A Q&A with Matthew Ketschke, President, Con Edison of New York

What is Con Edison doing to fortify its energy delivery equipment in the face of increasing extreme weather events?

New York’s energy needs require strategic planning and ongoing investments. Our customers rely on us to keep the lights on as extreme weather events grow more frequent and severe. Since Hurricane Sandy, our upgrades prevented more than 1.25 million outages. We’ve built flood barriers, elevated substation equipment, installed submersible equipment and strengthened our overhead system. Extreme heat is the fastest emerging threat to our underground system. To address it, we’re building a grid that will stand up to weather conditions 50 years from now. This includes infrastructure investments as well as technological advances. We’re installing interrupter switches and reconfiguring feeders to limit damage and reduce or avoid outages during heat waves.

What is Con Edison doing to ensure customers have safe, reliable service for decades to come?

We’re committed to maintaining our industry-leading reliability. We energize many of the nation’s vital institutions, from the New York Stock Exchange to JFK International Airport to New York City’s transportation networks, enabling millions of people to get where they need to go. Con Edison’s service is nine times more reliable as other providers in New York state and around the country. By leveraging data and technology and working closely with climate experts, we are building a resilient energy system. This approach helps us target upgrades and investments that will bring the greatest value to our customers, with resiliency built into every aspect of our design, operations and planning.

How does Con Edison approach emergency preparedness?

Our emergency preparedness includes regular drills with city and state agencies, maintaining critical equipment and mobile generation units to keep essential services powered. We use new technology to prevent large-scale outages and protect critical infrastructure and strong communication with customers and agencies, before, during and after emergencies to keep New Yorkers safe and informed.