entirely related to ongoing work to improve LIPA service.

And, so, while residents might have to suffer the trials and tribulations of power outages during the work period, Mayor Cooper is pleased that the work has begun. “This is a positive step and we look forward to much more reliable electric service,” the mayor stated.