Protecting Public Safety

At Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (CECONY) we invested about $3.78 billion in 2022 to fortify our electric, gas, and steam infrastructure and at O&R we invested $242.9 million in 2022 to fortify our electric and gas infrastructure. This investment underscores our commitment to providing energy to millions of customers efficiently and responsibly while protecting the environment and keeping people safe throughout our service area.

Electric

CECONY continues to develop tools, techniques, and management strategies to improve safety, troubleshoot problems, and increase efficiency. In 2022 Electric Operations’ Distribution Engineering team applied data analytics to pressure and temperature sensor data to assess network transformer health. The team identified 783 network transformers that warranted a field evaluation. These actions removed 114 network transformers from service and eliminated the potential for injury. The company has expanded the use of the cold shrink splices to the secondary system. The cold shrink technology enables more uniform installation and reduces the necessary training to develop highly skilled employees and achieve reliable splices. The My Inspection Application (MIA) was designed and developed by the company to streamline data sharing of field inspections with engineers for evaluation. The mobile and desktop app allows users to upload photos relating to Underground Structures, Overhead Structures (poles, Equipment), Unit Substation Equipment or URD structures. MIA also contains a Photo Library where users can see photos and related data improving the speed with which we can identify and remove safety risks. CECONY continues to work to reduce manhole events with multiple programs including its industry recognized vented latched manhole technology that reduce the severity of manhole events.

CECONY’s underground networks are surveyed for contact voltage 12 times a year, using mobile detectors. In 2022, we found and eliminated 6,847 cases of contact voltage. Of those, 6,166 cases (89%) were on non-Con Edison equipment (streetlights, electric signs, and other structures). We performed more than 29,130 inspections of our underground structures (manholes, service boxes, and transformer vaults).

O&R’s stray voltage program is completed on a five-year cycle, where 20% of our distribution assets are inspected and tested yearly. The exceptions to this program are streetlights and transmission facilities, which are inspected yearly. In 2022, O&R performed 35,639 inspections and 28,605 tests.

Safe Streets The design for more than 246,000 manhole covers is changing to help make energy more reliable for our customers and to keep them safe.

Gas

Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (CECONY)

CECONY’s strategy for public safety risk mitigation includes the elements of prevention, enhanced detection, and best-in-class response. Many of its initiatives are industry leading and on the cutting edge of technology.

Prevention

CECONY continues to significantly invest in its main replacement program to remove cast iron and unprotected steel gas mains from its inventory. CECONY has replaced 462 miles of such mains in the last five years. Along with other enhanced quality measures, the Company requires 100% independent inspections of all plastic joints installed to confirm quality and compliance. Furthermore, CECONY has a robust and proactive damage prevention program that promotes awareness in the contractor community and applies predictive analytics for additional contractor oversight before street work is performed near our critical facilities.

Detection

CECONY performs monthly gas leak surveys of its 4,350-mile gas distribution system, far in excess of the traditional annual survey preformed in the industry. The frequency of these surveys allows it to detect leaks in its system as they occur, so that repair can be scheduled in a timely manner. The Company is also implementing a new Advanced Leak Detection (ALD) program which will survey one third of our system each year in addition to our monthly gas leak surveys. This program will help us with both leak detection as well as prioritizing the repair of the highest emitting leaks.

Additionally, the Company has developed first of its kind natural gas detectors integrated with our advanced metering infrastructure. These detectors automatically notify the Gas Emergency Response Center of potential public safety emergencies that require immediate attention. We piloted these detectors in 2018 and have installed over 170,000 detectors thus far. The Company will install detectors in every remaining gas customer’s building over the next three years. Since 2017 the Company’s Service Line Inspection (SLI) program has also expanded the scope of leak detection on our system through the inspection of service piping from the point of entry of the service to the outlet of the meter(s). This program has also aided in the prevention of leaks by identifying piping that is in poor condition and prone to leaks.

Furthermore, CECONY has a comprehensive, multichannel, and multilingual campaign to educate customers and the public at large—an estimated 10 million people across New York City and Westchester County—about gas safety and the urgency of reporting gas leaks. We reach customers primarily through direct mailings, youth outreach efforts, advertising, digital initiatives (such as email campaigns, conEd.com and social media), and community events. We are also continuing our successful media campaign, Smell Gas, Act Fast, featuring videos and social media posts that inform customers on what to do if they smell gas. The videos are in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean.

Response

CECONY emergency response performance is best-in-class.

Furthermore, our close relationship with the Fire Department of New York and Westchester County Emergency Services has ensured that every event is responded to with the utmost urgency and is mitigated quickly. Additionally, the Company completed its isolation valve program in 2022, by installing valves as well as implementing a newly developed technology, emergency main stop-off stations (EMSOS), to allow us to quickly isolate over 500 of our most critical customers in the case of an emergency.

Orange & Rockland

We have continued our focus on enhancing public safety by modernizing our gas delivery system. Investments to replace leak-prone pipe, primarily unprotected steel, and Aldyl plastic gas mains, have resulted in fewer incoming outside leaks. In 2022, we replaced more than 22 miles of gas mains.

By providing education to and direct oversight of those performing excavation work near our gas system, we continued to see good performance relative to third-party damages to our gas system. We continue to perform gas leak patrols of our distribution system and have kept the number of open leaks low throughout the year.

We continue to perform internal corrosion inspections and strategically deployed AMI-enabled, natural gas detectors in the territory.

O&R has a comprehensive campaign to educate customers and the public at large about gas safety and the urgency of reporting gas leaks. We reach customers primarily through direct mailings, advertising, digital initiatives, and community events.

Steam

CECONY continues to apply its prevent, detect, and respond risk mitigation strategy to have a deliberate focus on public safety. Many of these initiatives are industry leading and on the cutting edge of technology. For the “prevent” element of the strategy, CECONY continues significant investments in its steam system assessment and main inspection programs that use advanced data analytics to identify areas where specific infrastructure investment is needed. Starting in 2019, CECONY began the first generation of its assessment model and since then has inspected approximately 14,000 feet of steam main to date. CECONY also commissioned into service a full-scale computational fluid dynamic flow model, known as the Kongsberg model. This model simulates the flow of steam and condensate through the piping system using actual field conditions reported from various devices. This model is the first of its kind in the industry and can alert our Engineering/Operations teams to potential conditions that might increase the risk of a water hammer. The model will continue to be validated with field measurement devices as it is gradually put into meaningful operations and planning use. Besides these preventive efforts, CECONY also has a robust monthly customer seminar program which educates our customers on how to use our steam service properly and safely in their buildings.

CECONY’s “detect” risk mitigation strategy includes performing weekly or bi-weekly (depending on the season) visual surveys of the 105-mile steam distribution system. CECONY also developed and is enhancing our remote monitoring system. The sensors associated with this system have the capability to detect defective steam traps, excessive water levels within our steam manholes, as well as the performance of drainage pumps. This system automatically notifies our Steam Troubleshoot Dispatch Center of potential public safety emergencies that require immediate attention. Additional improvements to the system are currently in the research and development stages and continuing with field testing in 2023.

CECONY’s “respond” risk mitigation strategy includes rapid response, repair, and partnership with external agencies.

These performances are also attributed to the close relationship between CECONY and many of the first responders, including Fire Department of New York City and the Department of Environmental Protection. Overall, CECONY conducted eight training sessions for public and emergency officials on how to properly respond to steam incidents. CECONY also met with various agencies throughout the year to familiarize them with the steam system, hazard recognition methods, and the Company’s internal emergency response procedures. CECONY also conducts drills to test its emergency response process/procedure for steam safety incidents as well as potential oil spill events.