National Grid Gas Nightmare: New Portal For Home And Business Owners To File Complaints About Moratorium
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – There is now a formal channel for New Yorkers to complain about the effects of National Grid's natural gas moratorium in the city and on Long Island.
Attorney General Letitia James announced the launch of the new portal Wednesday.
Home and business owners are encouraged to share information about the harm they may have suffered and their interactions with National Grid representatives.
James said her office is also investigating whether the company misled its customers and the New York Public Service Commission about the need for the moratorium.
"National Grid denied necessary service to thousands of New Yorkers in an attempt to strong arm our state into approving a pipeline that would hurt the environment and our water supply," she said in a statement. "The moratorium continues to have a profound effect on individuals, small businesses, and New York's economy, and will only get more problematic as the weather gets colder. New Yorkers harmed by National Grid's actions deserve an explanation and I urge anyone impacted to file a complaint with my office."
The attorney general's announcement came just a day after Gov. Andrew Cuomo sent a letter to National Grid saying the state plans to revoke its license to supply natural gas in Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island unless the utility ends the moratorium that has been in place since May. The company has two weeks to comply.
A spokesperson said it will respond "within the time frame."
For months, CBS2 has been demanding answers from National Grid and the governor after thousands of customers were left without gas.
"Your reporting has been right. I mean, you reported on the real-life consequences of what they did. They literally turned off the gas on people as we're coming in to the winter months," Cuomo said.
