August 10, 2022

The power outages that we experienced during this heatwave have illustrated the need for all power companies to work with state and local officials on addressing the aging energy infrastructure that we have in our neighborhoods, as well as the need for long term planning as we experience more extreme weather, and more developments being added to the power grid.

This week, South Boston residents experienced power outages during a heatwave, when they have already experienced over a day of power outages less than two weeks ago. These power outages occurred during record long heatwaves with some of the hottest temperatures that we have seen this season. Many residents have endured unbearable heat without air conditioning or fans, and there have been many seniors, persons with disabilities, and children also impacted.

We represent many residents living in public housing, and many of them do not have access to air conditioning. Our city and its neighborhoods have seen unprecedented growth. With hotter summers and colder winters, there will be more demand on the electric grid.

We therefore need to ensure that we are receiving critical upgrades to our electric grid and infrastructure. We also need long term planning, and resources for residents when they experience an outage in the summer or winter. We also need to work together on a consistent communication plan from our electric companies about the work they are doing and timeline for getting power back, as well as an outreach plan focusing on residents who speak a language other than English.

We look forward to working with residents, power companies, local and state officials, and other stakeholders on addressing upgrades for electrical infrastructure to prepare for record temperatures and longer durations for heatwaves.

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