Dive Summary:
- In a forum at Rutgers University, Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G) president Ralph LaRossa evaluated the utility's failure to properly respond to Hurricane Sandy and pitched the utility's 10-year, $3.9 billion infrastructure modernization plan.
- PSE&G president LaRossa said the utility's big mistake was failing to protect "the right substations" from the storm surge.
- LaRossa said "the world has changed," arguing the increased frequency of unpredictable, extreme weather events makes PSE&G's proposed grid overhaul a necessity.
From the article:
"... The swelling waters flooded switching and substations PSE&G had built decades ago near Newark Bay, which was 'the biggest problem we had,' he said. Failing to protect the right stations in those areas of Essex, Hudson, Middlesex and Union counties was the main reason Sandy knocked out power to 2 million PSE&G customers, he said.
The hour-long talk, which was billed as an overview of PSE&G’s Sandy preparation and response efforts, also served as a pitch for the utility’s hotly debated $3.9 billion infrastructure overhaul plan. The massive proposal now faces questions from state regulators, consumer advocacy groups and some large energy users. ..."