October Storm Left Pennsylvanians Across State Without Power
Casey: Investigation Needed to Get to Bottom of Delays in Returning Power to PA
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released a letter to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) calling for an investigation into continuing power outages that have blanketed parts of the state since a late October storm. As of Friday morning, 15,000 Pennsylvanians had been without power for nearly a week due to the winter storm, prompting Senator Casey to call for an investigation.
“Last month’s winter storm certainly walloped Pennsylvania, but the continued delay in turning the power back on is simply unacceptable,” Senator Casey said. “Snow is par for the course in our state, so we need an investigation to figure out why the power has been out for so long to prevent this from happening again.”
Last weekend, fall’s first storm hit Pennsylvania leaving much of the state blanketed with up to a foot of snow. A week later, the slow pace of turning the power back on has left large swaths of the state without electricity to power their lights, heat their homes and pump water from their wells. Specifically, reports have surfaced that elderly Pennsylvanians and people with disabilities have been particularly impacted by the power outage.
In his letter to the Public Utility Commission, Casey called for an investigation to get to the bottom of the power outages and the fact that they’ve dragged on for so long. With winter around the corner, getting firm answers on the cause of the power outages is essential to ensuring that Pennsylvanians can rest easier, knowing that they won’t be left in the dark for much of the winter.
A full copy of Senator Casey’s letter to the Public Utility Commission can be seen below.
To: Robert F. Powelson, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
Dear Chairman Powelson,
The recent power outages which continue to plague Pennsylvanians are cause for concern. Across the state, 15,000 people are still without power nearly week after a late October snow storm. Of these 15,000, some people are elderly or have disabilities, making this hardship all the more difficult to bear.
I understand the great difficulty that a storm of this magnitude places on our utility companies, but I find it troubling to have so many residents without power a full week after this storm. I ask that you conduct a full and open investigation into the cause of the power outages and why it is taking so long to return power to so many Pennsylvanians. I believe a swift investigation is in order so that Pennsylvanians do not suffer from additional power outages of this proportion.
This winter will no doubt be long and tough and all Pennsylvanians will benefit from having a full understanding of why so many lost power during this storm and why many still lack it. I respectfully urge you to begin this investigation right away so that the people of Pennsylvania get the answers they deserve.
Sincerely,
U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr.
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