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County adopts plan to lobby NYSEG after residents describe dangerous outage responses
Summary
Legislators passed a resolution to address electrical outages and to press NYSEG for better vegetation management after residents and commissioners described incidents where downed live wires and delayed utility response endangered property and people.
Tompkins County adopted a resolution titled "Navigating electrical outages, proactive steps for today and tomorrow's electrified world," after public safety concerns and multiple local outage incidents were raised.
Several legislators described specific incidents: Randy Brown recounted homes and a bed-and-breakfast affected when live wires remained down for hours and crews were delayed; another member described poles burning for two days. Haley Delisle, the county sustainability coordinator, said the plan lists actions the county can take to lobby NYSEG for improved vegetation-management practices and to press for change in trimming cycles (industry standard five years; NYSEG set six).
"Vegetation interference and equipment failure accounted for over 75% of those outages," a legislator noted during debate, pointing to the presentation's data. Lawmakers urged use of advocacy in rate cases and recommended possible resolutions to press the utility; the legislature voted unanimously to adopt the plan.
The resolution instructs staff to pursue advocacy steps and to report back with recommended actions to the appropriate committee; it does not direct county funds to NYSEG or impose operational changes on the utility.
