Con Ed Must Do More

The blackout in western Queens is over. The patched and generator-supplemented power grid held up through our recent triple-digit, record-setting killer heat wave. The citywide death toll from the scorching weather stood at 24 as of Tuesday, August 8, including 12 people from Queens.
These deaths remind us how much we all rely on air conditioning and fans in the heat of the summer and how critical keeping cool is to our aging population. We fear that the fallout from the blackout will also include many deaths of ill-fated businesses who simply will not recover from their blackout losses.
Assemblymember Mark Weprin, chair of the New York State Assembly Small Business Committee, places the blame on Con Edison's tariff - the official rate and terms of service filed with the New York State Public Service Commission - which limits the company's liability to loss of perishable goods only.
While Con Ed did in fact relax the requirements (receipts) for perishable goods reimbursements for both residents and businesses, - $350 and $7,000 respectively - it will not give one penny toward other concomitant losses like wages, lost business and equipment failures due to the lack of power.
Moreover, let us not forget the many businesses like travel agencies, retail stores, hair salons, doctor's offices and all the other service industry employers. They still had to pay workers, insurance, rent and their electric bills. Con Edison should have given more thought before announcing their insulting $3 rebates to residents. Three dollars hardly seems adequate for the pain and suffering the blackout caused 100,000 human beings.
&#8220Business owners are risk takers,” according to Weprin, &#8220who jump into a venture knowing it may not succeed, but focusing their efforts on attracting new customers, keeping old ones and staying ahead of their competitors.”
We agree with Weprin when he points out that business owners should not have to factor in the reliability of the utility system's infrastructure as a condition of survival.
Con Edison employees are doing a great job of repairing the network in that area of Queens but when will they address the older infrastructures of other Queens areas? The neighborhoods of Flushing and Bayside had a power scare on Wednesday, August 2.
The utility giant must expand its legal liability for damages caused by power outages in their networks, no matter the cause.
The blood of many small businesses could be on the hands of Con Edison by the end of the year. The business losses continue to mount and only the lucky will survive the devastating loss of income the blackout inflicted upon them. They will survive only through sacrifices they did not or could not plan to make.
It is time to ascribe a new sense of accountability to Con Edison and make them responsible for damages other than just spoiled food.