National Grid

Irene, Lee and Sandy. Three names that have likely forever changed storm preparation and response for utilities in the Northeast. Those storms are what New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has called the new normal, extreme weather events that can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on the region. Ken Daly is president of National Grid New York.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings says it's time National Grid reviewed the city's aging underground infrastructure, after the third incidence of exploding manhole covers downtown.

Fire officials and National Grid say an underground electrical fire sparked an explosion early Saturday that sent four manhole covers flying into the air in a downtown neighborhood. It was the third such incident in less than six months.

New York utility regulators have approved new electricity and natural gas delivery rates for National Grid.

The Public Service Commission says the company will be allowed to collect a total of $123 million more electric revenue and almost $9 million more gas revenue over three years.

On Tuesday, Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rick Sullivan, Chair of the Department of Public Utilities Ann Berwick, and other officials, announced that their investigation to utilities’ response to Tropical Storm Irene and the October 2011 snow storm warranted $24.8 million in penalties to be returned to ratepayers.

State energy regulators have fined three Massachusetts utilities nearly $25 million for their response to two major storms in 2011.

The penalties were announced Tuesday by the Department of Public Utilities after a yearlong investigation.

Some customers were without power for a week after Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011 and a surprise October snowstorm.

At one point after Tropical Storm Irene moved through upstate New York one year ago, national grid reported 156,000  customers without power. For a look back, and a look at what has changed since the storm, WAMC’s Brian Shields talked today with Bill Flaherty, a regional executive with National Grid, who recalls the preparation before the storm hit.

BOSTON (AP) -- Electric and natural gas utility National Grid is warning its customers not to fall for a bill-paying scam that asks them to disclose Social Security and bank routing numbers.

The utility says scammers claim customers can have their utility bills paid under a federal government program.

No such program exists.

The solicitations have been made door-to-door, online and in through phone calls. The company says customers are asked for Social Security and bank routing numbers, then given fake account numbers said to be for payment on their behalf.