Patch’s Poll: Has CL&P Improved Its Image And Performance Since Tropical Storm Irene?

Areas of Connecticut went without power for over a week after Tropical Storm Irene made landfall here on Aug 28, 2011.

Over 700,000 Connecticut Light & Power customers lost electricity following the storm, a record number at the time that was bested just a few months later by the freak October snowstorm.

Initially, residents listened as CL&P President Jeffrey Butler explained the difficulty the utility company faced with the high number of outages and the fact that it would take time to restore everyone to full capacity.

But as the days went on, state residents and elected officials became restless, and Butler became a target of criticism for the company’s handling of the restoration efforts. This extended into October when, after the snowstorm hit, CL&P found itself in the same predicament as with Irene.

But in the year since, Butler has resigned as president of CL&P, and the power company has implemented new initiatives such as a division that’s focused on getting power restored in a timely manner following a storm, the New Haven Register reports.

The company also donated $30 million to the state as a fund for those who dealt with long power outages following Irene and the October storm.

And, as noted in the Register article, CL&P spokesman Mitch Gross has had practice with smaller storms and outages this summer so it’s prepared for the next event.

What are your thoughts? Do you think CL&P improved its image and performance since Tropical Storm Irene? Take our poll and share your thoughts in the comments.