National Grid Makes Significant Progress on Restoring Power in Rhode Island

WALTHAM, MA (09/01/2011)(readMedia)-- On day four of the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, National Grid continues to make significant progress in restoring power to affected customers in Rhode Island, with 88 percent of customers back online. National Grid expects to have the majority of Rhode Island customers restored on Saturday, with full restoration completed on Sunday in pockets where damage was particularly extensive.

As of 5 p.m., more than 286,000 of the 325,000 Rhode Island customers affected by Irene have now been restored, with approximately 42,000 still without service. Thousands of National Grid employees continue to work around the clock on the restoration process. Crews from as far away as Idaho, Texas, Michigan, Indiana and Tennessee are working alongside National Grid personnel to replace over 200 poles, 1,070 sections of power lines and over 40 transformers.

"We're doing everything we can to restore our customers as soon as possible," said Tim Horan, National Grid president, Rhode Island. "Once crews complete their work in a particular area they immediately move to another affected area. Additional crews from as far away as Canada and Florida continue to arrive to help with the restoration."

Nearly six million customers up and down the eastern seaboard lost power in Irene's wake.

Important Safety Information

If you use a generator make sure your wiring system is disconnected from our system before operating the generator. This is necessary to prevent your generator's electricity from going back into our system, which could endanger the lives of line crews and your neighbors. Be sure to only use generators outdoors. Exhaust fumes contain poisonous carbon monoxide and can kill or cause serious injury.

If your home is flooded:

• Check with an electrician before turning on anything.
• Do not turn off the gas meter even in the event of an evacuation. The gas meter should be left on to maintain proper pressure in the gas piping within the house and to prevent water from entering the lines should flooding occur.
• Most gas appliances have safety valves that shut off the flow of gas automatically if the pilot light goes out. If your appliances have been in contact with water, please contact a licensed plumbing or heating contractor to make sure the appliances are safe to operate.
• If we shut off your gas service for safety reasons, we will provide instructions on steps required to safely restore service. Don't forget to check outdoor appliances, such as pool heaters and gas grills.

Log on to www.nationalgridus.com for more information on how to stay safe after Irene.

National Grid is an international energy delivery company. In the U.S., National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. National Grid also owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation that provides power to over one million LIPA customers.

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