Utility companies appealing fines for storm response

BOSTON (WWLP) - Three utility companies are appealing the fines issued against them for their allegedly poor response to the October 2011 snowstorm and Tropical Storm Irene.

The Department of Public Utilities issued the fines against National Grid, NSTAR, and Western Massachusetts Electric Company. The three utility companies were fined a total of $24 million , after hundreds of thousands of customers remained in the dark for days; particularly following the snowstorm.

The companies have maintained that they did the best they could to restore power quickly and communicate with members of the community about their efforts.

But in a statement issued Monday, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley said that the companies did not do enough, and her office intends to defend the fines in court.

“The inadequate planning and response by the utility companies left thousands of Massachusetts customers without power for far too long, and the record fines are certainly justified to hold them accountable for those failings,” Coakley said.

The Attorney General added that once collected, she wants the fines to be sent back to ratepayers, rather than be deposited into the state’s general fund.