As Jerry Kremer points out in his March 5 editorial, years of public-private partnerships under LIPA have removed us further from the root of our needs: an energy system in service of people, not profits.
On good days, we pay outrageous rates for inadequate service. On bad days, we wait in the dark unable to get clear answers on when service will return.
On all days, we maintain reliance on climate-wrecking fossil fuels that put our region at risk of further catastrophe. Our utility consistently fails us, no more apparent than during last summer’s Tropical Storm Isaias which proved PSEG LI incapable of responding to the challenge of providing and maintaining the resilient electric grid that Long Islanders need.
It’s time for a new paradigm of energy management on Long Island and time to oppose any efforts to further privatize our energy services. Across the country, publicly owned utilities have proven more affordable and reliable for residential customers.
They are more responsive to customer needs, yielding better customer satisfaction. Their shorter outage times safeguard households’ food, medicine and safety and improve the productivity of small businesses.
With a proper process in place, we can reimagine, reinvent, and restructure LIPA so that it is responsible to those most impacted by decisions concerning our energy system. We can ensure that those who use, pay for, and work for the system have a say in how it runs.
LIPA must terminate their contract with PSEG LI as soon as possible and fully municipalize. We can no longer separate LIPA from everyday Long Islanders.
Paul Merkelson
Transition Town Port Washington
