Councilmembers Chaim Deutsch and Jumaane Williams (D-BROOKLYN) held a meeting in Midwood on Wednesday to address a spate of brown-outs and power outages. During the recent Jewish holidays, many experienced total or partial loss of power, ending up with spoiled food, stoves that wouldn’t ignite, and failed air conditioner compressors.

At the request of Councilman Deutsch, Con Edison engineers began a study to determine the cause and frequency of the service interruptions and to examine potential solutions. Wednesday’s meeting, held at Deutsch’s district office, was an opportunity for Con Edison to hear directly from residents about the issues that they have experienced.

Armed with this information and the results of their study, Con Edison has made a commitment to overhaul the electrical system in the problematic section of Midwood. They have dedicated significant funds towards this project, which they anticipate will be completed by the end of this year. Work will include installation of secondary risers, secondary spans, secondary mains, and new electrical poles.
These upgrades come after an additional $10 million project that was completed in the waterfront community of Sheepshead Bay last year. That project repaired much of the damage that was left on the electrical system after Hurricane Sandy.

“The upcoming Con Edison work in Midwood will be a welcome relief to hundreds of residents who have experienced power interruptions for several years. I commend Con Edison for their commitment to developing a real, definitive response to these electrical problems,” said Councilman Chaim Deutsch. “I want to thank Leon Goldenberg and Josh Mehlman of the Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition for their partnership in tackling these electrical issues. I’m really pleased that Councilman Williams and I were able to work together with Con Edison to reach a positive solution to this recurring issue.”

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