Senator Requests Hearing on National Grid's Response to Hurricane Irene

Massachusetts Senator Richard Ross (R-Wrentham), with the support of 16 other legislators, is pushing forward on his promise to investigate response to power outages from Tropical Storm Irene, Ross's office said in a press release Tuesday. 

Ross has requested that the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, in conjunction with the Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight, conduct oversight hearings on the companies' emergency response plans. 

Both companies failed to adequately respond to safety concerns and communicate with municipalities and customers in a timely manner, according to Ross.

Ross said calls to the businesses went unanswered and as a result trees remained down and blocked roadways for days after Irene's impact.   

The senator has also requested a public hearing, which will provide residents with an opportunity to testify about the power outages and drowned trees.

“The response of the power companies following Tropical Storm Irene was absolutely unacceptable,” said Senator Ross. “It is imperative that we solve these problems now, before we are faced with an equally damaging storm during the cold winter months when the results could be disastrous.”