NSTAR Says Improvements Have Been Made Since Last October's Storm

BOSTON (CBS) - NSTAR customers remember the devastating impact of last October's storm.

It left some 200,000 customers without power.

Today NSTAR told WBZ-TV it has made improvements to ensure quicker response the next time the area is hit with a major storm.

And next week could be its first real test.

Craig Hallstrom, vice president of Electric Field Operations for the utility, says the company has worked with local cities and towns to identify priority areas where service needs to be restored first; customers can log outage calls via smart phone; and  log on to NSTAR's website to view outage areas and estimated restoration times.

The utility says it has learned from the past.

"WE put a lot of energy and effort into this," says Hallstrom.

Part of the process is cutting down trees, something many are familiar with from spring's brush clearing effort. And some Framingham residents say Saxonville Beach and other nearby stretches of land were leveled just weeks ago.

But NSTAR says trees are the number one cause for power outages.

"It's a very sensitive issue," says Hallstrom. "We like our trees...but it's a balance that we have to reach."