Electric Utilities Making Slow, Steady Progress in Restoring Power
By Kim Glovas
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. (CBS) -- Power companies throughout the region hit by Hurricane Sandy are making slow but steady progress on getting customers back on line.
In the Philadelphia area, Peco is now reporting 225,000 customers without service, and the utility is predicting that 90 percent will be restored by tomorrow night. The rest should be back on line by Sunday.
PPL, which services parts of northern Bucks and Montgomery counties, is reporting 22,000 out in Bucks County and 8,000 still in the dark in Montgomery County. The company is hoping to have everyone back on line between now and Sunday.
PSE&G, which provides electricity to New Jersey customers, says it has more than 120,000 customers without service, but only 20,000 customers in the three counties surrounding Philadelphia. Service is expected to be restored to everyone by the weekend or early next week. But the utility says most will be on line before then.
Atlantic City Electric is reporting 68,000 residents still off the grid, but crews are expected to have full service restored by Sunday midnight -- except for residents on the barrier islands that stretch up to Barnegat Light. That area still has to be assessed before any repairs can even be started.
And Delmarva Power still has about 300 customers in New Castle County, Del. without power. They are expected to have service back on by 8pm tonight.
