Community Corner

Authorities Want New Utility Pole Oversight

State authorities say unacceptable maintenance means a central authority should manage the utility poles and coordinate repairs.

Citing poor maintenance and neglect of utility poles throughout Connecticut, state authorities want to appoint an independent administrator to manage the poles and wrest control from the utility companies.

Consumer Counsel Elin Swanson Katz and Attorney General George Jepsen made the recommendation in a letter filed Tuesday with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. They asked PURA to consider the appointment as part of its ongoing investigation into the responses by Connecticut public service companies to and the Oct. 29 snow storm.

“The compromised integrity of the utility poles from neglect and mismanagement contributed to the devastation caused by these two storms, as weakened or rotted utility poles are much more likely to be damaged during extreme weather conditions,” they wrote.

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More than 3,000 utility poles fell or were damaged during the two storms.

“Unfortunately, many of these utility poles are jointly owned, creating confusion and uncertainty by affected municipalities and other parties as to the entity responsible for repair or replacement of damaged utility poles and their attendant attachments,” the Consumer Counsel and Attorney General wrote.

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An administrator, they said, provide greater security for Connecticut’s power and telecommunications services and enforce standards for maintenance and replacement of utility poles. During storms, they would coordinate emergency services. The authority would also manage completion of temporary repairs and administering an process for pole attachments and reattachments that provides timely access.


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