Free Talk Live

The problem, Assemblyman John F. McKeon said, is utility poles just aren't as sturdy as they could be. It's potentially making outages worse than necessary and putting line workers in danger, he said. But he's not quite sure how much his proposed bill to to require sturdier poles would ultimately cost utility companies, or how much of a difference it would make after a major storm — like Sandy or Irene. He had ballpark estimates, but not specific figures.