National Grid To Blame For October Slow Response: Report

PROVIDENCE, RI — National Grid wasn't prepared for the October storm that left thousands in the dark, according to a report by the state public utilities department. The DPUC on Monday said the company didn't bring in sufficient crews to deal with the storm damage, failed to provide customers with accurate estimates of the time needed to restore service, and should have had the lights back on 36 hours sooner.

Gov. Gina Raimondo asked for an investigation after some customers went without power for more than a week.

"I ordered this investigation in October because I saw residents in neighboring states get their power back soon after the storm ended, while Rhode Islanders had to wait days," Raimondo said. The utility has been told to provide "monthly progress reports" to show it is following the report's recommendations, she said.

National Grid said it restored power to 90 percent of the customers in two and a half days.

"We look forward to engaging more with the Division in a fact-based discussion about the October 2017 storm and exploring how we can continue to improve our restoration plans and performance," the company said. "We are dedicated to addressing public safety and minimizing the occurrence and duration of storm-related outages."

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