Mayor Fears Power Outages, Urges New Yorkers to Reduce Use of High Energy Appliances

     As the temperature in the city soars to 98 degrees, with 42% humidity, and 1,700 homes in Williamsburg have already lost their power, Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is worried about the possibility of further power outages, is urging all households and businesses to immediately limit their energy usage.

     “I wanted to urgently, urgently tell all New Yorkers we're now experiencing a heat emergency and we need people to take immediate action,” the mayor said in an urgent press conference this afternoon. “I just got off the phone with Matt Ketschke, the President of Con Edison of New York. Our electric system is dealing with real strains right now because of the severity of heat that we are experiencing today.     

     The use of energy-intensive appliances, such as washers, dryers, and microwaves can drain the city’s energy resources, which are working overtime, as residents blast their air conditioning and fans to cool down from the intense heat.

     To further save energy, New Yorkers are also asked to reduce the use of their air conditioning to times that absolutely necessary.

     “And, obviously, after four days in a row of intense heat, we have a recorded temperature at LaGuardia airport of 98 degrees – that has set a record for this day," the mayor said. "We have a real challenge on our hands. So, here's the message to all New Yorkers: immediately, immediately reduce the use of electricity in your home or in your business.

     “We need to ensure that our electric supply is protected. We need to avoid any possible disruptions. We've all experienced that and know how problematic it can be, what a problem for all of us can be if electricity is disrupted in any way.”