CL&P to Norwalk Mayor: Thanks For the Suggestion But...

Connecticut municipalities appear to have almost no influence on Connecticut Light & Power Co.’s rate of response to major power outages caused by storms.

On Monday a frustrated Norwalk Mayor Richard A. Moccia reportedly suggested that CL&P officials consider using in-state workers for tree and line crews when responding to major storm damage — as opposed to bringing in crews from out of state.

As per an article in The Hour of Norwalk, Moccia argued that CL&P’s practice bringing in outsourced crews from as far away as Ohio and Canada is partly to blame for the utility’s slow response rate to damage caused by events like this past Friday’s early snow storm, which toppled trees and knocked out power to more than 750,000 residents across the state.

According to the article, however, a CL&P official said thanks but no thanks to Moccia’s suggestion. They said the crews they bring in from out of state are the only ones qualified to do the work — and further that these crews provide “quality work."

As of Tuesday morning, — however, some of those residents might have to wait until Thursday, possibly longer, before crews will be able to get their power back on.

Meanwhile, some Connecticut towns to the north — such as Redding — have as much as 90 percent of residents without power.

Statewide, 743,585 of CL&P's 1,237,830 customers were reportedly without power as of Monday afternoon, according to the article. That's more customers without power than when Tropical Strom Irene hit the state in late August.

To see which Connecticut towns have the most residents without power, check out CL&P's "outage map."