Tag: Superstorm Sandy

No matter how hot it got on summer's hottest day, with all of the Island's air conditioners at full blast, the Long Island Power Authority wanted to have more than enough electricity to deliver to its customers. And it did just that -- even if it meant spending billions of ratepayer dollars on questionable deals, Newsday has found.… Continue reading Where LIPA’s Money Went

The Long Island Power Authority had no advance plan for restoring power to homes severely damaged by flooding from Sandy, despite warnings from experts who peppered their storm surge predictions with phrases like "life-threatening," "destruction potential" and "worst-case scenario." Instead, it took eight full days before LIPA announced that as many as 100,000 South Shore homes, in… Continue reading What went wrong

Nearly a quarter of Long Island Power Authority employees in the last decade had connections to politically powerful people on the Island and in New York State before working at the utility, a Newsday investigation has found. They include a former congressman's wife, the daughter of a former district attorney, a judge's son, a one-time county legislator,… Continue reading LIPA’s Power Connections

The Long Island Power Authority’s agonizingly slow response to Sandy came after warnings as far back as 2006 that the utility was unprepared to handle a major storm, failed to upgrade antiquated technology, neglected vital maintenance and regularly underbudgeted for storm response. A state report and a review of records show that the regional utility… Continue reading Why LIPA Failed