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LIPA Estimates Irene Repair Bill At $176 Million

HICKSVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) - The Long Island Power Authority estimates it will cost $176 million for the effort to restore power after Hurricane Irene.

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Michael Hervey, LIPA's chief operating officer, revised the figure upward from his earlier $100 million estimate after getting a final report from National Grid before a trustees meeting Friday morning.

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Irene knocked out power to more than 523,000 LIPA customers, a record for the utility.

LIPA's bill for repairing the damage includes transporting more than 3,500 out-of-town workers and putting them up in hotels.

"We ultimately had about 7,000 people working on the storm, 3,500 lineman and tree trimmers (most of them from out of state), and 16-hour days, and, you know, that labor is quite expensive," Hervey told WCBS 880 reporter Sophia Hall.

LIPA expects 75 percent of the cost to be covered by federal disaster relief funds.

Hervey says officials will try to absorb the costs without imposing a rate increase on consumers.

What do you have to say about LIPA's response to Irene? Sound off in the comments section below!

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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