Con Edison Invests $2.3 Billion To Strengthen Grid Reliability for Summer, Advance New York’s Clean Energy Transition

Con Edison has invested $2.3 billion on infrastructure projects across New York City and Westchester County to keep service reliable during another hot summer and advance the region’s transition from fossil fuels to renewables.

The projects include the installation of new substation equipment, 28 underground and 69 overhead transformers that regulate voltage, 938 sections of underground and overhead cable, and 241 poles. These components make the electric delivery system robust and keep Con Edison’s service among the most reliable in the world, as the need for power increases.

Con Edison is building an electric delivery system capable of delivering reliable clean energy from solar arrays, wind turbines and other renewable resources to support New York State’s climate goals. The company is investing in energy efficiency programs, new substations, transmission lines to carry renewable energy, incentives for electric vehicle chargers, and other measures to usher in a clean energy future.

“These critical infrastructure projects support New York’s transition away from fossil fuels and improve the reliability of our grid by helping us meet the increased demand for power as buildings and vehicles become electrified,” said Matthew Ketschke, the president of Con Edison. “Our investments provide value for every customer and ensure that our grid remains resilient and reliable in the face of extreme weather such as heat waves and storms, which are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change.”

Infrastructure projects managed by Con Edison’s dedicated, highly skilled workforce include:

• Brooklyn: The energization of 74 new sections of underground cable to establish two new feeders and enhance reliability in Williamsburg.
• Queens: The energization of 115 sections of underground cable to support increasing demand for power in Ridgewood and Glendale; moving overhead electric delivery equipment underground in an area of Maspeth to protect it from tree damage during storms and avoid outages.
• The Bronx: Increasing distribution supplies and reconfiguring circuits so that they can carry more power to enhance reliability in the Highbridge, Claremont Village, Morrisania, Charlotte Gardens, and Soundview areas; investments in the southern Bronx to reduce supply interruptions. This will increase the delivery system’s capacity in anticipation of the electrification of vehicles and buildings.
• Staten Island: New switchgear and substation transformers, along with the reconfiguration of overhead circuits in Dongan Hills; new transformer vaults, the replacement of dozens of poles and spans of wire in the New Dorp Beach area, where the demand for power is growing; new cable, poles and manholes to serve West Brighton, Travis, Port Richmond and South Beach.
• Westchester County: Investments to improve the reliability of overhead lines in New Rochelle, Larchmont and the villages within Mount Pleasant. These improvements will allow the company’s crews to restore service more quickly when outages do occur.

In Manhattan, Con Edison is in the final construction phase of a multi-year project to create a new electrical network and increase capacity in the Midtown West area. The company is also beginning a project to improve reliability and accommodate future load growth in Yorkville and Harlem. This project will include the installation of 4.6 miles of cable.

Con Edison has completed projects throughout the area to place overhead wiring underground. The company plans to continue strategically moving overhead lines underground in areas that are vulnerable to tree damage during storms.

The company continues to ensure that disadvantaged communities benefit from its clean energy investments in terms of improved quality of life and climate-resilient energy infrastructure.

The company has committed up to $3 million over the next three years to help local organizations combat the effects of extreme heat and other weather events in disadvantaged and historically marginalized communities across the five boroughs and in Westchester County.

The rates customers pay fund these investments in clean energy and enable the company to continue providing the level of reliability its uniquely dense service area needs.

Based on 2023 data, the typical Con Edison customer would experience an outage once every seven years, not counting interruptions caused by storms.

The company forecasts that the demand for power will peak at 12,800 megawatts this summer. Last year’s peak was 11,565 megawatts, which occurred on July 27, 2023. The all-time record is 13,322 megawatts, which occurred during a heat wave on July 19, 2013.

Manage Usage, Manage Bills

Con Edison encourages customers to use energy wisely this summer and consider enrolling in an energy efficiency program to save money and help the environment.

The company expects bills to be higher than they were last summer. One driver of this is an increase in base delivery rates approved by the New York State Public Service Commission in July 2023. Another is a provision that allows the company to collect revenue to make up for a prior period when the company did not collect as much as expected to support investments.

A typical New York City residential customer using 350 kilowatt hours per month can expect a 10.9 percent increase from last summer and an average monthly bill of $141.06 from June to September 2024.

A typical Westchester residential customer using 500 kilowatt hours per month can expect a 12.1 percent increase and an average monthly bill of $172.05 during the summer months.

A typical New York City small business customer using 583 kilowatt hours per month can expect a 7 percent increase and an average monthly bill of $247.02.

A typical New York City commercial customer using 10,800 kilowatt hours per month with a peak demand of 30 kilowatts can expect a 2.9 percent increase and an average monthly bill of $3,077.42.

The best way for customers to save on their bills is to manage their usage. Customers who conserve energy at times of particularly high demand help Con Edison keep service reliable while also saving money and helping the environment.

Con Edison offers residential customers incentives for clean heating and cooling technology.

Con Edison also offers residential customers an $85 rebate for enrolling

their eligible smart thermostat in the Smart Usage Rewards program. Additionally, Con Edison is offering residential customers up to $4,000 to upgrade their homes with air sealing and insulation.

Con Edison offers an array of rebates and incentives for low-income customers, including discounts on efficient equipment and a free, no-obligation energy assessment to help identify energy-saving offerings.

Customers who receive benefits under certain government programs may qualify for discounts on their monthly bills. Also, under EnergyShare, residential customers who meet certain requirements can get up to $200 toward their bill annually per EnergyShare season.

Residential electric customers who use gas for cooking can save up to $77.65 on their monthly bills if they qualify for Con Edison’s Energy Affordability Program.

For small businesses and non-profits, Con Edison will cover up to 70 percent of the cost to upgrade their lighting, heating and cooling, hot water, refrigeration, and building envelope. 

These upgrades reduce energy bills and can pay for themselves over time.

Commercial and industrial customers can earn incentives from the Smart Usage Rewards program, under which they agree to conserve at times when the demand for power is high.

Multi-family building managers can save on energy efficient equipment upgrades, and also earn incentives from the Smart Usage Rewards program.

Summer Reliability

Con Edison’s technology and expertise provide tools to keep service reliable during the hot summer months when customers’ need for air conditioning increases the amount of power flowing through the system.

The company’s investments enhance the reliability of the electric delivery system to serve customer needs under all conditions. Under extreme conditions, the company’s operators can open switches on 4-kilovolt overhead systems in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx to prevent power from shifting from failed cables onto cables that remain in service. That prevents the cables still in service from becoming overloaded.

Operators can use the smart meter system to shut off the flow of power in a targeted way when delivery equipment in an area is under stress. The shutoff will affect only residential customers who are served by the equipment that is becoming overloaded.

These temporary interruptions prevent larger outages that would take longer to restore. Commercial customers remain in service because it is important for public safety that businesses like gas stations, grocery stores, pharmacies and others stay open.

Critical customers such as hospitals, fire stations and police stations, will also remain in service. These interruptions will not affect households that have registered as having a resident who depends on life-support equipment.

Enrolling in the LSE program is convenient via My Account, by downloading the life-support equipment form, and returning it to Con Edison, or by calling 1-877-582-6633.

Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. [NYSE: ED], one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $15 billion in annual revenues and $67 billion in assets. The utility delivers electricity, natural gas and steam, and serves 3.7 million customers in New York City and Westchester County. For financial, operations and customer service information, visit conEd.com.