Digital Meters Don’t Matter

City Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Queens) wants all homes to have digital devices by 2011 to monitor utilities. He believes they’d offer usage info to cut consumer bills by 10% and enable Con Edison to reduce site inspections and better track outages. I guess “10%” is a nice number, but what conclusions is it based on? Assuming any future usage reduction percentage is next to impossible to calculate without facts. What's more, usage is more likely to rise as customers buy more electronics that require more electricity. Besides, consumers already get usage info ... on their bills. More importantly, people know exactly how much they pay out each month for electricity. What better gauge for New Yorkers is there than that? Likewise, Con Edison should be required to operate more efficiently without new monitoring devices. More importantly, Con Ed must respond to outages faster once meters (of any type) are reading zero. Politicians should lead by innovation and example to reduce energy consumption. Getting New York City residents to subsidize new meters now to register existing information is probably not the best way to do it.

Con Ed Bills To Rise Again

Are you shocked? Experts believe this summer’s electricity bills may go up 30% in New York City because of higher fuel costs. Are you shocked? Con Edison already charges the highest rate of any major electric utility. Are you shocked? Con Ed projects a 13% increase. Are you surprised???

East Side Park Power

Final plans and negotiations are underway to build a 5 acre park along the East River in Manhattan. This major redevelopment on the former site of the Con Edison power plant will also include 4,000 new apartments. A floating pylon will be constructed in the river to become the new location of a restaurant, ferry landing, viewing center and exhibition space. The Municipal Arts Society deserves much of the credit for this waterfront park concept. Let’s seize the moment, embrace their idea and turn this property into another jewel in the necklace to surround Manhattan with greenery for decades and the appreciation of generations to come.

Watt A Shocker!

Want FREE electricity from Con Edison? To get a personal volt-jolt, simply touch the right (or wrong, depending on how you look at it) Con Ed-managed light pole, electric switching box, manhole cover or other equipment. Some of them leak electricity! In fact, this can occur in roughly three quarters of a million places in New York City. According to Con Ed, 295 people "made the connection" in 2007. But before you make plans to turn yourself into a power user, remember this. Con-Ed's loose-juice can be powerful enough to kill and regrettably has before. So be careful out there. Don’t turn yourself into another "light on Broadway."

Where There’s Steam ... There’s Something Boiling Below

The cause(s) for Con Edison’s July, 2007 steam pipe explosion has yet to be determined. Whether Con Ed is to blame for inadequate maintenance or whether a city-owned water main (broken a few days prior to the blast) triggered the other pipe to burst, nobody knows. It will be awhile before anything is confirmed. Perhaps, we may never know exactly what led to this tragic event.

I believe there are some things we can safely predict. For example, in the years to come:

1. There will be lawsuits and counter-lawsuits aplenty. Suits on behalf of the two people sadly caught in the blast, Con Ed vs. the city, the city vs. Con Ed and each of the building, store and property owners with damages vs. everybody standing. Maybe others too.
2. All sides will produce “expert” testimony. Each party pointing hired fingers at the other side. Each expert will present reasonably logical arguments while possibly obscuring important facts in the process.
3. Regardless of who wins and who loses, all costs will ultimately be passed onto New York City taxpayers and Con Edison’s customers.
4. More explosions, resulting from the city’s decaying underground infrastructure which is over 100 years old in many places, may be expected.
5. City residents will be generally unsupportive of tax increases to subsidize the “big fix” that’s needed underneath our town.
6. Local politicians won’t adequately address the growing dangers or propose important legislation to counter these threats. Heard any yet?
7. When all is said and done, there will be several additionally rich tort lawyers flashing their $1,000 bills to attract the gorgeous blondes in Bungalow 8.

There once was a time when pedestrians crossing NYC streets need only be cautious not to step behind horses or into an open manhole. Nowadays, horse manure isn’t a big concern. Sidestepping manholes, even those with covers securely in place, may still be a wise precaution. Unless of course you want to risk being launched through the 10th floor window of a skyscraper.

Tread lightly New Yorkers. There's a cauldron of trouble brewing beneath your feet.