Cuomo Signs Away ‘LIPA As We Know It'

ALBANY-“Today marks a bright new day for residents and businesses on Long Island,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday after signing legislation to privatize utility operations on the island. At a ceremony in which he pasted a PSEG logo over the Long Island Power Authority sign on a utility truck, the governor proclaimed an end to “the tragedy of LIPA,” and said the legislation he signed “ends the LIPA as we know it,” creating a new utility system for Nassau and Suffolk residents. It was a change the governor had sought for some time.

 “LIPA has offered lackluster service for too long, and after its failure to perform during Superstorm Sandy, it was clear we needed a change,” Cuomo said Monday. “With today’s bill signing, ratepayers on Long Island are getting a utility whose operations will be run by PSEG with its award winning record of performance during disasters. This legislation also seeks to establish a rate freeze for this year and the next two years while adding, for the first time, real state oversight of Long Island’s utility operations to ensure continued service and accountability.”