Press Release

NEW YORK - Con Edison's effort to return power to lower Manhattan took a small but significant step forward at 11:28 last night when the company restored power to the majority of its Park Place network, one of several networks that have been shut down since Tuesday's terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. But the company is urging any residences and businesses whose power has been restored to minimize their use of electricity while work continues in the area. Street lights are on.

This part of the restoration is the first phase of ongoing work to restore the entire Park Place network. This work will continue for several days, and it is imperative that customers restrict their energy use during this period.

Service has been restored to an area bounded by Thomas Street on the north; Murray Street on the south; Broadway on the east; and West Street on the west.

Over 700 Con Edison workers are laboring around the clock to restore power in lower Manhattan and thousands more are working behind the scenes.

Nearly 20 miles of high-voltage cable have been stretched through the streets and trenches are being dug to accommodate the wires.

The company has cut away damaged electric cables buried beneath the rubble-strewn 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.