By the OGJ Online Staff
HOUSTON, Sept. 17 -- New York's Consolidated Edison Inc. Monday said it restored power to parts of Lower Manhattan but warned customers to minimize use as much as possible while electric work continues in the area.
The company reported restoring power to the majority of its Fulton network, one of several networks that have been shut down since Tuesday�s terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. It said restoration in the area is the first phase of ongoing work to restore the entire Fulton network.
With work expected to continue for several days, Con Ed said it is "imperative" that customers restrict their energy use during this period.
The New York Stock Exchange and the New York Mercantile Exchange began operations today as planned with power restored. The American Stock Exchange remained without power.
More than 1,900 Con Edison workers are working around the clock to restore power in Lower Manhattan, the company said. Some 26 miles of high voltage cable have been stretched through the streets and trenches are being dug to accommodate the wires. Con Edison said more than 5,000 electric customers have had their power restored.
The company has cut away damaged electric cables buried beneath debris-clogged streets. Transmission lines from the two substations that were totally destroyed by the collapse of the building at 7 World Trade Center are being cut and isolated from the transmission system, the company said.
Much of the financial district is still without electricity and the utility is in the midst of contracting with Caterpillar Inc. and GE Power Systems to install diesel generators, while Con Edison repairs and installs new cable and the substations.
The temporary power systems may not be sufficient to power an entire building load so building managers have disconnected electrical service to some of the tenants, Con Edison said. The utility advised tenants not to hook up their own generator but to call licensed electricians.
