NStar read the riot act by residents, legislators and regulators
Published on October 10th, 2001
STONEHAM, MA - NStar has promised to alleviate “80 percent of its problems in Stoneham by Jan. 1,” according to State Representative Paul Casey (D-34th Middlesex).
Since Jan. 1, 2000, Stoneham has suffered 116 power outages. NStar, formerly Boston Edison, is the power company serving Stoneham among other Greater Boston communities.
Casey hosted a meeting of NStar representatives, local legislators and Stoneham Selectmen last week.
“They gave us detailed information about what circuits and lines they’d be fixing,” Selectman Chairman Tony Kennedy told the Oct. 9 Selectmen’s meeting.
In a separate interview, Department of Energy and Telecommunications Commis-sioner Gene Sullivan confirmed that his agency has ordered NStar to prepare a report explaining why the company has so many outages in Stoneham and what can be done. A similar report was prepared by NStar in August to address problems in Boston. The Boston report was completed in six weeks and proposed a list of capital projects to improve the quality of NStar’s delivery system.
“There are problems in overhead wires and problems underground,” Sullivan said.
In an interview earlier this summer, NStar spokesperson Michael Monahan blamed the outages on excessive power use during heat waves and surges during electrical storms.
“But on a cool night in September with no wind, the power goes out,” said Selectman Mary Pecoraro at the Oct. 9 meeting.
Casey said that some of NStar’s excuses are valid.
“One night a car hit a pole on William Street, and an hour later another car hit another pole on the same street,” Casey said. But he agreed that NStar has to improve service. “If they don’t, we’ll get the DTE after them.”
Sullivan is coming before the Board of Selectmen on Oct. 23 to give Stoneham an update. He said that State Senator Richard Tisei’s (R-3rd Middlesex) office has been in contact with the DTE, urging timely action. Casey, Tisei and Rep. Michael Festa (D-35th Middlesex) are all pressing the issue per the requests of Stoneham Selectmen and citizens.
“My young son panics every time there’s an outage,” one Stoneham parent said. “Our house is full of candles.”
Businesses or citizens who have lost money as a result of outages will have to fight for their money in court. The Stoneham Theatre claims to have lost more than $12,000.
“Those are civil matters,” Sullivan said.
But the DTE can force NStar to improve future service.
“If NStar doesn’t improve, they’ll have to deal with us,” Sullivan said. “We regulate them.”
Some townspeople have suggested a town-wide boycott on paying electric bills. People are that angry. But Sullivan said that would be “unreasonable” and asked for Stonehamites to wait for the DTE to act. Hopefully, folks won’t be waiting in the dark.
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