PSEG, town officials to talk power plans
Nightmare from the summer of 2013 when Bortech, a Long Island Power Authority subcontractor, failed in its attempt to run cables from Shelter Island to Greenport.
Just a week after resident Howard Johansen asked the Shelter Island Town Board why there had been no response from PSEG on power needs here, Supervisor Jim Dougherty at Wednesday’s work session said he would be meeting with utility company representatives Monday.Mr. Dougherty; Police Chief Jim Read, the town’s emergency response coordinator; and Public Works Commissioner Jay Card Jr. have an 11 a.m. conversation slated with PSEG representatives to talk about the Island’s needs.
What the supervisor knows is that the utility company is still considering a substation here, possibly at the Recycling Center, but also considering cables to connect the Island on the Greenport side to a transformer there.
PSEG has already heard from North Fork residents who are adamant about not going through another summer disruption like what they experienced in 2013. Accordingly, if the company opts for cables, the work would be done during winter months, Mr. Dougherty said. Many of the homes on the Greenport side where the cabling would connect are primarily occupied during the summer.
While Mr. Johansen said he’s glad to hear about the meeting, he’s critical of town officials for not being more demanding of answers from the utility company.
In a telephone interview Thursday afternoon, Mr. Johansen said he was upset that town officials failed to get answers to nearly 20 questions the Shelter Island Association had submitted about how power needs here would be met.
From the North Fork, there were three cables feeding Shelter Island and two are gone with the third more than 25 years old, said Mr. Johansen, an engineer familiar with both the Long Island Power Authority and its successor, PSEG.
If that cable were to fail, the town would be left with generators, he said, noting that he’s not confident they would even work sufficiently, he said.
“Planning has been very poor,” Mr. Johansen said.
Given Chief Read’s role in coordinating emergency responses, Mr. Johansen expressed surprise that the chief didn’t push harder to get PSEG to move more quickly.
Chief Read deflected that criticism, saying that since the Island will have to live with the solution for a long time, he doesn’t want to rush the process without being sure the decision is right.
“While we search for a solution with PSEG, one both the community and PSEG feel is most appropriate for our town, my concerns about electric service are minimal,” Chief Read said. The utility company has worked with the town “at every step to make sure our service is second to none,” the chief said.
“Examples of this exceptional service are reflected in three main areas — response to electric outages, extensive tree trimming and supplying backup generators during the peak electric demands of June, July and August,” Chief Read said.
Town officials will continue to explore options in this off season, he said, while expressing confidence that if a cable from either the North or South forks failed, the remaining cable would be sufficient to meet Island needs.
“During both peak and non-peak seasons, we have redundancy in our power supply,” Chief Read said.
“The town will continue to work with PSEG over the off season toward a timely solution that will meet the needs of both the town and PSEG well into the future,” Chief Read said.
Similarly, PSEG spokesman Jeff Weir said the utility company representatives have been working closely with town officials to find the best solution that will have to serve the Island for a long time.
“This is not something that can be rushed,” Mr. Weir said. In response to a question about when work might be done if the cable option is selected, he said the company would do its best to “minimize any disruptions on either side.” No time table is yet in place and won’t be until a solution has been identified, Mr. Weir said.
